After writing my debut novel which received a good review, calling it taut and suspenseful with adept twists and turns, and an exhilarating roller-coaster ride, my writing of my next novel; Legend Station, has sparked some focused interest and curiosity. It’s use of horror, the use of a character who is a call-girl, and it’s direct manner in which it is written appear to be the main reasons it’s drawing the attention of onlookers.
So why did I write this novel? It’s completely different than the book I wrote before it, which is also cross-genre, as it’s story is revealed through characters who are in the corporate world, close to secretive government programs, the media, and in academia, in referring to a few of the more predominant ones. And it’s written differently, more in the style of a traditional plot-oriented fiction novel, as it looks at social and business issues with a slight reference to the political area in its fictional portrayal.
I wrote Legend Station because I wanted to do something different. It’s that simple. This was my original inspiration, and from there other inspirations took hold and the creation of the book began.
Inspirations come from here, there, and everywhere, as authors are inspired in many different ways. A story idea can come from a dream, from having travelled to a place, or for want of exploring a particular topic or issue, or a relationship between the same. One author I am thinking of was inspired by something she saw, which she wanted to recreate in writing, and from there an idea for a book was born.
In my case in writing the novel, once I had decided to do something different and break from the style and type of my debut novel, the juices of imagination and creativity began flowing. I thought, how nice it would be to write something similar to the older classics in some ways — something that eases into the story in an elegant-like manner, and offers a setting that’s as elegant as it is regal. And because my motivation was to write the book differently, I decided to grab the reader a short way into the story, creating a shock effect, and then, once their attention and curiosity is hopefully captured, reveal to them the main purpose of the story.
Other works that served as inspirations are Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, which I used as a creative reference for its ability to present different perspectives of time in the life of a character, and its use of self-revelation. ‘A Christmas Carol [note 1] is a novella by English author Charles Dickens first published by Chapman & Hall on 17 December 1843. The story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visitations of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Yet to Come. The novella met with instant success and critical acclaim.’ (taken from Wikipedia)
Another book that helped in my inspiration, which some also consider a classic, is Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. I considered it for its moral reference and its use of a ‘monstrous’ creature, although the nature of the creature is debatable depending on how you interpret that story. ‘Frankenstein - Major critics such as M. A. Goldberg and Harold Bloom have praised the "aesthetic and moral" relevance of the novel[29]’ (taken from Wikipedia)
I then used what I lightheartedly call the cocktail-shaker approach. That’s when I take all these thoughts and ideas and mix them with imagination and purpose to create the outline of the story. As I poured the mix onto paper as a story outline; I always start with an outline, I had the makings of a novel that would be different in writing style, topics, and story, which is what I set out to do.
I’m going to digress just a bit and address some specific reactions to the book. Let’s start with horror. As popular as it is in storytelling, some were surprised to see the use of it, although sporadic as it is, in Legend Station. Perhaps this is from wide-eyed reactions that noted the difference from my previous book, and as I’ve said, it was my intention to do something different that shock’s somewhat — a chance to practice different writing skills and story-writing overall. In hindsight, the responses seem to indicate I was successful in this. And to be thorough in looking at this aspect of the book, as some, for reasons I won’t go into here, have tried to make inferences about my use of horror, let’s take a moment and look at what horror is.
Denotative meanings of horror include expressions like, ‘an intense feeling of fear, shock, or disgust; a thing causing such a feeling; a literary or film genre concerned with arousing such feelings’ -taken from a dictionary. And to be further clear, when we talk of a horror story as it is generally understood, we are not talking about a horrific feeling or experience that is created by various situations, actions, and circumstances, which themselves are not horror-full — we are talking about the commonly accepted idea of horror that is known from classic fiction characters like vampires and werewolves, where they engage in bloody, grotesque, and gruesome exchanges.
Another source on the topic of horror says, ‘Supernatural horror has its roots in folklore and religious traditions on death, the afterlife, evil, the demonic and the principle of evil embodied in The Devil. [1] These were manifested in stories of witches, vampires, werewolves, ghosts, and demonic pacts such as that of Faust.’ (taken from Wikipedia)
As much as the aspect of horror in my novel allowed for a shock effect, it also helped serve the idea of a severe redemption which supports the overall story. An idea may be easy to come up with, the use of horror in this case, but its relationship in the web of other ideas and their uses is sometimes subtle to recognize. However before leaving this subject, I would be remiss if I didn’t clearly state that there is a creature in the story. It’s not a werewolf, nor vampire, but something else, and it serves to create the feeling of horror.
Getting back to the story’s outline, which I next developed in more detail, I then looked at a blank screen on my computer and began writing the story, which was different in writing style and topics involved.
This bring me to the reactions of others at the use of a character who is a call-girl, and the direct manner of the novel’s writing.
A call-girl? How provocative a character you may say. And who would want an uninteresting character in a novel? Let’s take a moment and consider this character beyond first impressions. Going back in history to the time of Christ, where the woman-of-the-night is seen and referred to as practicing one of the oldest professions known to man, we see the character that is real as far back as 2000 years, if not more.
