Rust Belt Lullabies (WIP) (INTRO I +15k words, Nov 17th, 2025)

It’s the spring of your senior year. The weather may not reflect it but that’s typical Erie, Pennsylvania for you. It’s 2006 and people can’t stop referencing the good old days back when industry was booming. You’re Brenner, a peripheral character in the majority of your classmates’ stories but you know you’ll make it out of this shitty town. You and your band are too damn big for this city and you can feel it in your bones. Despite the family fights, the addictions, the shaky band dynamics and so much more. Right now however you’re just Brenner stumbling through each day while they blur together like cigarette smoke.

This is a story about growing up in a dire circumstances while being surrounded by the worst type of vices and of course, most important of all becoming fucking famous.

______ Brenner (you choose the first name, but the cast will normally call you Bren/Brenner/Brenny). A social outcast, lead singer and guitarist of a shitty rock band. You drink, you smoke, you do drugs, you write songs, and occasionally are musically brilliant. Throughout your entire life you’ve always felt invisible. Then one day you get your cousins beat up guitar and music gave you a voice.

Demo: CoGDemos ~ 15k words

Tumblr: @meept0pia on Tumblr

AI Disclosure:

No — This project does not contain the output of Generative AI
Yes — This project contains the output of Generative AI

65 Likes

Absolutely brilliant wip!<3

5 Likes

Love it! Played as a trans MC and really appreciated the additional text/convo’s surrounding it, look forward to learning more about the MC, town, and band relationship!

8 Likes

Great start! Im intrigued and that’s what matters most for a new wip. All the characters seem interesting, the setting is both familiar and fresh and the plot in general has caught my eye. Keep up the good work, I’ll be keeping an eye on its future progress.

4 Likes

I love this title by the way. Very evocative.

3 Likes

A bit dark but it’s interesting. I look forward to reading more.

1 Like