Shouts From Down Under

Writing novels. Chernobyl. Nothing will go wronnnnnggg...

Have you ever worried that the manuscript you've sweated blood over, maybe for years, will become redundant, out of date, and irrelevant overnight, due to some world catastrophe, change in political landscape, major historical discovery, or some other Smaug-sized, plot altering event? (http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Smaug)



What if this annoying and face-palm ()incident happened just before the release of your book? Historical stuff happens all the time, right?

Recently this dilemma happened to me. Something, well apparently, was discovered in Poland, that I feared would ruin part of my novel's uniqueness.



http://www.9news.com.au/world/2015/09/16/01/46/workers-clear-nazi-gold-train-sit...

You see, my novel was hijacked by history in the first place. I wanted a character whose genes were altered somehow. So logically, my research led me (handcuffed) to the nuclear accident at Chernobyl. This would be an obvious place for such a thing to happen. I'm not the first one to design fiction around this convenient and monumental event. No, not by a long shot. Cast your mind to all the various mutations and monsters that have attacked, invaded and dominated stories, movies and even computer games.

My idea isn't original. But hey, how many uses is the humble invention of the wheel applied to, and yet rather than yawn, people utter a delighted YES! in breathless joy at something new, entertaining, and satisfying.

Hijacking occurs when something or someone suddenly dominates, takes by surprise, infiltrates secretly and springs overhead, to capture you and hold you hostage to whatever demands seen fit to...well, demand.
The brooding, hunched over, haunting spectre of Reactor #4 at Chernobyl, that exploded in 1986 (as my research informed me, and I remember exactly where I was when I heard this news @ age 16) swung my plot around like a barn door on a hinge, pivoting on a major change in my deeply personal attitude.

Writing my novel, this novel (The Influence Gene) has changed me deeply, forever. Forget what publishing it will do, or bring, in the future to me. Just researching it, and incorporating (bowing to its intimidating, heart wrenching, imposing influence) the story and history of this terrible catastrophe into my first book was just the beginning.

I cannot really say more about it, because that would ruin it for you, the future reader. (I hope!Reading, not ruining!)

Also, as an aside, the word "spectre" (thanks very much oh dominant spell checker software application thingy) IS a word. To my amazement, when I googled it to check, and WIN the argument against aforementioned spell checker, I found there is going to be a movie starring James Bond. Due for release a couple of days after my birthday, so that's a coincidence just too spooky. A bit like a spectre, yeah.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectre_(2015_film)



So now this blog has been jihacked, no, hijacked by Daniel Craig.

To bring things back on track, and appease the spectre of my novel's big-brother hijacker, that incidentally leaves Mr J Bond looking like a pip-squeak, I've drummed up a few links that have gathered the odd cobweb whilst sitting in my notepad.

Chernobyl timeline

http://chernobylgallery.com/chernobyl-disaster/timeline/

A point form history of Ukraine, that is easy to understand.

http://argumentua.com/stati/ukrainskaya-zemlya-naskvoz-propitana-krovyu-ukraina-...

http://www.madatovphotography.com/Chernobyl-2014#!/

When you are writing a novel, research can be cathartic. Something that sounds (to me anyway) so boring, so drab and desk-trapping, so action-less and inspiration sapping, has to be committed to 100%.

The secret, is to deal with that state of mind where you think research is a side issue. Overcome this way of thinking that the studious pen-pushing, shiny-bum, spectacle wearing (sorry people who wear glasses ) paperwork pandering nerd nobbled person is just something to do in a hurry and get back to the good stuff.

No. That way of doing it, this book writing caper, will give you just the amount of non-commitment you've dedicated. Mediocrity, here we come.

There's the thing. When you KNOW a secret of something, the how-to-do-it-ness of your particular undertaking, then hey, get the JOY! You only have to tick the boxes, my friend, to DO DIS! It just takes the faith and commitment now. That's all.

Fully commit to the research as if that was your novel all along. You might be surprised where it takes you. Yes, of course, don't forget the plot you aimed for originally, but novels have a BODY you know. They aren't all first page narrative hooks and last few chapters / pages of satisfying, surprising, astonishing, I should have known that, conclusions.
No, there is a huge span needed to bridge this gap in between those vital beginning and ending sections.

100% immersion into your research, which you know you have to do anyway, will give you massive volumes of material, paying dividends back for all that time you gave. I can't encourage you enough, how this allowing, this investing yourself, will return 100 / 1000 fold.



Because that's what a lot of our fear and anxiety is based upon, isn't it? The worry that we won't have enough TIME.

As for my novel becoming redundant from some new historical discovery, well, I'll not worry on that. The story will still stand because of the research; facts that have already happened cannot be changed. That's how the pillars of time work for us writers. You can't go back in time (yet?) so if my novel is set in the distant or not so distant past, cool bananas.

Nuffink will go wronnnnng. (Scientist #7 quote - Half Life http://www.gamefaqs.com/pc/43362-half-life/faqs/29847)

Sparky