This is taken from the writings of a Pastor on the topic of women-of-the-night in history.
So why did I write this novel? It’s completely different than the book I wrote before it, which is also cross-genre, as it’s story is revealed through characters who are in the corporate world, close to secretive government programs, the media, and in academia, in referring to a few of the more predominant ones. And it’s written differently, more in the style of a traditional plot-oriented fiction novel, as it looks at social and business issues with a slight reference to the political area in its fictional portrayal.
I wrote Legend Station because I wanted to do something different. It’s that simple. This was my original inspiration, and from there other inspirations took hold and the creation of the book began.
Inspirations come from here, there, and everywhere, as authors are inspired in many different ways. A story idea can come from a dream, from having travelled to a place, or for want of exploring a particular topic or issue, or a relationship between the same. One author I am thinking of was inspired by something she saw, which she wanted to recreate in writing, and from there an idea for a book was born.
In my case in writing the novel, once I had decided to do something different and break from the style and type of my debut novel, the juices of imagination and creativity began flowing. I thought, how nice it would be to write something similar to the older classics in some ways — something that eases into the story in an elegant-like manner, and offers a setting that’s as elegant as it is regal. And because my motivation was to write the book differently, I decided to grab the reader a short way into the story, creating a shock effect, and then, once their attention and curiosity is hopefully captured, reveal to them the main purpose of the story.
Other works that served as inspirations are Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, which I used as a creative reference for its ability to present different perspectives of time in the life of a character, and its use of self-revelation. ‘A Christmas Carol [note 1] is a novella by English author Charles Dickens first published by Chapman & Hall on 17 December 1843. The story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visitations of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Yet to Come. The novella met with instant success and critical acclaim.’ (taken from Wikipedia)
Another book that helped in my inspiration, which some also consider a classic, is Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. I considered it for its moral reference and its use of a ‘monstrous’ creature, although the nature of the creature is debatable depending on how you interpret that story. ‘Frankenstein - Major critics such as M. A. Goldberg and Harold Bloom have praised the "aesthetic and moral" relevance of the novel[29]’ (taken from Wikipedia)
I then used what I lightheartedly call the cocktail-shaker approach. That’s when I take all these thoughts and ideas and mix them with imagination and purpose to create the outline of the story. As I poured the mix onto paper as a story outline; I always start with an outline, I had the makings of a novel that would be different in writing style, topics, and story, which is what I set out to do.
I’m going to digress just a bit and address some specific reactions to the book. Let’s start with horror. As popular as it is in storytelling, some were surprised to see the use of it, although sporadic as it is, in Legend Station. Perhaps this is from wide-eyed reactions that noted the difference from my previous book, and as I’ve said, it was my intention to do something different that shock’s somewhat — a chance to practice different writing skills and story-writing overall. In hindsight, the responses seem to indicate I was successful in this. And to be thorough in looking at this aspect of the book, as some, for reasons I won’t go into here, have tried to make inferences about my use of horror, let’s take a moment and look at what horror is.
Denotative meanings of horror include expressions like, ‘an intense feeling of fear, shock, or disgust; a thing causing such a feeling; a literary or film genre concerned with arousing such feelings’ -taken from a dictionary. And to be further clear, when we talk of a horror story as it is generally understood, we are not talking about a horrific feeling or experience that is created by various situations, actions, and circumstances, which themselves are not horror-full — we are talking about the commonly accepted idea of horror that is known from classic fiction characters like vampires and werewolves, where they engage in bloody, grotesque, and gruesome exchanges.
Another source on the topic of horror says, ‘Supernatural horror has its roots in folklore and religious traditions on death, the afterlife, evil, the demonic and the principle of evil embodied in The Devil. [1] These were manifested in stories of witches, vampires, werewolves, ghosts, and demonic pacts such as that of Faust.’ (taken from Wikipedia)
As much as the aspect of horror in my novel allowed for a shock effect, it also helped serve the idea of a severe redemption which supports the overall story. An idea may be easy to come up with, the use of horror in this case, but its relationship in the web of other ideas and their uses is sometimes subtle to recognize. However before leaving this subject, I would be remiss if I didn’t clearly state that there is a creature in the story. It’s not a werewolf, nor vampire, but something else, and it serves to create the feeling of horror.
Getting back to the story’s outline, which I next developed in more detail, I then looked at a blank screen on my computer and began writing the story, which was different in writing style and topics involved.
This bring me to the reactions of others at the use of a character who is a call-girl, and the direct manner of the novel’s writing.
A call-girl? How provocative a character you may say. And who would want an uninteresting character in a novel? Let’s take a moment and consider this character beyond first impressions. Going back in history to the time of Christ, where the woman-of-the-night is seen and referred to as practicing one of the oldest professions known to man, we see the character that is real as far back as 2000 years, if not more.
This is taken from the writings of a Pastor on the topic of women-of-the-night in history.
