The Grand Writing Adventures of Victor Chang

I thought of this one after seeing Armageddon Time (2022). Spoilers to follow.

After a year, I’ve revisited this story. For fun, I let an AI summarizer broken down the themes and summary and I forgot how dark this one got. I seem to have a running throughline of broken familial bonds and a desire for lonely people to connect. What does that say about me?

It’s kind of funny how Armageddon Time, a relatively light hearted comedy, made me think about a serious drama where a teacher takes advantage emotionally (and who knows what else?) of underage kids. I challenged myself to make Luke, the predator, relatable and the main character, while making Andi, the dumb naive one, unlikable. But I tried to make them change by the end and make you question their real motives and how much you can really forgive them. After all, they’re all (and we all) are just human.

After this one, I do remember specifically trying to avoid writing about death too much. I specifically remember the AI summarizer saying it ends with the “tragic” death of Macy. I was like damn, even the AI thinks her death is tragic. I did try to inject some fun with Harriet, who I interpret as a sort of angel character who bounced off everyone. She was a last minute addition that I think really helped everyone get to express their emotions.

I promise the next one is lighthearted!