My graphic novel is more of an illustrated thesis rather than pure graphic novel. My words are based in fact. The drawings are where I can take a leap of faith- a surrealistic interpretation.
It is creative non-fiction. I literally DRAW conclusions based on the evidence at hand. That is my artistic take on it. But the story itself- the CORE- is based solely on facts. It is essential to my personal writing process to be clear about the FACTS.
Wrestling this massive project has taken many years of gestation and development and I am finally in the labour stage. And so, I have created a framework on which to reassemble the manuscript-
With an important repeated question recurring throughout:
Sample notes:
Up to this point, the crime has been reconstructed with the evidence at hand. All that can be said with certainty is that two young brothers died or were killed at the primary scene or died or were killed elsewhere and brought to the scene (disposal site) at some point before January 15, 1953.
It is very likely that they were killed deliberately (a conclusion based on the evidence), as there are two victims- both unidentified and unclaimed.
If this indeed a homicide, who killed them cannot be verified but it appears from the evidence at the scene the incident at least involved a woman- a woman who may or may not have been a parent or guardian.
The children were laid out head-to-toe; it appears they were left at the scene with some intention.
—
A good theory must withstand repeated attempts at falsification. In my own work, this has often been the best way to proceed when working with others to solve a problem, make a decision, or interpret the known facts. It is essentially brainstorming: coming up with all the ideas regardless of their merit, getting them all down for everyone to see, and then killing off the weak with logic and reason, one at a time, as a group. The strongest solutions and theories will necessarily withstand this process. – Brent Turvey
—
Many have asked me, have you used a psychic? Well, yes. I did have intuitive walk the scene in depths and it was an extraordinary experience– recorded on film and transcribed- here it is from a previous draft: DOCUMENT: Epilogue
— but it is not in the best interest of the thesis to include it in the final version.
A thousand mistakes of every description would be avoided if people did not base their conclusions upon premises furnished by other, take as established fact what is only a possibility… Hans Gross
I am going to attempt to make note in my book as to where I connect circumstantial evidence to draw my conclusions.