‘In spite of all her fame, and all the coverage she gets in God's Word, her name never became a popular name, which is usually the case with women who do good and great things in the Bible. The reason for her name never becoming widely used is due to the first aspect of her life that we want to consider. I. HER PAST PROFESSION. Rahab was a harlot, or better known in our culture as a [woman-of-the-night]. Here is a paradox, for she was a heathen harlot who became a messianic mother, her name never escaped the taint of her past, even though she did fully escape that past, and will be singing in eternity the song of the redeemed. The study of Rahab forces us to look at the subject of [harlotry], for this profession is always linked with her name except for one time in the genealogy of Matt. 1. Even when she is held up as a great example of faith and works she is called Rahab the harlot.
The question that comes to our minds is why? Why is [harlotry] so persistently prevalent all through history? It is known as the oldest profession, and it is a profession that has played a major role in history.’ -taken from THE BIBLE'S MOST FAMOUS [HARLOT] Based on Joshua 2:1-21 By Pastor Glenn Pease
For a character to have been with us for so long, and in real-life, offers a depth to them that is not only risque in this case, but also filled with a history of interesting experiences. The other characters in the story — an investment advisor, a police-officer, and by social standards a regular male with a passion for fast sports-cars, provide a connection to commonly-known types of people in our societies.
Similar to A Christmas Carol, which looks at the vices of its main character in a fairly forthright way, and different than Frankenstein’s indirect moral reference to society — my story is plain-spoken in addressing some of the vices of people, and indirect in its reference to what is guiding the story. And having said that, I am not referring to the narrative. Charles Dickens’ story utilizes the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future while the narrative still exists, and Mary Shelley’s work uses Dr. Frankenstein’s actions and the societal responses to it to guide the story, separate from its narrative. In my novel this aspect of the story remains purposely unknown, with the question of what is guiding the people and forces that guide the story unanswered, hopefully leaving a sense of mystery and intrigue to consider (in the novel’s sequel).
To take a closer look at the characters in my novel, they bring with them their individual stories which span the topics of vices and their impact to love and death. A reader may ponder such questions as, can love be too overpowering, and can it truly be ignored? Or perhaps, how can the paramountcy of life be compromised by our vices? Through the characters, who are identifiable with relative ease, the story presents events which, either through the reader’s personal experience or gained familiarity, they will have some level of understanding of.
And what about the direct manner in which I wrote the story? The prose, or words written, are full with description at times, with imagery, metaphor, character sketches positioned in the straightforward manner of the story, along with the use of motifs, as part of a story written with a stronger tone, or voice. And if you are coming to understand the nature of the story, you will understand the use of its less than soft voice. Outside of the main motif, or theme, of good and evil, which is readily apparent, there is a motif in the use of a decoration in the elegant station. A magnificent clock hangs high in the entrance hall of the station, gracing everyone with its beauty as they enter. And it’s design includes the images of creatures carved into it, as they are in a sea of waves; each reaching out of the clock in a three dimensional effect. As splendid a sight as the clock is, it serves to represent the idea of a deceiving contrast to what people see when looking at it. I can’t give away the story here, but events take place that involve the clock, which show the other aspect of the motif; the opposing aspect to the clock’s apparent magnificence and splendor. A deceiving contrast in a story which talks of people and deception, among other things. That's it, I won't say more about it, but leave the story for you to read and discover.
Certain literary devices, which would usually be used in handling the change in points in time in the story, are substituted by the style of the telling of the story, and this allowed for the same result. For instance, similar to Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, who saw firsthand his past and future though writing that is in the present time, not through a departure to a former or future time which is written as the present time, I wrote Legend Station in a similar manner. By not using the literary devices that accommodate this, and striving to achieve the same effect through the events of the story, written in the present time, the novel is more undeviating in how it is written.
This may sound complex, but in writing a novel one must consider the timeframes in which the story is written. Different timeframes can be used, and this is where the more involved storyline comes to be. It is less linear in this way, perhaps going back to a past event; in the life of a character, or to a previous time in the plot. And it was a conscious decision of mine to not use this style, for the reasons of keeping the story relatively short. The novel is in the area of 60,000 words, as compared to the 124,000, or so, of my re-edited debut novel.
For all the decisions needed to be made in writing a novel, and as you can see there are many, this was another of them. I finally conceded to this approach with the idea that the straight manner of writing served the novel. It complimented the stronger tone of the book, and supported the use of horror and the graphic portrayal of the vices looked at. Also, it satisfied my objective of keeping the novel shorter than its predecessor. I suppose this makes it a novella.
Why write a novel that is so different? Why? Why? Why? — the popular unguided interrogative jab, which often hasn't stopped to consider what it is asking. And for the inquiring minds that ask why about my writing this novel, I say that their questions can only be properly answered by asking me. It is unfair and, just as importantly, ineffective to try to guess why about an author without asking them. I say this as most of the reactions created by my novel have come to be known by me through gossip; an exercise in futility in finding understanding and truth in a matter. It’s similar to considering what Einstein's last words spoken were, which have never been known because the person at his side at the time of his death, when he spoke his last words, didn’t understand German. With no other choice, people may guess, but it will never be known because he is no longer here to ask the question to. Any guess is just that, and nothing more, and it will never be known if it is at all accurate.
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