BryonySeries Throwback Thursday: Layers

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Layers

I love subplots, subtext, and making the most of every word I use.

Here's a tip for giving your chapter/novel depth.

Once you've written that first draft, and maybe even after you've edited it, critically examine it and ask yourself this: What can I add or change to further the plot or add another aspect of characterization?

The most ordinary instances can become purposeful and lead to a more developed story.

For instance, your character is a guest at dinner. Add one item to the menu that reminds him of a good or bad event in his life - and weave that event into your story.

Your character is walking through a building for the first time. Maybe he sees something that profoundly affects him and incites choices he makes later on.

Your character is having a conversation with a friend, something he often does. The first three such conversations can be a normal exchange of information. Now you've got the reader at ho-hum, change it up, so your reader sits up straight and thinks, "Whoa!What's this?"

Or maybe the friend implies something but never says it - but it's not lost on the character and the friendship is altered, for good or for bad. Make that part of your plot.

And speaking of plots, try having more than one plot running at a time and make them all work for the good of the story.

People talk about "page turners" as if they're the barometer of a great story. Sure, I occasionally enjoy a story I can whip through fairly quickly.

But think in terms of "page stayers," words so compelling they force your reader to soak up each one. Sure, it's harder for the reader. Some might argue readers are getting lazier.

And yet, think about the books that have stayed with you over time. The books that resonated something inside you, books you cannot forget. Write that kind of book.

Just a thought.

Recap or Review? That is the Question

Should I recap last night's extremely fun limerick match?

Or should I post the latest review from my BryonySeries super fan for the second installment of Before the Blood?

I'm going with review and leave the limerick match update for Saturday, which is the Steward of Tara's day anyway.

But I will say this: it was fun, hilarious, creative, and I met some really great people last night who weren't afraid to think up ridiculous rhyme on their feet and dramatically recite it for the entire cafe to hear.

When I returned home, I had a notification for this review. But I share it, I'll say this: I have a reviews fans have posted about the books they love, and I'm sure some of these people have written reviews similar to this one.

But I have never come across a fourteen-paragraph book review from a fan that has the depth and enthusiasm this one communicates. Like many writers, I want my words to be read and appreciated by readers who resonate with my style of storytelling.

This may sound strange for a writer to say, but I truly have no words to accurately express how humble this makes me feel. There is something truly magical about taking vague ideas and concepts, translate them into written sounds and syllables, and then watch them spark another's imagination.

May all writers find the readers who connect with their prose. Because...

It's a marvelous thing.

A deep psychological thriller that will paralyze you with terror

February 13, 2019

Verified Purchase

Stephen King has dreamed up some horrifying characters -- Pennywise, Randall Flagg and Leland Gaunt, for example. Yet, not a single one comes close to Kellen Wechsler in sheer skin-crawling creepiness. If you savor tales that terrify you into sleeping with the lights on, you'll love "Before the Blood: Kellen Wechsler." (BTB)

Kellen Wechsler was introduced in Denise Baran-Unland's amazing "Bryony" trilogy. In the trilogy, he was an Old World vampire who maintained the illusion of humanity by feeding off the protagonist. Without a doubt, he was a fascinating and disturbing character. Though it will give you a point of reference (and an amazing read), you do not actually have to read the trilogy to understand this book as it is a prequel .

Wechsler is born into the life of serfdom in 17th Century Bavaria. His childhood is miserable, filled with poverty, abysmal abuse, neglect and disillusionment. His “widowed” mother, Metta, works for the landowner while young Kellen serves as caretaker for his blind grandmother. There is little joy and even less hope in their lives.

Wechsler marries young. His wife Caterin is merely a repository for his lust. He sires scores of children, many of whom die. He stops even trying to remember their names and exists in a state of quasi-somnambulance. As he toils in the fields, Wechsler frets and obsesses over the land-owner's red-haired wife, Frau Voll-Bauer, who once stopped and spoke to him as he toiled in the fields.

Later, he experiences a vision that he interprets as a sign from God, indicating his life will change for the better. Little does he know.

When plague strikes the village, Wechsler loses everything, including - it seems - his mind. With no explanation, we find Wechsler in the Twentieth Century, with little idea how he arrived. It's a dizzying transition that knocks the wind out of the reader.

Unland writes in layers. The more you read between the lines the more complex – and terrifying – the story becomes. Reality is superimposed over the horror story in a very subtle manner. You will question which is more terrifying - Wechsler as husband and father or Wechsler as predator.

