When I was in junior high and high school, I wrote a series of stories that I submitted to a local competition. But despite their incompatibility with what I now term “good fiction,” there was something there. That’s why I try and avoid throwing anything away. It might be awful but there’s sometimes a little gem inside.
In the summer of 2007, with the writing of ‘Julianne’ (my first novel, an early iteration of the current piece) just a fond memory and the labour involved forgotten, I thought it would be a good idea to take on another writing project. But since I’m a devout follower of the schools of thought of “if it doesn’t hurt, you’re not doing it right” and “it seemed like a good idea at the time,” I decided I’d write a trilogy! To continue with the trite sayings, “go big or go home” and I was living on a tiny island so I certainly couldn’t go home. So Nadine was reborn as a tough but reluctant anti-hero in the community I’d set on Mars. It bears only a transient likeness to the short story, but the essence is there. This was the beginning of what would turn out to be An Expensive Retreat.
SPOILER ALERT
I had this image of Nadine in my head. She was tougher than me, would make the decisions I wouldn’t dare and then come to take actions I didn’t agree with. But she was very loosely based on a wonderful childhood friend. It turns out that Anna was based on that friend’s sister in a lot of ways. Neither was a replica but there were enough traits borrowed that I recognize them in my characters.
I knew Nadine was educated, had a job and it was my responsibility to be absolutely horrible to her and then drop in this Sven guy as an extra complication. There’s a lot of implicit in a short story. The reader is willing to let a lot of questions go because they know they’re only getting a glimpse of a wider world. But that luxury vanished as soon as I decided to turn the story into a novel. So I wrote a few chapters and then realized that I needed to develop the world I was living in. Well, they were living in but I was basically there and haven’t really left. So I had to draw sketches and plan out what Nadine’s house looked like. Heck, I even had to decide how I was going to deal with the sewage. So the stage was set.
The hospital. The scene there was born of a desire to really emphasize the horror of their abandonment. It was meant to be a shock and a horror to Nadine and the others. But slowly it grew to become the mystery backbone of the trilogy. I write as a mix of a planner and a pantser. This was definitely a pantser moment that became something I planned around.
Let’s talk about Sven. Initially he was written as a character who was supposed to challenge Nadine even as he loved and supported her. He was meant to be an important secondary character, much like Anna. Ah, the dreams of a writer. Foiled again by the reader. Once I’d written the second novel, I gave them both to a friend to read. She devoured the second one in a staggering 18 hours. At least I was staggered. But the biggest piece of feedback she had was that hearing Sven’s side of the story made for a better book. Then she dropped the bombshell. An Expensive Retreat would be a better book if I wrote both perspectives. Of course I said absolutely not. There was no way I was going back to the book I’d rewritten multiple times. No dice. Not happening. I digress. At least I did for about three hours. Then I calmed the hell down and realized she was right. Back to the computer I went.
I was getting closer to writing the end of the book and I had no idea how to end it. I knew I had to send Sven back to Earth. I knew I was going to separate them and make sure he didn’t return, no matter what he promised her. But what I couldn’t figure out was how she was going to come out a hero. And not did I think hard. But I gradually realized it would be more formative for her if she was only painted as a hero even as all her efforts and losses were in vain. I told you I was terribly cruel. I forced her to go on without her home, lover and then stripped her of all the glory of a traditional ending. Instead she becomes a bureaucrat and puts her nose to the grindstone for a Mars she believes in, even if no one else does.
Nadine was complicated and grew more so as I went. She was young at the beginning, maybe a reflection of the hopeful young woman who initially created her. But tragedy struck and I had to mould her through that crisis. She’s a tough woman but poke her a bit and the soft centre seeps out. I wanted her to be tough but relatable. Hopefully I’ve done that. Maybe you can give me some feedback and let me know?
Next blog will talk about Uncomfortable Truths and we’ll go back to a future Earth together.
In the meantime, I’m finishing off the last details of Julianne. That book should release this fall. I’ve got a couple of other projects in the works but I’ll hold back on writing any more about them until I get Julianne on to its next stage and figure out my creative path.
In the meantime, I’ve been doing a lot of freelance editing and got an advance copy of Susan Jenning’s newest book, Heart of Sophie’s War. You can check out her site here for more details about that book. If you or anyone you know is looking for some editing, let me know. I’ve got space coming up in late May. You can see all my details under “Editing Services” on this blog. Email me with any questions!
Look forward to “seeing” you all soon.
It's all about the words 