So, I went with my oldest image search companion... Google Images (all hail Google). I forget exactly which search term pulled up this image, but when I saw it I just KNEW there was a cap in it. Here's the original:
My first thought was of a newly transformed guy in the body of a hooker. There was just something in that smile that said "what have I gotten myself into!?'. Thankfully I couldn't get anything working in that story idea. Still loving the image, I saved it figuring I'd come back to it later.
That 'Later' came sooner than I thought it would, and I ended up opening the image up that afternoon (I hate being bored). I looked over the image for something to base the cap on... maybe not base it on, but something that would give me an idea. Her nylons certainly called out for attention, as did the drink in her hand. The gloves were just begging to be used.... but nothing came to me. Its only then (about 5 hours after I first saw the image) that I noticed the body tied up behind her.
Well that just adds a whole new twist! There was still something 'unwilling' in her eyes, but with a body tied up like that it whispered a story of her wanting to stay in this body. I still couldn't get traction, so I re-saved it and eventually went to bed.
Just as I was nodding off, it came to me. Her look, her pose, her clothes, and the body tied up in the background.... this was a Noir cap just waiting to happen. I even heard a narrator from some of those TV shows and movies; "It was a dark night in a city that knew how to keep it's secrets."
So... this morning rolls around and I have a better idea of where the cap is going. The first thing I did though was to work on the image. A noir cap deserves... needs... to be black and white. I also wanted to get rid of her eyes... I wanted her expression to be spelled out with just her lips.
Once I was happier with the image, I got to writing. When I started, I didn't know what part Dawn was going to play... she could be the PI (there just has to be a PI in a noir cap!) narrating the story, but she could just as easily be the Dame in the story coming to the PI for help. The first few lines were more about setting the tone. Once I got rolling and had the characters as well as the story (newly transformed man comes to a PI in a sexy body with the intent to steal his body and run further from the mob..... simple eh?), I decided to put Dawn in the roll of the PI.
Without her eyes in the cap, I ditched the whole idea of it being unwilling and rolled with Dawn wanting to keep this body.
The story didn't need much editing at all and actually fit in the space I had planned out in the size I wanted.
Between posting this on the Haven and writing up this post, Dawn has already seen and commented on the cap. Thankfully she seemed to enjoy it! So my only hope now is that you, faithful reader, will enjoy it as well.
Seemed to have? LOL always a gift for understatement! I had to come here as I knew you would talk about making this little work of art. And I find it interesting that you didn't show the eyes for there seems to be a knowing wearyness in them as you might expect from a grizzled PI that has seen to much of the dark side of the world. Of course you more than compensated for that with your descriptive writing that changed in tone as I changed. The nitty gritty word choices slipped into a smoother silkier voice as much as I did my new body.
ReplyDeleteYes I enjoyed the story immensely and the reel excitement you brought to me.
Lovely Cap. Well Done. -Monica
ReplyDeleteAwesome cap. Lucky Dawn
ReplyDeleteI really think you are starting to get your voice .. not necessarily Caitlyn's voice ... but something you can work with and still execute top notch captions.With that comes some more confidence and perhaps an even more defined viewpoint for future work.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your thoughts, but sadly I don't feel it myself. I feel in the last several caps that I'm still imitating a voice. I imitated Caitlyn's voice, Simone's voice, Petra's voice, your voice, and in this one the voice of a 40's Noir thriller.
DeleteThe only confidence that has come is that I CAN still create caps once in awhile and that they can be well received. And that aint nothing!
I don't think it's necessary to define 'your voice' It's whatever draws you to write the cap - it may have undertones of others but it's still your voice speaking. After all the words all of us express are gleaned from a lifetime of exposure to others. It's little wonder that you feel them in your work but it is still your work. You wrote the words, you plucked them out of thin air and gave them life - and as you say - that ain't nothing!
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