Building a World: Overcoming the Challenge in Novel Writing - "Light My Fire"

Whilst redrafting "Those Who Must Fall", my historical thriller novel, I faced a challenge of contextualising the characters' backstories. It is a common occurrence in my early drafts: when I am throwing ideas at the page that are hard to track - especially with large breaks between writing. The discoveries I make during this splurge surprise even me. But, as I said, it creates inconsistencies in the story, and the characters only really exist in the moment.

To overcome this challenge, I took the unique approach of stepping away from the novel, and instead I wrote an audio drama series that served as a prequel to the novel.

"Light My Fire", a five-part audio drama series, is set two-years before the events of "Those Who Must Fall". It explores the character of Akira Yamamoto in the build-up to the novel. What made him go after John F. Thorbes, a corrupt politician and former US Army General?

By writing "Light My Fire", I not only got a greater sense of who Akira Yamamoto and John Thorbes were, but also of the world they inhabit - 1960s America, San Francisco, the Civil Rights Movement. I was able to flesh out the fictional gangs mentioned in "Those Who Must Fall", and plot the backstories of even seemingly insignificant characters. Now, as I go to redraft "Those Who Must Fall", I have a richness of backstory and world that can make the story come alive.

Of course, I will aim to also produce "Light My Fire", but even if that isn't successful, it was a rewarding and unique exercise to overcome a challenge many writers face.

"Light My Fire" Synopsis - Former Tule Lake incarceree, Akira Yamamoto is content with life: he has a stable job; a wife, Issho, who he adores - and they are about to renew their wedding vows. But when Issho Yamamoto is murdered, a grieving Akira witnesses his paradise become a nightmare. The once model citizen turns vigilante in the hunt for justice, confronted by the city's volatile gangs, poached by the many Civil Rights Groups, and becoming entangled in a deepening conspiracy that could influence the upcoming mayoral election. Light My Fire is the story of how far one man will go to avenge his wife.

You can learn more about "Light My Fire" here.