Notes and beginning of rough draft
October 30, 2021
Thin
Dirty snow, rocks, sticks
Old carrot nose
Dog pee yellowed snow
Wire arm
Abused
Ignored
Doesn’t face the street
A storm comes in, he is gone.
Windy
Scares children
Causes man to slip w/ice
Spins two kids around, gets them lost
Santa finds him.
Grumbles he had to leave his shop early, leave work to find Bitter.
Santa: “What’s going on, Bitter?”
Bitter: “I hate people. They don’t like me. I’m ugly on the outside, and I can’t change it. So I’m angry on the inside, can’t change it.”
Santa: “Bitter, if I change you for a day, will you be nicer to people? Halloween is over, the holidays are almost here. This is the time of year people don’t naturally like. They realize how long and hard the year has been, and the weather itself is working against them. It even costs more money this time of year, so it hurts pocket books. The more darkness and cold scares children, adults too, especially the homeless.”
Bitter: “I had a home. Unhappy people made me. I’m homeless now too.”
Santa: “Only a short time, Bitter. You were just a lawn decoration and we gave you some magic to move around. When the storm is gone, you’ll be home again.”
Bitter: “What is it you want, Santa? Guess I’m here today, gone tomorrow.”
Santa: “Bitter, it’s your your chance to be something different for a while. Ho ho ho!”
(Noises elsewhere, Bitter turns around and Santa is gone.)
To be continued…
I’ve been wanting to work on this a few days now. Had to feel a certain comfort, sense a “spring board”, a beginning and nature about it. Frosty the Snowman the animated movie is a favorite of mine. I don’t know it by heart, every scene that is, but I still feel it. I was very young when I first watched it. It brought me joy. A whole lot. I may have even pitched an angry snowman back then just as a villain for contrast. The truth is I enjoy happier than sad stories and really that’s my mark. It’s so easy to make dark stories, I guess so many angry underpaid writers out there who flesh them out. This is just a little self made story, no adults helping. (I’m snickering at that). I’ve really been messed up since childhood. Adults stealing my stories. This character Bitter reminds me of one of them. Even though I’ve suffered, I know others have too in this world. I don’t hate Bitter at all, I want Bitter the Snowman to have a story. I wish I had made this weeks ago. I may have made it with more Halloween elements. To be continued though… =)
Update 12/8/21:
Bitter is deciding whether the next step is onto the right or wrong foot. His conundrum is that his inner spirit is very angry. More than a part of him wants to do every wrong to people who try to do everything right or correct. The other part of him is quieter. Not as pressing or interesting, to him anyway. He’s so used messing things up and being messed up. Not sure if it’s fear or just being too different. Funny that a snowman would even consider it. But Santa showed up and that’s angering him! It means someone somewhere knows him. But does that mean they expect him to be different? Will he pay for it later if he is different than he always was? Uncertainty can be so scary. Even for a creature like him… made of powdered ice and garbage. He knows there is something to do, or he wouldn’t have been given some magic. But what to do with it? Can he mess up Santa?
Now I’m getting into Bitter’s head because I need to know what this character wants to do. What does it want to do. What is the reader expecting? What path should I put this “device” or “vehicle” on? I’ll be back. I missed finishing this story by Hanukkah, but maybe before Christmas or the new year. It needs to be a holiday tale!
Update: 12/25/21:
It is Christmas Day, and the other day I considered maybe I should wait until Spring to finish telling the tale of Bitter the Snowman. I wrote the ending for it weeks ago by hand and wasn’t satisfied. I’m now thinking, is it supposed to be simple or epic? A simple ending is easy, an epic one requires more thinking and thoughtfulness, even more emotions, problems and solutions if you want to be technical about it. I will try a happy or bitter medium and attempt to finish the story BEFORE New Year’s Eve of this year. Before the end of 2021. Have a nice holiday break, everyone.
Update 12/30/21:
Is this finished?
Yes and no. I have the ending and the notes to get there. I am not sure how to best handle the messaging of what Bitter does. It is worrying me the content may not be “young enough” for a lower-aged audience. I’ve been doing a lot of adult blogging this past year, so that habit snuck in!
I may create “A Short, Bitter Ending” for 2021 and then a new, more elaborate one for next December 2022. =) It’s not about trying to hold onto an audience that long. I really want to spend more time on the last half of Bitter’s story so it is truly satisfying, memorable too. Rushing to put it together before the New Year rings in may cause me to miss some creative opportunities within the story telling. Tomorrow is December 31st, 2021. The last of this year on the calendar. I’ll release the short ending, but it may really just be a teaser for the real ending to be released Winter 2022.
A Short, Bitter Ending (just for the end of 2021)
Bitter had to stop himself. He was taking too much pleasure being dizzy!
Determined, he decided in that moment to work against Santa anyway. Looking around slowly he started to form a plan. Who he could get on his side, who he can use without paying, what he could steal, how to cause damage…
BANG!! CRACK!!!
There was a deafening sound and Bitter was temporarily blinded by a lightning strike.
A deep bellowing voice pounded so loudly it shook his mind even with his eyes closed.
“BITTER,” it said slowly, like thunder of the storm slowly echoing away to other towns in the distance.
“I am Father Time. Stopping you here and now. Santa was too trusting?”
Bitter starts to answer, but the chill made even the ice of his body shiver. “I… I… want things MY WAY!”
The thunder in the sky shook EVERYTHING including Bitter. To someone else it may have sounded like laughter.
Father Time speaks, “BITTER, you are not going to like what is going to happen. We already know now. I’m going to take you back to Santa in the future so you’ll know what he has to say. When he is done speaking, the story you wished for will begin.”
CRACK!!!! BANG!!!
The lightning flashes and flashes and flashes.
Bitter blinks and blinks.
He wakes up, tired, laying on his back. Above the sky is deep blue and clouds dissipating. It’s warm, like another season. Birds are chirping. There must be a party in the distance all ages laughing.
Santa steps up into view looking down on Bitter. “We gave you the magic of movement, and the power of ‘influence’,” says Santa. “What do you think you did with it?”
“I tried to undo you. Eliminate you. Get you to be less than me,” says Bitter.
“Bad ideas, Bitter,” mumbles Santa.
“If I overcome you–be better, be stronger–you cannot control me, or my life,” says Bitter.
Moving to leave Santa replies, “I wasn’t your enemy, Bitter. I can’t give you a new name or life now.”
Bitter stares straight up at the blue sky realizing he can’t move. He feels.. hot? Sinking into the grass around him?
A warm wind slowly cuts off all the sound of laughter of the distant party–and bells of a sleigh? Was Santa saying, “Ho ho ho”?
Father Time whispers, “Now you have to live through it.”
Bitter GASPS!
It is dark and silent now.
Bitter the Snowman will be released in its entirety next Winter 2022. Hope you have enjoyed it so far!