So what you want to do is take your blender, add some ice, some cheap vodka, then toss in some toxic relationship trauma, a pinch of family dysfunction, a handful of self-destructive tendencies, and add some manic depression and subtle alcoholism to taste. Then hit puree.
Diary of a Drunken Saint almost never happened. It was just a kernel of an idea for about 5 years before I ever considered fleshing it out. And at that, it was a backburner project at best until one day when it got ceremoniously turned up.
The main theme of this story is, quite simply, the downward spiral. Just when you think you hit rock bottom, you sink even deeper.
The main protagonist, Lucas St. Clair, is breaking up with his longtime girlfriend. And that is just the tip of the iceberg. Throughout the year, Lucas records his journey through the broken heart while also navigating his place within his family. He logs all his tribulations into a self-described “little green notebook” and keeps thorough record of the spiral as the year progresses.
I wanted to do something way different with this story. It’s the first story I’ve written in the first-person point of view, and at the same time is in the “archive” format which simulates his writing in a journal.
I was influenced by an album by Local H called “12 Angry Months”, which was the working title. It’s a concept album about the gamut of emotions one feels during a breakup. I took that concept and ran with it. I do tip my cap by namedropping Local H a couple times in the story. And Lucas’ ex in question was named Michelle after the second track on the album. If you read this story, check out this album afterward, it’s a great companion piece.
I drew inspiration from the breakups of many friends, relatives, TV couples, and whatnot. Breaking up is a topic that has a lot of source material to comb though. It wasn’t a lot, considering I was just a junior in high school, but I did draw a little bit of the emotional flare from my own “big break up”. I even dedicated the story in her honor.
The cover was done by me, and is meant to represent the green notebook that Lucas alludes to in his manic journaling.
We’ve all been through breakups. There is nothing clean about them, and the aftermath takes a long time to dig out of. I think anyone who’s ever had a bad break up will find something they connect with in this story.
A Story About Waffles 