The Writing Journey (Spoiler Alert)
Beginning with this introductory post, we are going to take a trip together. I thought it might prove interesting for you to go along, as I write one of my novels.
Each day that I work at writing, I will share what was accomplished, how I went about incorporating the research with the prose, as well as the thought process. It will give you a glimpse into Derek Hart's writing, as well as the actual building blocks.
I am currently working on 4 novels, switching between them depending on both mood and motivation. However, the primary focus is on Secret of the Dragon's Teeth – Book 5 in the series.
This storyline is beginning to reach the climax of WWII, as the reader will find themselves in the Spring and Summer of 1944. Of course, the Normandy invasion is the focal point, the high-water mark. I am faced with both the challenge of writing about the invasion from a military and historical viewpoint, but more importantly from the human experience. Likewise, Thaddeus Osbert, the dragon who meddles throughout the series, wants to take a more active role in the outcome. Add to this the three teenagers (Gavin, Emily and Bunty) who are also now firmly involved. This quandary of plots and characters will be my greatest challenge, because it not only must make sense, but the decisions and action here leads to Book 6, where most of it comes together.
First, however, I have to solve two huge events that closed out Book 4.
1) Major Vickers was captured by the Germans.
2) Emily Scott was kidnapped by the German agent Vera Ericksen and delivered to Himmler. Remember, the American bombers are on their way to obliterate Wewelsburg Castle. Oh my.
I've had plenty of practice with this potential peril style and decided that the Book 5 sample chapter at the end of Book 4 would answer only half of item #2, because it would both intrigue and infuriate the reader. (Always a good tool.)
So here is how Book 5 will begin: Bold print, so you'll be able to discern when the writing stops and starts.
There was an old stone house with apple trees in the yard, surrounded by a thick stone fence, which went clear around the house, separating the apple orchard from the road. Standing near a grassy bank in the hedgerow country, not far from the village of Bayeux, Major Traber Vickers awaited his execution in the cool dawn mist.
The members of the SS Exekutionskommando firing squad had heard the guttural orders to open fire.
"Schiessen!"
Darkness fell across them as their rifles fired simultaneously.
However, not one bullet hit the target.
In fact, every round simply disappeared in mid-flight.
Dumbfounded by this strange turn of events, the soldiers all looked at their rifles first, then at their commanding officer. The SS officer could only manage a half-hearted shrug.
Major Vickers peered through half-open slits, just as surprised to be alive.
It was then that the mysterious shadow grew in proportion, blotting out the morning sunrise. The SS soldiers felt an incredible chill sweep over them and they huddled together in uncertainty and fear.
In a blink of an eye, there appeared before them a gigantic monstrosity, a magnificently terrible creature with flaming-red scales. The dragon was poised, claws extended, tail raised to strike, mouth open to display razor-sharp teeth.
Perhaps courageous, perhaps foolhardy, the SS officer shook of his initial shock and screamed for his men to open fire. They hesitated for just a moment, before discipline took over.
Weapons lifted, it was the last thing those German soldiers ever did.
Thaddeus Osbert roared in defiance and with terrible fury unleashed, the dragon incinerated the firing squad with his fire-breath. Enveloped in one power jet of liquid flame, the men were instantly turned into nothing more than ashes. The intense heat also engulfed the truck used to transport Major Vickers to his execution site and it exploded, but the debris merely bounced off the dragon's scales.
Thaddeus spun around and with extended talon, sliced free the British officer. "I do apologize for cutting things a bit short, Traber. It's been a busy few days. It was just last night that I found out you had been captured."
Vickers rubbed his sore wrists, but grinned. "I think you have impeccable timing, Sir Osbert. Thank you."
Thaddeus shook his head. "No need to thank me, young man. I am your friend and ally, so it's my duty to come to your aid."
"Just the same, I am very grateful," Vickers said.
Now the idea is to set in motion the rescue of Vickers, while the reader is wondering how the dragon is going to also rescue Emily. I also want to build the suspense, by not really rushing. In fact, chapter 2 will open with even more delay to the central story. Not too much, but enough to make page turning the goal.
The bombing mission itself requires some set-up writing, so I researched the conditions necessary to abort a mission and also brought back my favorite bomber crew from Book 4. That way the reader can't immediately identify with the crew, to spend more time focused on the mission itself. Of course, Thaddeus must interfere, without revealing himself and without causing harm to the Allies.
This is how I built both the tension of the mission, mixed with Thaddeus the dragon:
It was the most frightening sight of all.
Thaddeus Osbert came down from the clouds above, racing on an intercept course with this very formation. There wasn't a moment to spare. The bombers were just moments away from unleashing their payload onto Wewelsburg.
"Hold on tight, Major," the dragon roared. "This will require some fancy maneuvering and uncanny timing.
Poor Vickers' eyes were closed, he was ghastly pale, and reciting every Psalm he could remember. Traber dare not even peek.
Aboard Dragon on My Tail, the crewmen braced themselves for another fearful and almost paralyzing confrontation with the possibility of death. It was mathematically probable that their B-24 would explode from a direct hit or the one or more crewmen would be struck in the body by a jagged chunk of shrapnel from a near miss.
Radio Operator Grant made his way out onto the catwalk of the bomb bay to pull the pins on the bomb fuses, which had kept them safe while being loaded and during the flight. With everyone at his position, Lennert steered towards the final bomb run, which would include the formation's evasive action at the beginning and then become a straight, unwavering course through every obstacle the enemy could throw at them. As the formation flew closer to the target, the flak barrage became more furious. The gray puffs of smoke originally seen from a distance, then became black explosions laced with fire. Tail Gunner Michael Benteen described the nearby flak bursts as black orchids of death. All of them were fatalistic about flak, knowing that if you saw the flak burst and didn't feel anything, that meant that you were alive and hadn't been wounded.
While Pilot Bob Lennert and Co-pilot Mario Valerio were on the bomb run, they were kept occupied by the requirements of keeping just off the wing of the airplane next to them in the formation. There was an added requirement of a tight formation over the target so the bomb pattern would be concentrated, so the pilot made a special effort to fly tight.
On the bomb run, all eyes were focused on the lead plane in the formation. The lead plane and the second lead to its right were the only planes in the formation in which the bombardier was manning the Norden bombsight to trigger the release of the bombs on the target. If for some reason the lead plane was not able to carry out the bomb run, the second lead would take over.
Thaddeus opened his cavernous mouth and let loose a blast of icy cold beneath the formation of B-24's, filling the atmosphere with an instantaneous bank of thick cloud cover.
Suddenly, without any warning whatsoever, the entire Wewelsburg valley was locked in with a tremendous storm front, which produced snow and bitterly cold winds.
"Jesus, I can't see a thing," Lennert called out.
"Where the hell did this come from?" Mario demanded.
The target vanished and with it the opportunity to bomb.
"Signal from squadron leader," Bernie grant spoke of the intercom. "Mission abort, repeat, mission abort."
"Let's get the hell out of here," Mario exclaimed.
It's important for me, as the author, to blend historical fact with fantasy, so when I research a bombing mission, for instance, it must be real. However, I don't want to bore the reader wither, so I edit viciously all the details, while leaving intact the action, emotion, and and other senses I can incorporate, such as smell and sound.
Tomorrow we'll talk about the Normandy landings and creating a new character caught in the middle.
