Fort Defiance

The Story Enneagram of Fort Defiance

ONE

Establish the Emerald Rose Saloon in the late 1800s American west. Two middle-aged sisters own and run the place that their parents, now deceased, built. The elder, Izzy, is a more steady presence. The younger, Luisa, is more restless.

TWO

A mysterious wagon, coming into town at the head of a monsoon, crashes in front of the Saloon. Driver and horses are crushed. Only the cargo, a large box, remains intact. Emerald Rose customer Leon notices a handbill attached to the wood. He shows it to Luisa: a reward for return of the box to its owner in Fort Defiance.

THREE

Luisa agrees to upend her life and accompany (and finance) Leon’s trip. In order to smooth her decision with Izzy, Luisa plays their family song, “Desert Lullaby.” Moved, Izzy relents. She’ll travel with her sister.

I’ve published a new screenplay at Amazon!

Perhaps, lol, you will remember this post about my decades-long project. I claimed that the original story for Fort Defiance was dead. Time had passed and I had changed.

It turns out I was wrong. I considered how I could adapt the screenplay to suit who I am now. What’s interesting, at least to me, is that the core of the story hasn’t changed in 30 years. It exists separately from me, an entity in the world. I tinkered with the protagonist, making her older, but the basic bones of the plot are consistent. I’m so very proud to publish this — again — after all this time, and I believe the story became better with age.

Desert Lullaby

12″ x 12″ on prepared board, based on an original commissioned painting by Jahn Breeze.

A period Western, Fort Defiance is a screenplay that no longer exists.

Written in the 90s, it was shopped to actors’ agents and production companies, generated interest, and then failed to move forward. Over the years I’ve tinkered with it, trying to bring new life into a project that came oh-so-close.

Here’s what I want to say about my personal white elephant: She was a good piece of work. Since creating Fort Defiance I’ve become a better writer, and I have the skills to make this a better script . . . but it’s not possible. Any project is of a time and place. Who I was, how I thought, what the world and society considered taboo, can’t be revisited. Let the project go. This is my farewell to a lifelong story.

Recording this song reiterated that lesson. On my album Heart of Iron I had an experienced instrumentalist and recording partner. All I had to do was sing. This time, although I’ve been blessed once again with an excellent sound engineer, I had to wear every musical hat and my expertise is paltry. I wish I could present a smoother version of Desert Lullaby, but the most important thing is to get it out now, while it’s of the moment. I will get better, and the pressure of publication is part of that improvement process.

Listen to Desert Lullaby at bandcamp.