I sometimes worry, when I include a big coincidental twist in one of my books, that readers will go, No way! That could never happen! Im sure its a problem lots of writers wrestle with -- how to include highly unlikely plot turns that are necessary to drive the story forward, without breaking the air of reality that youre trying to maintain for the reader. The frustrating thing is that in real life, improbably weird stuff happens all the time. For instance, yesterday I explored Dubrovnik with Mrs Shan. We walked around the walls of the Old Town, then explored the streets a bit. Then we went for lunch. Id checked out reviews for a few restaurants in advance, so we went to the first and scoped it out. Couldnt find the next couple. Ended up at another. It was busy, and the staff werent very helpful, so we almost walked away from it. But we decided in the end to stay and grabbed a table -- we were glad that we did, because the food was delicious. While we were eating, a couple of men sat at the table next to ours and started chatting about what they were going to order. We identified them as English straightaway, which isnt odd, as there are lots of English tourists in Dubrovnik. As we went on eating, Bas (Mrs Shan) heard them talking about academic stuff, and since shes an academic too, she got talking to them later in the meal, to ask them what they were studying, what they were here for, and where they worked. It turned out they worked in the Southbank University, which is in the Elephant & Castle, where I lived as a child. Again -- not that strange, just nicely coincidental. I talked with them a bit about the area and how its changed over the years. Then one of them asked me what I did. When I told him I wrote horror books for teens, his expression crinkled and he asked what my name was. When I told him, his face lit up and he said, No way! I know one of your publicists -- Mary Byrne. My children are the same age as her kids, and were all great friends. So -- in a city Id never been to before... at a restaurant thats just one among dozens, if not hundreds in the town walls... to wind up there at the exact same time as a neighbour of someone I know... to end up sitting side by side... What are the odds? And would you believe it if you read it in a book?!? There are lots of twists and turns in my Zom-B books, and some massive coincidental moments, but real life twists the hell out of fiction every time!!!
Posted on: Fri, 30 May 2014 08:12:18 +0000
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