Metadata: Cole Parker, D6, 2.10.23
Project Summary: The purpose of my project is to create an entertaining story that offers character and plot development as well as immersive world building, despite being brief, similar to flash fiction. In addition to submerging the reader in South Boston during the mid 1990s, my story will explore themes relating to betrayal, trust, and the power dynamic between influential and desperate individuals. Indeed, my story will be fiction; however, it will contain some real characters. To the best of my ability, I want to accurately depict those characters’ body language, motives, habits, and speaking style, among other traits. A key character in my story will be Jimmy Bulger, who I plan on devoting most of my research toward since he was a real person with a complex life. Initially, I considered making my whole story real; however, doing so would have been too demanding in terms of the scale of research I would have to perform. Additionally, it’s reasonable to assume my decision to make the story fiction will make it more intriguing since the plot I plan on formulating will be more dramatic and intense. For example, as previously mentioned, I want my description of South Boston to be historically accurate, but I’m going to make the neighborhood slightly more crime-ridden and gloomy, similar to the unidentified city where David Fincher’s “Seven” is set.
Statement of Positionally: A key component of my story is how desperate a certain couple is to leave South Boston. The main reason they want to find a new home far away is due to South Boston’s dangerous environment; the couple has an unborn baby, and they fear the neighborhood isn’t safe to raise a child. Fortunately, I come from a family that does not struggle financially, so I’ve never experienced what the couple will go through. If my parents ever felt the area where I grew up was a poor influence, they would have the financial freedom to relocate with ease. I must overcome this inherent privilege I have so I can realistically describe how desperate the couple is to leave their broken down neighborhood.
Background: My story will be about a couple that has lived in South Boston their entire lives. The boyfriend (Wyatt) and girlfriend (Beth) are high school sweethearts; naturally, they’re deeply in love, but they don’t have the money to get married. The two have always despised living in South Boston, but it isn’t until they figure out they have an unborn baby that they decide to do something about their poor living conditions. Wyatt and Beth conclude they must each start working multiple jobs to earn enough to find a new place elsewhere, but Wyatt knows more needs to be done to ensure they aren’t still positioned in South Boston when the baby is born. Without Beth knowing, Wyatt consults Jimmy Bulger, an Irish American mob boss viewed as a Robin Hood by many Southie residents. Secretly, the beloved mobster is an FBI informant. Jimmy’s gig involves recruiting desperate individuals to rob the wealthy. He informs them they’ll receive a share from their work. However, once they complete the job, he offers them a choice: give him all the money or go to jail.
Target Audience Description: Because my story will be short, it’ll be appealing to those with short attention spans who are looking for a quick but engaging read. Keeping that in mind, I need to start my story with a strong introduction. If not, it’s unlikely the reader will finish my story. The instigating event that will define the story will be when Wyatt and Beth discover they have an unborn baby. That’s significant because it’ll pave the way for the rest of the events that will follow. I need to find a way to introduce that information early while still giving the reader time to absorb the background and context of the story.
Primary Research Experience: Since I have a financial bias when it comes to writing this story, I don’t have a strong understanding of poverty-stricken neighborhoods and the lifestyles of residents in such places. I don’t want my story to come off as cheesy or overly dramatic, so I plan on visiting Boulevard, which is located in Atlanta, not too far from Georgia Tech. During my trip, I will record observations about my surroundings, making note of how the buildings look, the level of crime, and the way residents operate. Additionally, I may consider interviewing a couple residents to gain more perspective.
Detailed Deliverables: I will produce a form of flash fiction.
Resources: I will need to conduct extensive research about Jimmy Bulger since he was a real person who will play a lead role in my story. In addition, I need more experience with flash fiction, so I should read some quality examples to learn how to structure mine. Lastly, since my story will be set in South Boston during the mid 1990s, I need to learn more about what the culture and environment was like at the time to ensure my story is historically accurate.
Detailed Timeline: I will divide the semester into three sections. For the first section, I will conduct a substantial amount of research to ensure I have a strong base of knowledge and am well-informed. The second section will consist of the writing process. I plan on getting a multitude of people, ranging from relatives to friends, to read and edit my story for the last section.
List of Proposed Resources:
Cullen, Kevin, and Shelley Murphy. Whitey Bulger: America’s Most Wanted Gangster and the Manhunt that Brought Him to Justice. WW Norton & Company, 2013.
Mackenzie Jr, Edward J., Phyllis Karas, and Ross Muscato. Street soldier: My life as an enforcer for Whitey Bulger and the Boston Irish Mob. Steerforth, 2010.
Nee, Patrick, Richard Farrell, and Michael Blythe. A Criminal and An Irishman: The Inside Story of the Boston Mob-IRA Connection. Steerforth, 2010.
Carr, Howie. Hitman: The Untold Story of Johnny Martorano: Whitey Bulger’s Enforcer and the Most Feared Gangster in the Underworld. Forge Books, 2011.
Bloom, Robert M. Ratting: The use and abuse of informants in the American justice system. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2002.
Ford, Beverly, and Stephanie Schorow. The Boston Mob Guide: Hit Men, Hoodlums & Hideouts. Arcadia Publishing, 2013.
Anderson, Dale. The FBI and Organized Crime. Simon and Schuster, 2014.
Galef, David. Brevity: A flash fiction handbook. Columbia University Press, 2016.
Thomas, James, Denise Thomas, and Tom Hazuka. Flash fiction: 72 very short stories. New York: Norton, 1992.
Gaffney, David. “Stories in your pocket: how to write flash fiction.” The Guardian 14 (2012).