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POV Part II

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Trafalgar Fountain, London

A famous New Zealand photographer was at a London club and took part in a competition to find the best photo of a famous fountain. He won because his picture was the only one taken from inside the fountain looking out. His perspective was unique. In writing a novel, readers also enjoy a unique perspective. I was intrigued by an article on underwater cables in a small newspaper article back in 2019 and this lead to an overseas trip, visits to underwater museums, etc. and MUTINY is the end product – not quite a lifetime’s work, but a fair chunk out of it. Yes, POV – a unique perspective. I can think of another example – a lecture being given about rising sea levels. The presenter mentioned that a local city had recorded sea levels against a gauge at one of the wharves as evidence of them rising over the last 100 years. Then at question time, a gentleman raised his hand and asked, “Perhaps the wharf was sinking?” The audience laughed, and they laughed at Dr. Michael Hanover when he delivered a keynote to shake up the banking industry in MUTINY. Hanover’s perspective was different and challenging, and the stuffy-suited bankers didn’t like it and who could blame them. Enjoy MUTINY as this keynote unfolds a plot that might sink the banking industry or raise the sea level of complaints against it.

POV

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Headmaster at Assembly

I was sitting on stage along with my teaching colleagues looking over the large assembly of students and parents. It was our annual prize giving and the MC – our Headmaster – took the stage to speak. From my position, I saw the back of the Headmaster’s head and could imagine his perspective or point of view. I raised my camera and took a quick photo to record the moment and it was a different perspective on the gathering. This is exactly what POV does. POV stands for “point of view” and refers to the perspective from which a story or scene is written. A first person POV adds immediate connection – which I favour. However, a variety of POV can bring diverse elements/variety into a novel too. When I was writing the keynote scene in MUTINY I used two POV’s. One POV is from Dr. Michael Hanover, the keynote speaker. The other is from Sir Christopher Jenson – the MI6 agent sitting at a table of bankers listening to Hanover’s presentation. We pick up the dialogue as Hanover expands on Big Brother (see my earlier post) and you will note the technique to pivot to several first-person responses:

[“We’re here today as economic prisoners who not dare question or attempt to escape the comforts of our social slavery. While we wallow in our consumption and entertainment, dictators far craftier and more evil than us are ascending to the highest levels of control.” Michael pauses again and picks up murmurs from the room.

“Can this be true?”

“Why is he talking about slavery; hasn’t it been abolished?”

“Who are these evil dictators?”

“Our bank is secure, isn’t it?”

“Hanover sure knows how to stir an audience.”

“He’s a powerful presenter, but I don’t agree with everything he says.”

“I think he’s hiding something.”

“God help us if this is real.”

“Listen, he’s going to speak again.”]

PS: I make another reference to this school in MUTINY, but that will be another post 🙂

Freedom

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The more social controls we put upon people, the greater the cry for freedom, but what does freedom really look like? Freedom is a recurring theme in MUTINY and reference is made, in Chapter 25, to Big Brother from George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty Four:

Nineteen Eighty Four

[Michael clears his throat. “In his 1949 novel – NINETEEN EIGHTY FOUR – George Orwell feared a Big Brother who would control us all, even our thoughts. I’m afraid we have arrived at the gates to this Orwellian world and are mesmerized by distractions that disguise what is really happening to us. The very foundations of society are crumbling.”]

A parallel to 1984 is the life of the protagonist, Sir Christopher Jenson. He seems to have lost his career mojo and, when an investigation goes awry, he is more than willing to change. And, so are a few other characters and I think this ‘freedom’ theme helps create several layers in MUTINY.

Orwell’s predictions are rapidly finding fulfilment in society today, aided by many geo-political conflicts. Yet, in the midst of these, MUTINY is able to finish on a positive note – one that leaves Sir Christopher with a sense of hope and love. Was it planned that way or did it just ‘happen.’ Perhaps the readers will find the answer.

Location, Location, Location

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Yes, dear readers, it’s all about location – exotic locations, cold locations, exclusive locations and old locations. MUTINY throws them all together, from London to Frankfurt, Gibraltar to Croatia, Seattle to Bremerton, and the frozen darkness of the North Pole to the Mediterranean. I hope these contrasting locations keep readers interest levels peaking, just as they helped stimulate my writing. Do I have a preference? Not really. I’m not a fan of London or Gibraltar but enjoyed my stays in Croatia, and I have never been to the North Pole – although I have spent some time outside in minus 20 degree temperature. That puts Croatia high on my list of locations, notably the cities of Trieste, Split and Dubrovnik. The difficulty with multiple locations was calculating the times and distances for travel, in order to keep continuity.

Dark Clouds Gathering or a Downpour?

