This post is continued from Rainwater story concept: Chapter 1 A Bad Cup of Tea.
This is chapter two of the story idea titled Rainwater. Chapter two introduces the protagonist, whose name is Lamar Rainwater. Rainwater is an agent at the CIA. He is also from the state of Oklahoma.
I wanted to find a way to introduce the Rainwater character that was different from the way most characters are introduced in an action movie. Although I intend to write Rainwater as a novel, I visualize the events in mind like it is a movie.
Therefore, I think about how movies have introduced characters in action films. The most popular action movies being James Bond and Indiana Jones. Most of those movies start out with the main character already in action.
I wanted to introduce Rainwater in a relaxed environment.
Here is my description card for chapter two:
Rainwater Chapter 2 Description
The first drawing is of Bailee, an attractive brunette, taking a phone message for Rainwater.
Bailee owns and operates the Borealis Beach Club in Wasilla, Alaska.
Why Alaska? I was born there but I was three-years-old by the time my parents moved back to Oklahoma.
I have no memories of Alaska, other than a train ride out of Fairbanks on the day my parents were moving out of Alaska back to Oklahoma.
Back to the Rainwater story. Bailee hollers at the waiter named Calvin to take a message to Rainwater who is in The Pit.
Rainwater Chapter 2 Index Card 1
Calvin gets the message from Bailee and heads to the staircase that leads to The Pit.
The way I imagine this event is that as Calvin leaves the front area where Bailee is managing the bar, there is loud music, a live band, lots of people (some drinking and some dancing), and dim lights but with a rainbow of colored lights moving and twisting around in the club.
As Calvin enters The Pit and walks down the stairs, the noise from above fades away.
Rainwater Chapter 2 Index Card 2
The next card I drew shows Rainwater sitting at a table playing a game of dominoes.
If this was a movie I would frame a shot that shows the dominoes on the table, hands placing dominoes on the table as the game is played, and the players talking.
Why dominoes?
A card game is too cliche. I once worked with a guy who was obsessed with dominoes. He taught me to play–although I have now forgotten how to play–so he would have someone to play dominoes with during break times at work.
In this scene the players are actually placing bets on this game of dominoes. I don’t know if people really do that or not, but since people like to gamble on almost every other sport I decided to make that part of this scene.
“Your move, Rainwater,” one player says.
Rainwater’s hand is seen placing a domino on the table. If this was a movie I would have a shot of only Rainwater’s hand. No one would see the face of the character yet.
Why?
The first and only James Bond movie to not start out with an action sequence was Dr. No. When the character played by Sean Connery is first introduced only his hands are seen as he passes out cards on the table.
A voice of a lady talking to Bond is heard but the face of Bond is not revealed until Connery makes the now famous introduction, “The name is Bond, James Bond.”
That was one of the best introductions of a main character in a film. This scene is inspired by that introduction of James Bond in Dr. No.
Now, back to Rainwater.
There’s laughter from the other players.
Rainwater Index Card 3
“Do you even have a strategy?” one player asks. In movie a shot of this player’s face would be revealed.
“Have you ever played dominoes before?” another player asks. Player’s face is revealed.
A third player’s face is revealed as he chuckles about the comments from the other two players.
Still no revelation of Rainwater’s face but he is heard talking.
“Yes,” Rainwater answers.
“How did you get an American Indian name like Rainwater and an American redneckish first name like Lamar?” one player asks.
Rainwater Chapter 2 Index Card 4
This question does two things for the story, it provides the name of the main character and it sets the theme of the story, which deals with prejudices.
Although I intend the story to be an action story, I also intend to have a subtle but present theme that addresses human prejudices.
In a movie the face of Rainwater would be revealed.
The character Rainwater is half Native American and half White American. His father was white, and his mother was an American Indian.
The back drop of this story deals with human prejudices so the main character is intentionally given a surname that would most likely sound like a Native American surname, but is in fact a British surname.
Rainwater Chapter 2 Index Card 5
“Rainwater is not an Indian name,” Rainwater responds. “It’s English.”
“But Lamar is a redneck name, right?”
Again the name Lamar, which sounds like a name for a country boy is purposely given to Rainwater as a first name.
“Just call me Lar.”
Lar is the nickname that Rainwater uses. It is short for Lamar and pronounced like “Dare” but with an L instead of a D.
Calvin interrupts the game to give Rainwater the message.
Rainwater reads the message which says, “Turn your damn phone on and read the text message.”
Rainwater thanks Calvin for the message and hands him a few dollars for his trouble.
“Thank you, sir,” Calvin says and exits The Pit.
Rainwater pulls his phone from his pocket and powers it on. “Looks like I’m going to have to go,” he comments.
“Not until this game is done,” a player says. “And it’s your turn.”
Rainwater places a domino tile on the table and pushes his remaining few dominoes over, which reveals what he has left in his set.
“Hey, why did you do that?” A player asks.
“Because you are blocked.”
“No, I’m–. Shit, how’d you do that?”
“I’m blocked too,” another player says.
“And I’m blocked,” the final player says.
“Please pay my tab with my winnings fellas,” Rainwater says as he puts his jacket on.
And yes this chapter ends with the protagonist winning a game, which is cliche but I’m writing it that way anyway.
