Today I woke up later than I anticipated but started work immediately. I’m still drinking these little bottles of Coca-Cola which is only serving to make me dislike the taste more. Given that at this point, I’m following the routine loosely so that it can fit into my schedule, I should consider stopping that part. I just think it might be a waste.
I sat down and wrote three paragraphs that would set the timeline, but I’m concerned that the voice is not one I want for the story and that I don’t have enough material to edit and allow voice and style to shine through. Here is what I have for today:
1814
The King’s Conjurer, Louis Compte looked out at his audience. In one hand he held a hat and the other hand he talked the audience through his trick. It was a simple slight of hand. First, he would show an empty hat and then he would place the hat on a box. Both the hat and the box had hidden doors. Inside the stand there was a small, brown rabbit waiting to me lifted on. When he put his hand in the hat, he searched for his little brown rabbit, but felt his arm move further and further into the hat until he felt his armpit touch the brim. Only then did he feel a pair of fluffy ears which he grabbed and pulled through the hat. In his grasp was a small white bunny trembling in fear.
1830
The next magician to experience this phenomenon was John Henry Anderson. The Great Wizard of the North was the first to perform this trick on stage. He reached into his hat a pulled out a rabbit that was not his. The crowd cheered and cheered as he placed the rabbit on the ground and then placed his hand back into the hat. He reached and reached until he found another set of rabbit ears. He pulled out another rabbit that was not his. The stage slowly filled with small rabbits in different colors: brown, grey, black, white. Some were chubby, some were small, some were a little longer and their fur a little rougher. John reached in one last time and felt the hidden doors move and finally he pulled up his rabbit, a medium sized, brown, and calm rabbit in comparison to the hoard at his feet trembling and sniffing in fear.
1925
Howard Thurston was wrapping up one his Bunny Matinees, a show where he would perform the hat-trick for his audience of children. He would pull the rabbit out of the hat and allow the children to keep them. He could have sword he only had five rabbits ready for the show, but his ending count was eighteen. His employees were as astonished as he was, but the children were happy. When he was able, he checked all his equipment to see if someone had played a trick on him. None of his props met with foul play. Howard Thurston had to ask himself if magic was real, but the shook the thought away. He probably lost count of the animals he traveled with, that’s all.
After work, I sat down to go through what I’d done. I think I haven’t done enough to really go through it like I want to at this point. Tomorrow I will be incredibly busy, but I’m going to try to find time to finish as much of the frat as possible so I can edit as much as possible. I know that Joan Didion and her husband worked closely together when it came to editing, but I’m a one-person show. I’m just feeling the heat of the deadline.