April Early Access Video - Song 38 Snippet Verse2 (Patreon)

Hello friends!

Here is another snippet of Song 38, which is currently titled King but I might end up changing the title of it at some point.

There are several aspects in this song that make me very excited: for one, the song is from the perspective of the suitors rather than from the perspective of Odysseus. The reason this I like this is because it lets us sit in how truly terrifying Odysseus can be when he goes all out. We hear the suitors panicking as they realize every preparation Odysseus has made for this battle. He hides their weapons, taking away their ability to defend themselves, he strikes in the dark of night, making it difficult to pinpoint where he is, and he prioritizes his bow and arrow, keeping distance between himself and clusters of suitors. Another reason I like this song is that each verse so far is a group of suitors right before they die. I like this because it makes Odysseus seem like an inevitable, monstrous force of nature rather than just a man, and really adds to the suspense.

As some of you know, I'm currently working on rewriting the second half of this song (the parts that happen after this verse) and I'm rewriting songs 39 and 40. The challenge I'm facing in 38 is the seamless incorporation of Telemachus and Athena into the battle, as well the continuation of the battle scene told through dialogue. Fight scenes are very difficult because when the goal is to make this musical completely audible, I want to avoid just putting a long instrumental of "battle music" and calling it a day. My aim is for the audience to be able to clearly imagine the scene through the dialogue that they hear. This is why using the suitors' POV is so helpful in this song; we get vivid descriptions of what is happening as well the tension, panic, and dread of the battle.