On a very basic level, BTB is a cautionary tale. The underlying premise is one of dysfunction and how a child's early development is affected by neglect and abuse. Had Wechsler been wanted and loved, the story might have taken a very different turn. Then again, maybe not. It's all open to interpretation.

As in all of her books, the author motivates the reader to think by posing deep philosophical questions. Can we be tricked into selling our immortal soul? Do we exist only to feed others? Do our illusions and desires have the power to destroy us? Why are we most mesmerized by what we can never possess? The questions raised are profound. They will make you think.

Spots of humor lend a surreal element. A description of Wechsler perfuming his hairy bits to disguise the stench of corruption throws the reader off balance. Is his apparent vanity merely a ruse to trick humans into believing he is mortal? Or, is he remembering a girl wrinkling her nose in disgust at him when he was a boy?

The book is so rife with symbolism that you’ll be compelled to read it at least a couple of times to catch the subtleties. Music plays an important role in this book and, indeed, throughout the series. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly why voracious predators are drawn to the sublime, even at their own peril. Does music soothe the savage beast? It certainly appears to attract them. And, indeed, Wechsler is drawn to music as a moth to a flame.

The characters are also memorable. Wechsler himself is at times both attractive and repellent. You feel for him as a boy and perhaps in his terror at realizing what he has become. Then again, his lust and manipulation are repulsive. Frau Voll-Bauer is a prototype of sorts. Her personality is vague. Yet, she plays a mysterious role in Wechsler's life and is central to the plot itself.

Coincidentally (or not), Wechsler's mistress, Margaret, is also an elusive character who resembles Frau Voll-Bauer. She has her own issues with lust and vast insecurity. It becomes clear that Margaret is an enabler - a woman drawn to dangerous men. If you've read the "Bryony" trilogy she may well remind you of the protagonist, Melissa.

Perhaps, the most disturbing character is Dr. Thradgort/Gothart, who also makes guest appearances "Bryony." The man - if indeed he is human - is decidedly creepy. He seems to exist outside time and space. He plays the role of "divine narrator," giving the reader clues. He has the dirt on everyone and fears no one.

With a nod to Alfred Hitchcock, the crows that appear to emerge from Wechsler's person put on quite a macabre show. But, what is their deeper significance? They're not the triggered specimens from "The Birds," violently exacting revenge on earth-murdering humans. They're something even more sinister, but what?

This is a frightening and highly disturbing book. It's not a tale that should be read as a lark. It's the perfect read for cold, snowy days when you can dedicate your mind to the tale alone. When reading an Unland book, it pays to remember, almost nothing is as it appears. When you believe you've figured something out, the rug is pulled out swift and mercilessly.

Like the "Bryony" trilogy and "Before the Blood: John Simons," this book is more than the sum of its chapters. With every reading you learn something new. I predict that one day soon the series will become a classic.

How to Write (and Edit) in Layers

I liken writing Bryony to being in love for the first time.

Everything felt exciting and different. I was all over the book, forwards, backwards, upside down, and inside out. Ideas popped up at the most random times (they still do) and thrilled me with their arrival. I couldn't wait to jot them down and find and a home for them.

When I began writing Visage, my three younger kids, who served as beta readers,wanted a chapter at a time. By then, I had already tasted the sweetness of immediate feedback and wanted more.

So I turned to that dreaded tool of my grade school days: the outline.

Except this was an outline with a difference.

Here's how I structure a novel:

1) In crummy prose, I write a sweeping overview of the story.

2) I then decide how many chapters I want. I open a file for each and add the "happenings" for each. I can immediately assess the strength and weaknesses of each chapter and if there's enough tension to carry the story.

3) I write the first sentence and the last sentence for each.

4) I write a first draft of the first chapter.

5) I reread that draft and edit characters, settings, dialogue, mood, foreshadowing, tension, etc. before moving on.

6) With each subsequent chapter, I go back and check for inconsistencies in the above. These are sure to develop as characters and plot take shape. Characters especially may develop a life of their own. When that occurs, either reign them in or adjust earlier portrayals.

7) I cut anything irrelevant. If an element is essential but weak, I find ways to strengthen its purpose.

8) I walk away. I add something to the novel six days a week. But I have one day where I don't. It helps give me perspective.

9) I re-read and re-write again. This helps add three-dimensional layers to the story that first drafts can't do.

10) I have fun!!!