What's happening behind the scenes to bring new GHAWG content? The GHAWG Diaries is my recap of what I've been doing.
Cover image designed by @magnacarta using emojis and Excel 2007 for text. Minor edits made using MS Paint.
Introduction
There's more to #GHAWG than just daily zapfic entries and the spreadsheet I use to track them. There's research. There's review. There's also thought and inspiration. Then there are the tools involved in doing any of those tasks.
Just to keep things from getting scrambled in my head, and also to document for myself what I've been considering, I began keeping a diary of my activities as they concern #GHAWG. With posts in the GHAWG, Uninterrupted series on hold at Interlude 3 while Act 7 remains in progress, I decided to share these diary entries with everyone on Hive blockchain.
On Mondays which don't feature a GHAWG, Uninterrupted post-- GHAWG-U-- I'll post diary entries from the previous 7 days or between GHAWG-U posts if the time between them is short. For Part 51, there are 7 days' worth of diary entries. The first entry starts on 2024-November-11.
Before anyone scratches their heads at a few terms, here are 3 I began using many posts ago:
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
Rate Bike | Code name for #GHAWG (the first and current zapfic serial) |
Blue Lion | Code name for the middle zapfic serial in the GHAWG Universe |
The Bronze | Code name for the final zapfic serial in the GHAWG Universe |
Monday, 2024-November-11
đź““ Today I used digital maps to plot a driving route from Chicago, Illinois, US to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, US. For the route which was mapped, the distance covered is less than 782 miles. In GHAWG time, the ride would last between 5 and 7 days. I may modify the route Felix Legion takes in order to feature certain locations as well as to minimize retracing the route David had taken earlier when the uncanny Manny Rey was his co-pilot between Sandusky, Ohio, US and Le Clair, Iowa, US.
Tuesday, 2024-November-12
đź““ I added 2 entries to the zapfic queue, so the queue takes me to 2024-November-18. Slowly I'm letting the story unfold not only for Felix Legion but also for independent journalist AnĂbal Rivera.
Rivera is in Chicago covering public outcry from long-suffering natives regarding the masive influx of illegal immigrants to the city since 2021. This outcry came to a head when the baby daughter of a gang leader was killed when one of the criminally-minded illegal immigrants-- known in Chicago as "the New Marielitos"-- in an effort to ignite a turf war between rival Chicago gangs. Rivera is interviewing all sorts of people to give his investigation substance
As for Felix Legion, David Guardia and crew begin the storyline as spectators. After they reach the end of Route 66, they need to find their way out of town to begin the next phase of David's Epic Ride: bringing The Kids back to UNC where they pick up their senior year of college. Initially, Felix Legion just goes with the flow. Once it arrives at the Obama Presidential Library in Jackson Park, the Felix Legion storyline converges with the Rivera storyline. From there, things get more interesting.
Wednesday, 2024-November-13
đź““ I added a few entries tot he zapfic queue, bu since Rat Bike is currently in a 2-entries-per-day phase i only advanaced the queue by a day. At this moment, the queue's last entry is scheduled for 2024-November-19. This is when Felix Legion gets involved in the events taking place in Chicago by transporting Chicago Police Department Auxiliary Lieutenant Terry Leo to the Obama Presidential Library. It's also when AnĂbal Rivera is recording video entries for the stroy he's working on regarding the most recent act of civil unrest. Because of the number of entries needed for this one day, I can say that the Route 66 storline is finished and Act 7 has ended. This day in Chicago will be considered Interlude 4 before Felix Legion resumes the ride east and brings The Kids to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Now that Act 7 is over, I need to work on a GHAWH Uninterrupted post for it; this will take me a while.
Thursday, 2024-November-14
đź““ When I began GHAWG in March 2023, I tried to follow the storytelling structure of the 2000 movie Gladiator. I wasn't trying to make my own version of Gladiator, and I wasn't trying to rewrite it. All I wanted to do was use the storytelling structure as a framework for my own story. Originally, GHAWG-- currently the Rat Bike portion of The GHAWG Saga in The GHAWG Universe-- was going to end at STURGIS after the climactic meeting between David Guardia and Harry Hoqualogue of The Mongols when David completes delivery of the message given to him by the uncanny Manny Rey.
Once David realized his long-time dream of attending the annual motorcycle rally in Sturgis, South Dakota, US, I realized there was more story to tell. Since Harry and his Mongols were based out of San Diego, California, US, I wanted to see what kind of story developed. Thanks to the message-within-the-message the uncanny Manny Rey left for "The Courier", David had to complete a mission in Portland, Oregon, US. In between STURGIS and Portland, I had trouble writing the story, and at one point I was ready to end it; after all, David had reached STURGIS, and that was the original goal.
