The many worlds of Liz Jordan

Abstract

My creative thesis, The Many Worlds of Liz Jordan, is an urban-portal fantasy about authors who travel to secondary worlds , experience stories 1 first-hand, and only then write them up as “fiction.” The work is influenced by a number of writers, such as Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, and James Riley. Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels influenced my world’s overall tone. The boundaries of his creation allow for incredible adventures but promise an ultimately hopeful conclusion and outlook, and I have attempted to do the same here. As a sensitive reader myself, it is important that Liz Jordan’s world not betray my own sensibilities. The Many Worlds of Liz Jordan is a story about stories, both their origins and their ultimate purpose. Fresh from the defiant optimism of a graduate degree, the titular character is offered a paid internship as a writer. Only then is she told that professional authors no longer make up “fiction.” The artistic process is all but dead, replaced with first-hand experiences to streamline the commodification of the written word. New York City is the urban heart of Liz’s story, chosen for its publishing history and formidable subway system. From the hustle culture of Manhattan, Liz is assigned to the south of England in World War II and finds herself completely immersed in its reality. There she questions the boundaries of reality and fiction while coming to grips with her own mortality and influence in these literary spaces.