WHAT'S IN A NOVEL? (2)

FROM CONCEPT TO COMPLETION

Okay. So I now have a theme for my next novel, a subject matter which interests me. What next?

For each novel I must construct a situation/environment which will enable me to play out my story with integrity and believability. Example. My novel, LOYAL HEART, which is about a supermarket delivery man, Roger Farley. First of all there had to be a supermarket. The lighthearted side of my nature named it MASDA! A supermarket deliveryman has to interact with clients, so I decided it would have to be in the suburbs where people tend to stay put for longer. That, in turn, means Roger can build up a relationship with customers which, in turn, opens up all sorts of possibilities, both serious and humorous.Let's take another example. ESSENCE OF EVIL. In fact it was the situation/environment, three isolated cottages, which inspired me. So my task here was to concoct a situation which would take advantage of this eerie set up. I thought it would be interesting if different things happened to different people. Because people would have to come and go, it followed that the cottages would have to serve different purposes. Hence, one cottage serves social service clients (who are not necessarily permanent); a second cottage is a holiday let (people come and go) and only the third cottage is in private ownership. The set-up is important. It must allow for many possibilities. Bye for now.