Comments on a postcard please
Taken from the pub just up from where we parked Doris whilst at Penkridge
Perhaps you can help me? I’m starting to piece together the plot for book 5. Of course if you’ve not read For Good Men To Do Nothing, or indeed none of the Sam Green series, then you’re not going to be much help. Hang on – why haven’t you read any of the series? Have you not heard how good they are? Come on. Get with the programme.
Deep breath. OK. So I have a problem. The first 4 books work on a Christian versus Islam slant. There’s the ultra right-wing Christian sect, The Church of the White Cross, inflaming anti-Muslim hatred, building up to a crusade-type war. The books are all anti-religion, insofar as religion causing war and men making that happen. One inside-front cover quote sums this up:
Morality is doing right, no matter what you are told. Religion is doing what you are told, no matter what is right.
The outcome of this underlying theme is that the ‘terror’ is all enacted by the Christian right or the Islamic left. It’s all very current, but after four books, a bit samey. It would be the easiest thing in the world to knock up another conspiracy which centres around Muslim extremists and a Christian sect. On one side, suicide bombers and Middle Eastern types which bulging eyes. On the other, cool, blond Ayrian zealots, all calculating and ruthless. But … a bit samey?
So, I have come up with a plot centred on a nasty antagonist who’s not driven by religion (no spoilers). But there’s got to be some terror and I don’t want this to be centred on religious-based angst. And that’s where I need help. Currently I’m working on a series of coincident terror plots which are put in place by a number of different terrorist organisations. I know what’s linking them (the nasty antagonist), but will that work? And should book 5 be terror related? Is this what the public wants?
Any thoughts? I have 3 weeks in France where I want to tie this down, so any comment would be helpful.
[image error]
The view…
We’re in Penkridge seeing Bex and Steve before they fly out to Seoul (tomorrow). It’s another early start and then we’re going to Mum and Dad’s – just for a night. And then 3 weeks of holiday. Phew. Neither of us can wait. It’s been a tough 7 months. As well work, we’ve painted and sorted the house (less hall, stairs and landing). Done the garden including a new patio. Published a book. And between all this travelled a lot seeing all sorts of people. Since I finished at work it’s been head down, helping sort out Bex and Steven as well as supporting Jen and her business. Hence a holiday would be nice. We have a slack handful of DVDs, a couple of books each … and I have a plot to thicken! Hurrah!
Anyhow. Off out to supper for a last farewell this evening. Up at 4 tomorrow – and then downhill all the way to Dover. Hopefully with the wind behind us. Hurrah!
