Opathu's RL book stories

As some of you know, I am working on a book about a famous "ghetto" of London, called 'The East End'. It's where infamous figures like the killer, Jack the Ripper, once roamed; where famous gangsters like the Kray Twins in the 1960s held sway; and where for hundreds of years different groups of immigrants -- Huguenots, Irish, Jewish and now many Muslims from Bangladesh and Somalia -- have settled.

In 2012 the Olympics comes to London and the stadium is being built in the East End. So a lot of money is now coming to the area and it has become very 'trendy' for young white folks and yuppies to live in. It's close to the centre of the City, near the river too, and has lots of old buildings being converted to bars, nightclubs and loft apartments.

About 100 years ago an American novelist called Jack London (who went on to write famous books like Call of the Wild and White Fang) got stranded in the East End of London. He was supposed to go to South Africa to cover the Boer War but the war ended, and so he ended up here. His adventures he wrote into the most striking book of reportage and adventure, called Peoples of the Abyss. It chronicled the terrible poverty of the East End area and was an angry work, arguing that the English empire had failed its men and women to let them live like this.

So my mission, since five years ago, has been to see if that old "Abyss", as Jack London called it, still exists in this area which is about to host the Olympics. Could I find a ghost of that terrible Victorian world? And if so, what would I find?

The actual format of the story I have not written up properly yet. But here are some notes and thoughts from the book so far, which I hope you might find of interest:

i) Peoples of the Abyss: http://www.nickryan.net/fiction/people.html

ii) The Streets: http://www.nickryan.net/fiction/streets.html

iii) The Call: http://www.nickryan.net/fiction/call.html

iv) Shahaddah: http://www.nickryan.net/fiction/shahadah.html

v) Wudu: http://www.nickryan.net/fiction/wudu.html

vi) The Dragon: http://www.nickryan.net/fiction/dragon.html

vii) Limehouse: http://www.nickryan.net/fiction/limehouse.html

viii) Night Out: http://www.nickryan.net/fiction/nightout.html

As I say above, these are not "ordered" yet into a book narrative. You can see that some are more "stylised", some longer or more note-like. I am deciding which styles I like best -- do tell me, too.

My actual book structure is going to use some "present" tense adventures, chapters I will take from a night out with a cop patrol; intermingled with these chapters/encounters will be "past tense" flashbacks from my adventures and encounters in the years up to this point: those "flashbacks" may be sparked by where we end up in the cop car, or by something linked to what we're doing at that moment. I will almost certainly "edit" these stories anyway. Personally I like the style I have in 'The Streets' and 'Night Out'.

I also wonder whether I should change the names, or not: if I do change names, then which to leave as unchanged? i.e. change all? just some? Tricky. Constructive comments welcome.

... ok, I'll write some Harry Potter Lesbo Vampires shit soon, I promise ...

I actually read the stuff from the links, interesting. Thats what I say - interesting.

I give ye a proper comment later though

Thanks for your comments Ilian. I am now reading this in Belfast, where I am meeting a most amazing priest who's story I hope to turn into greater things ...

as i said when you posted the links on the chatbox, i find these extremely engaging. I'd happily read more about these people an look forward to the book

Thank you, J, I appreciate your kind comments (*hands cookie*). I just hope I won't turn too many people "off" with this kind of writing. We shall see ... still the Olympics is coming, so I'm sure someone will buy it!

My Belfast trip was to prepare a possible autobiography of a most amazing priest, which the Beeb already wants to turn into a film.

Ok after a hard week with my guests from Kazakhstan who live in Germany and came over to see how its in Moldova, after having no liver anymore and probably going to repeat the class cause I wont pass the exams who are next week and couldnt study here comes my as promised comment.

*cough*

Much of the written above is as Vypra said very engaging, as to me it does not surprise me at all for the matter of fact that every big city in western Europe has such things, difference is just in the dimension of these darker corners. Reporters and press have always the force to influence people with such storys still I do not doubt that many of this observed by you reflects the reality and what truly is happening.

Turning people off? Your reporter and you chose a job who is supposed to provoke, the best thing what you could do is just do this job right by still knowing your limits, in other not over doing it and giving a unrealistic and 'bad' (<-- discussable) image.

Hope this was something what you wanted to hear

EDIT: When I find more time later I am going to drop a few lines for the last questions you asked in the OP. Names, opinions, constructive critic etc, keep in mind I am some jerk somewhere in Eastern Europe who has no idea about Journalism so maybe not the best place to find something which might help you, naive as I am I will at least try help so

More:

You Can't Keep A Good Man Down
Read my *previously unpublished narrative* inspired by events in Homeland.
http://www.nickryan.net/fiction/goodman.html

The Pub
Another fictional extract inspired by events in Homeland
http://www.nickryan.net/fiction/pub.html