Thanks to a zapfic entry I had written during Rhonda Bella's earliest days as David's new co-pilot, I found a way to keep the story going. Once Our Heroes arrived in Portland to complete David's mission for the uncanny Manny Rey, the introduction of Lindsay Etxeberria transformed GHAWG fundamentally. How important is Lindsay to GHAWG? Until Our Heroes arrived in Portland, I was drawing blanks all the time; I had no idea how to proceed. When Lindsay appeared in Portland, it breathed new life into GHAWG. I went from having trouble with one zapfic serial (code named Rat Bike) to having concepts for 2 sequel zapfic serials (Blue Lion, followed immediately by The Bronze). It's because of Lindsay Etxeberria that the GHAWG zapfic serial became The GHAWG Universe.
I mention all that as prologue for this diary entry because it is looking to me as if the day Felix Legion has in Chicago, Illinois, US-- after the arrival at the eastern terminus of the legendary and iconic Route 66-- can be taken as its own story apart from Rat Bike. I can even apply the storytelling structure from Gladiator to this one-day event. For now, I will write whatever I can get out of my mind as far as this one-day event is concerned. Later, I can rewrite this in long form with that storytelling structure as a basic framework.
Friday, 2024-November-15
đź““ Today I plan to extend the zapfic queue by at least a day or two (so at least 2 or 4 zapfic entries).As of 224-November-19, Felix Legion isriding south from the eastern terminus of Route 66 to Jackson Park, location of the Obama Presidential Library. I'm trying to see how to add to the "A" storyline featuring independent journalist AnĂbal Rivera. Rivera has already spoken to the father of a random shooting victim, a rival gang leader who was with the father, and even one of the recent batch of illegal immigrants known as the New Marielitos. Rivera had also recorded a video entry explaining the New Marielitos. I think he will need to speak another victim of random shootings (unrelated to the present) as well as to a member of the Chicago Police Department as well as an elected legislator. After that, Rivera will be witness to what happens once the "A" and "B" storylines converge to show the final scene at the OPL where mayhem may or may not ensue.
Saturday, 2024-November-16
đź““ Part of the current story involves Felix Legion transporting Terry Leo, a lieutenant in the Chicago Police Department Auxiliary, to the Obama Presidential Library by following the elevated train line running alongside the western edge of Jackson Park. To get an idea of what I would be writing, I went online to view maps by Chicago Rapid Transit. When I was comparing the subway map (actually, the elevated train or "L" map) with the digital map I've been using for a while, I had a hard time distingushing key details since the "L" map was missing Jackson Park. Once I confirmed the location of certain streets, then I added zapfic entries to the queue.
Sunday, 2024-November-17
đź““ Once Felix Legion eached the eastern terminus of Route 66 in Chicago, Act 7 came to a close and Rate Bike shifted immediately into Interlude 4. This means that I can prepare the "GHAWG, Uninterrupted" post for Act 7. However, this post will not be published immediately. During the calendar period I spent writing the zapfic entries for Act 7, I also added numerous zapfic entries to fill some gaps I had noticed as well as to correct a few details. Before I can do the GHAWG-U post for Act 7, I will need to resequence the zapfic queue. This will take me a while. For now, my focus is on getting zapfic entries done for Interlude 4.
When (and Where) To Catch #GHAWG
When
This is the normal schedule for the posting of content for #GHAWG:
â—Ź Daily -- Each zapfic entry is posted shortly after midnight, from New York
â—Ź Weekends -- Weekly Summaries (with modified screen capture from LeoThreads as cover image) are usually on Saturday, sometimes Sunday
â—Ź Monday -- Either GHAWG, Uninterrupted if present, or The GHAWG Diaries
â—Ź Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday -- GHAWG Behind the Scenes -- The goal is to publish these posts on all days not dedicated to the Weekly Sumamry, GHAWH-U, or The GHAWG Diaries (TGD). There may be days with no post, so I'll minimize those occasions as best as I can.
Where
â—Ź Daily zapfic entries drop at LeoThreads, usually posted shortly after midnight from New York (sometimes around noon)
â—Ź All long form posts-- Weekly Summaries, GHAWG-U, and TGD-- can be accessed using the #GHAWGnav sticky post or from my InLeo profile page
That's it for this edition of The GHAWG Diaries. I'm 
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Thanks for your time. Give the post an upvote or a reblog if you liked it. Feedback is welcome. Until next time!
[!!] -- Graphic signature was designed by @ahmadmanga