Coffee Break
Bonus PlaylistAlternate Ending SongsOne Thing - Finger Eleven
Keep Holding On - Boyce Ave.
Alternate Songs When Rose Tries to kill ClaraI Write Sins Not Tragedies - Panic At The Disco
Thanks For The Memories - Falloutboy
Vida La Vida Meet Love Story - Jon Schmidt.
I've had this song since I started HOF, . The orignal ending had the characters parting and then meeting up again at the end of the chapter.
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Inspiration
When writing the sequels to Litany Lane I was always inspired by other facets mentioned in the previous work. For example August was written after a commenter mentioned I should put Mr. Fierro and Martin in the same room. As a result House of Fierro was inspired by one of the “shorts” in August.
The idea from DSI came from a lot of sources. The first being when someone asked me If Clara could have kids in LL and also when another commenter pointed out that Clara should warn the Bordeaux’s about the curse
The biggest inspiration came in chapter six of HOF when Mr. Fierro realizes that how “pretty” everything and everyone is in the DeLune family. He says
. . . I studied the generations of the family posted along the wall. How easily Mr. Thorpe would fit into such a prominent family legacy. I imagined his picture along the wall, proudly displayed.
Roger had taken a son and wife from me all those years ago, perhaps I should take a[great] grandchild from him. I almost laughed at the thought.
I considered making this part of the plot however I realized that Clara would not sleep with anyone unless they told her they loved her (which he does) but if Mr. Fierro did love her he wouldn’t deceive her. . . so I scraped the idea.
The other inspiration was the quotes from Chapter 7 and 10 of HOF when Clara talks to Mr. Fierro about traveling together and deep down inside I liked the idea of them planning a future and then one of them “dying” .
Horror Movies ?
This story was inspired by Horror movies mostly the original Japanese Grudge Film . In which murder plays a central part. It is also slightly inspired by a very creepy Adult (?)Snow White inspired tale by Neil Gaiman called Snow, Glass, Apples.
Rosalie is the Red Herring
All of the misdirection in this was Rosalie. I wanted readers to think that Rosalie was a reincarnation of Lucie based on this conversation between Mr. Fierro and Emile
"Philosophy, to be more exact, let's consider the idea of rebirth. Not entirely impossible, no ?"
"No", Emile agreed his eyes trained on his dinner.
"Maybe that's all Lucie needs. A second chance at life to be human again."
"Do you think she deserves it ?", he said begrudgingly
Here it is referring to Lucie gaining her humanity to back. The second misdirection was obviously
Rosalie’s Father
Because Rosalie is abused by her grandfather she is afraid her father will be like that too which is why she does not ask about him.
Also in House Of Fierro there is this, which is similar to the “birth” of snow white. Where the mother cuts herself in the snow.
“ I dragged myself over to where he lay, the fresh wounds on my face still dripped on to the clean white snow.”
I didn’t think anyone would catcth the insinuation that Victor’s Spectre raped Clara when she was out-cold in the last few chapters of HOF. Originally this conversation between Clara and Addison got a bit graphic and I felt the characters were to mean to each other.
I wanted to run with this idea. . . but no.
I mostly wanted to run with the above idea because I didn’t realize that Clara had gotten pregnant her first time until someone mentioned it and I felt kind of bad.
Daddy Issues
In chapter 15 where Rosalie calls Addison "Mr. Fierro" she original said "Daddy" but I took it out at the last minute because it made it seem like she was talking to Victor.
Said and Donne
This would be more “smart” if I had some Edward Said in here. Donne’s poem
No Man is An Island was a skeletal for this project. The poem reflects the idea that we can’t isolate ourselves from the world and I felt that it played into Mr. Fierro’s character.
Nirvana
I (and someone asked me ) began to wonder myself what would happen if Clara or Mr. Fierro died again. According to Essexs Nightfall was the afterlife and not heaven and that if they were to die again they would go some place else. This idea of being reborn over and over again till your reach Nirvana ties into Eastern Philosphy which is why part of the story took place in an Ashram, where people (The serious die-hard ones) train their mind and body for Nirvana, so they won’t be reborn again. However I like to think that they will return to Nightfall. I just do.
This ties in with S&A because I was going to have Tomas convert to Buddhism but it was way to complex. (btw this is how I got the idea of LL, but I mentioned that already)
Visions
Mr. Fierro’s vision in Georgia is that of Rosalie, Victor is showing him the future he has planned for him. The dress Rosalie is wearing is that of Lucie’s Raggedy Ann doll that Mr. Fierro would have seen when Lucie was alive.
Framed
The frame that Mr. Fierro bought in chapter 4 was meant for Rosalie because Clara thought she was having a son. (am I saying women are soulless men, no. . . but I wanted Clara to feel something was off about her pregnancy but sometimes doctors get it wrong). So when Mrs. Romano tells Mr. Fierro that it is for her “grandson” she is talking about Rosalie and that is why Rose’s picture was in a sliver frame.
Alternate Endings
An alternate section that I wrote out had the bracelet Roaslie wears in chapter 1 to be a bracelet that Malika gave Mr. Fierro and that he sent to Emile. Another alternate idea had Emile send Mr. Fierro a letter with Rosalie’s name on it and not tell him what it meant and for some reason he would hold on to this paper because he felt it meant something . . . but then the tension would be gone.
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I actually wrote the ending quite a few times so another one had Clara and Rosalie seeing Mr. Fierro leave from the dock with Rosalie knowing but not really understanding. however at the last minute he decides to spend the day with them and catch a later boat. 2 years later Martin finds out that Mr. Fierro is Rosalie’s father because he finds a birthday card he sent her. This frightens him so he drowns Rosalie. Therefore the irony is that they gave up their souls so she could die and she does. . .just to soon.
The minute I wrote it I deleted it.
Marriage ?
I’m sure some of you are also mad that Clara and Mr. Fierro did not get married but I already stated that he wouldn’t marry her. Mostly because he would have to lie about who he is to do it and he doesn’t want another marriage based on a lie.
There is a lot unsaid about their relationship. It just never fit for them to admit that they were still in love with each other. It’s been 3 years so you know.
Any questions ?
What’s next ?
I am outlining a possible final sequel to Litany Lane. I want to do this for two reasons. One, I want to write a linear story and two, I really want to write a story
about a family (SH and I are having a competition)and third I got pretty dark in DSI but apart of me wants to push the characters a little farther, I did some serious re-reading and the potential is there but it may be a long while if ever.
The Sofia/Clara item I'm thinking of writing (for fun) would be in the canon of this.
