Ask the Author: Jack Chase
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Jack Chase
I wanted to do something big, and I became drawn to the challenge of bridging gritty hyperrealism with myth and the tones of old-world Greek tragedy, but making it feel seamless rather than stylized. Archer Stone was the root of everything. I was too enamored with the character to stop, and the story kept expanding until it finally locked into place. It was the most fun I’ve ever had writing, like plugging into another world every day. I didn’t have it all figured out, even halfway through. To this day I’m still discovering things in the book that feel intentional in hindsight.
As for New York, I’ve only been once, at eighteen, but I grew up obsessed with crime dramas and naturalistic cinema set there. When I visited, I was lucky to have my aunt, who’s an expert at navigating cities, so I absorbed as much as I could. I already had projects percolating in that world, so I walked around imagining scenes and clocking landmarks. In the end, if it reads as more than just a backdrop, I’m flattered. I trusted my intuition, my memory, and a lifelong draw to cinema, and hoped it would land.
As for New York, I’ve only been once, at eighteen, but I grew up obsessed with crime dramas and naturalistic cinema set there. When I visited, I was lucky to have my aunt, who’s an expert at navigating cities, so I absorbed as much as I could. I already had projects percolating in that world, so I walked around imagining scenes and clocking landmarks. In the end, if it reads as more than just a backdrop, I’m flattered. I trusted my intuition, my memory, and a lifelong draw to cinema, and hoped it would land.
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