Mike Wackenreuter

He regarded his plush surroundings through the haze of his standard weekday hangover. Duff was a music journalist by trade, and of a type that was vanishing into extinction. Which was to say he drank frequently and well, was friendly enough with his weed dealer to have read and offered notes on his screenplay, wore a full mustache, and possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of rock music and its forebear, rhythm and blues. He was sitting gingerly in a beautifully upholstered chair with blue and cream stripes in a suite at the Waldorf Astoria, his husky 6’3’’ frame threatening the collapse of the beautiful piece of furniture and his self-esteem at any moment. He awaited a living legend. Stacey Shaw was a former fashion model and actress who in the 60’s and 70’s had served as one of the preeminent muses in rock and roll, having dated a succession of musicians astounding for their exploits and musical quality. Now in her 70’s, she was in town for the premier of a documentary she was featured in entitled, The Ones They Wrote About. She strode in to the room and nodded at her attractive young assistant—the one who had let Duff in to the suite, and who had promptly ignored him in favor of her Instagram feed once he sat down. Stacey was more petite than he expected, but still striking enough to warrant a stammer, even in her golden years. The dark hair which had once come down to her back was gone, and in its place was a tasteful silver bob, plus the same gorgeous eyes great men had drunk from. He stood carefully and extended his hairy, paw-like hand towards her for a gentle shake. After settling back in his chair with his phone set to record, he gave her his winningest smile. But before he could launch into his first question she interjected. “Could you give us a moment Erin?” Stacey asked with a smile to her assistant, as Erin excused herself. As the door clicked shut, she added, “This is off the record…” Duff nodded slowly and turned off his phone as if this was a regular occurrence for him, particularly at a press junket. She continued, “Did you know that I requested you for this piece specifically?” Her voice was so lovely and dignified, English accent and all. But there was something off about how this was starting. “No, I didn’t,” Duff replied pleasantly. She regarded him directly, “I read your piece that you wrote last year about Albert Cunning. It was good. Quite good in fact.” Duff nodded slowly, trying to understand where this conversation was going. Albert Cunning was Duff’s favorite band. From the late 60’s through the mid-70’s, they had been one of the biggest in the world—not quite on the level of The Beatles or The Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin—but firmly ensconced on the tier below along with Fleetwood Mac and The Who. Until one snowy night while staying at a country estate to discuss their future together, when a terrible fire broke out which took the lives of two of the four band members, cementing their place in rock history. The piece in question was a reflection on the enduring legacy of the band, and the growing number of fans who flocked to England every year to commemorate the night of the fire. Duff knew what Stacey had lost on that horrible night. Her relationship with Albert Cunning front man Nick Winter was the stuff of legend. She crossed her legs and laid back against the couch cushion, considering him closely for several moments. “I was there that night, you know.” “The night of the fire?” She nodded. A more seasoned reporter might have followed up with a probing question, but Duff was not used to dealing with matters of import, and could only muster a furrowed brow and a concerned look on his kind, mustachioed face, which had been compared to John Goodman’s for its handsome features sitting atop an extra-large frame. Although he was technically a journalist, he had never been in this type of situation before: in a room with a person about to share sensitive or potentially even incriminating information, and so he let her sit and think, hoping she would offer more. As she looked out of the window along Park Avenue to collect herself, Duff thought to himself how beautiful and fascinating she looked—not despite but because of the lines which now ran across her face. “I suppose you’re wondering why I’m bringing this up? Especially when we’re supposed to be talking about my love life, and who was better in bed and all of that lucrative nonsense?” Duff’s gift had always been his sincerity, cultivated after years of trying (and usually failing) to be the son his father wanted him to be, and so he offered her the modest truth. “Honestly Stacey I just want to get to know you better.” She softened a bit at that, and let out a long sigh. As he waited, he saw tears forming in her eyes, until finally she decided something internally within herself and shook her head. “I never said anything because that night was so horrifying…and because I’m still not sure what happened, even after all these years.” She wiped away her tears before continuing, looking at him once more with conviction, “And now I’m making it your job to find out.” Duff blinked, and felt his love handles press against the wood frame of the chair as his body tensed. “I’m not the sleuth you apparently think I am,” he began with a modest smile. She asked incredulously. “You are a reporter at The New York Times are you not?” “Technically…” But not for long, he thought to himself sadly. She smiled mercifully. “I’ve known many great men Mr. Duffy who were anything but. Perhaps your modesty is evidence of the authentic article.”

Title: Albert Cunning 75k words; upmarket fiction #1 Story Statement Duff is a talented but undisciplined music journalist at The New York Times. In order to save his job, he must look into the potentially violent demise of his favorite band, the legendary Albert Cunning, who lost two members to a tragic house fire. # 2 The Antagonist Plots the Point The primary antagonists are the band members themselves: Nick Winter (singer), Charlie Stroud (guitar player), Peter Pearson (bassist), and Smoky Wood (drummer). Through their genius they are allowed the freedom to engage in selfish behavior and pay no consequences for it, particularly Charlie—who carries grievous wounds as a result of his unhappy upbringing. Their selfishness and ego-driven clashes create a combustible mixture that ultimately results in tragedy. Learning more about their history puts Duff’s love of Albert Cunning—and his bedrock opinion that rock is a force for good—at risk. A secondary antagonist is Barry, Duff’s new boss at the paper. He is the anthesis of Duff: a boring careerist square who succeeds in life because of his willingness to engage in office politics. The arrival of Barry as Duff’s boss puts his job in jeopardy. #3 Title 1. Albert Cunning. 2. The Many Lies of Albert Cunning 3. Who Killed Albert Cunning? Comparable Works I think my book sits in the upmarket fiction category. Comparables are below: 1. Daisy Jones and the Six – Taylor Jenkins Reid Recent bestseller (upmarket fiction) examining the rise and fall of an iconic band that was made into a popular limited series on Amazon Prime. While Albert Cunning is considerably darker, both examine the genius and excess of the golden age of rock, and the toll that success takes on the relationships of band members and the people they are closest to. 2. Inherent Vice – Thomas Pynchon Written in 2009, a hilarious literary fiction novel where the protagonist is a similarly underestimated pothead who undertakes an investigation filled with comedic mishaps, all the while proving himself to be cleverer than his critics give him credit for. Also made into a successful movie by Paul Thomas Anderson in 2014. #5 Logline and Core Wound An emotionally stunted journalist must go beyond his own limitations to discover a truth that may end up undermining his love of rock and roll—and tarnish rock’s fading legacy. #6 Conflict: Two More Levels Primary Conflict: Duff is the only journalist in history who doesn’t want to uncover a juicy story that will make his career; he loves Albert Cunning’s music too much. As he looks into the circumstances surrounding the fire, however, he cannot help but continue to dig as he realizes the human toll involved. Secondary Conflict: Duff is in love with his ex-girlfriend (and current best friend) Caroline, but lacks the courage to declare his feelings to her. Internal Conflict: With his career in shambles, his parents recently deceased, and his personal life a wreck, Duff must finally grow up from his extended adolescence. #7 Setting There are numerous settings in the story, as Duff travels around the country and the world to interview the survivors of the fire, as well as the band’s manager, producer, and various ex-wives and girlfriends. His travels take him to various locales of the cultural and social elite: London, New York, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Sag Harbor, and the Garden District of New Orleans. The opulence of these locations makes Duff question if the social meaning of rock was nothing more than window-dressing to obscure the selfish materialism and hedonism involved.