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A Storm or Downpour

Formula-based thrillers start with a body and unwind to the culprit, often with more bodies thrown in. I general, I am against generalisations, but there needs to be some alarming event in the opening chapter of a thriller – dark clouds or, at least, a downpour. It’s more traumatic to be confronting a soaked victim (with a knife or bullet wound) at your front door than looking out the window and exclaiming, “Oh, it’s pouring outside.” As one writer advised, “Think of the high point of action and start your novel there.” That will get the reader’s attention. However, I prefer a mix – a gathering storm PLUS a dramatic event. When writing MUTINY I did not originally intend to have anyone murdered in the first chapter, but…(you will need to find out for yourself – free kindle offer finishes in three days). Meanwhile, stay indoors and enjoy the dark clouds gathering on the opening pages of MUTINY – they may well be followed by a downpour!

Updated ‘About the Author’

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It took some searching to find a toy submarine that fitted the plot for MUTINY. Those readers who have finished the book will understand the relevance of this toy to the story.

My wife was masterful at working out what her Christmas presents were, just from feeling them from under the tree. It was fun to build this into MUTINY and helped bring a warm moment to the plot. My aim was to finish MUTINY with hope and friendship and the toy helped. It also opened the possibility for a sequence, but I’m not yet sure if this will happen. It depends upon reader feedback as well as fresh inspiration for a sequel.

Stalking the Red Bear

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A few Submarine Stories

Stalking the Red Bear is a true story of a US submarine’s covert operation against the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The Hunt for Red October is a Tom Clancy thriller where CIA analyst Jack Ryan must do what it takes to prove that a nuclear Soviet submarine that suddenly changed route towards the USA, is trying to defect and not attack.

A Tale of Two Subs was another true story from 1943 – the sub USS Sculpin, under attack by the Japanese, sank for the last time in what became one of the most remarkable events in U.S. Naval history.

The question is, did these stories influence the plot in MUTINY? Well, no. However, they did provide the spark of an idea – one that became a tense underwater cat-and-mouse in my novel. My background reading for MUTINY included as many books and videos on submarines as I could find, but care was taken to not copy any of them. Though, I hope what does happen is just as exciting. This post might turn away readers who have no interest in submarines, but that is not the intention. In fact, more action occurs above the waves than under them and the submarine activity is a vessel for character building and plot development.

PS: the new Kindle version of MUTINY has been formatted and will go I’ve next week with a special offer for my readers of this blog.

Introducing a Cold Character of Stealth and Steel

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During my final editing of MUTINY I took care to add to the description of a character who is shady and rarely seen in public; one who tends to keep to the shadows, yet has a depth of purpose that others fail to attain. He is one deadly character and fully armed. Of course, I am referring to the submarine. Here is the revised paragraph, along with a photo that seemed to fit:

The Sub Leaves Kitsap

[A submarine slips ghost-like from Kitsap Naval Base, just a short ferry ride from Seattle. Forested shores and snowy peaks shroud its mission in secrecy. Captain Ted Cooper is in command on the bridge and his ramrod frame peers into the fading light of Puget Sound. Below him is over 500 feet of advanced engineering and weaponry – reaching 40 feet into the depths and propelled by efficient nuclear reactors. A crew of 150 highly-trained sailors are excited to be on patrol and are hunkered down to their duties.]

PS: The updated MUTINY is now available and Kindle will follow in a few days.

Seriously Funny

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There’s an episode (Chapter 53) in MUTINY where two captains meet to discuss a special agent to help with an underwater mission. It’s a formal meeting, hosted by the Spanish captain who is hoping to impress his guest. As I was writing this piece is seemed natural to fall from formality into frolic. What unfolds is a seriously funny moment:

The Flying Fried Chicken

[He thrust his fork down. It punched through the duck and lodged in the table. He lifted his head high in laughter. “Now look what I’ve done – I’ve killed the golden duck.”

“Don’t you mean the golden goose?” Ted asked, unable to control himself.

“Ha, ha. Yes, I must be the goose that killed it.” He wrestled with his fork and it sprang free, flinging the duck over his shoulder. Lorenzo slapped his knee. “Did you see that? A new Olympic record for duck throwing. It must’ve traveled ten meters?”

“Oh,” Ted replied, wiping tears from his face. “I would suggest fifteen meters at a speed of twenty knots. You almost hit the waiter. He had to duck for the duck.”

The Spaniard lost control. His glass tipped and wine exploded from his lips in a spray that saturated the white tablecloth. The waiter moved to wipe him down.

“I guess we’re both ducks in the water now,” cried the Spaniard, breaking into a hyena laugh, and snorting each time he took a breath. He looked hilarious, with wine and food splattered down his dress shirt and an empty fork in his hand.]