This is the second time I am trying to write about this chapter. It opens nicely, following the story of the massacre, but then suddenly begins talking about imaginary events that caused the world to change.
I was shocked by how close my storytelling was to reality. The book was not intended to predict anything but simply show worse-case scenarios, thus creating the future world in which my protagonist lives.
I remember enjoying writing this chapter – and wondering how I could wipe out level five in a believable way. Somehow, the story has always written itself. My grammar, paragraphing, and sentence structure might not be perfect, but in a way, I am only interpreting the inspiration. I know this sounds artistic, which it is not meant to be, but when I re-read the chapters, I am often surprised how it all makes sense. Naturally, the island would be a volcano.
I also enjoyed discovering how, in the opening paragraphs, I first mention that political motives are usually cloaked and then I repeat this later, concerning the company’s wiping of level five. I don’t remember doing this intentionally.
The section where George remembers playing chess with his dad and his attitude towards this, somewhat reflects my own behaviour towards my son. I never just let him win. I wanted him to understand losing is part of playing and how it makes the joy of winning even greater. Today, he nearly always wins.
The section after this, where Evylin needs to be surrounded by noise to help her think, is again semi-biographical, this time inspired by my daughter, who would do her schoolwork with everything on, from the TV to the radio to her phone. The fact that Evylin then cuts her hair and claims to be a part of the game, and not just in it, at the time was odd. I could not understand why I would write this. I remember thinking, oh dear, another twist! Another part of the story I don’t know the answer to. But I also knew it had to stay. There was something about this weird action that was important. This is concluded with a fun sentence that I like. Have you ever met a boring nutter?
The next section involves the previous books and their events, using them to help drive the story forward. I think this is a common trait when more than one book is written to complete a story. I see the seven books of Harry Potter as one long story, and information learned in book one naturally influences the later ones. It’s again this idea that a story writes itself. It gains momentum, and if the author listens to everything written, he is forced to react accordingly. It’s a kind of relationship. I suppose the more honest and attentive the author is, the better the story will be.
Evylin’s love of hiking is not coincidental either. Her character is fictitious, but certain aspects of her behaviour come from people I have met. I do this not to single out one individual but to feel comfortable and confident when writing certain features. In Austria, where mountains dominate most horizons, hiking is a common pastime.
I was personally pleased with the idea of using the clock formation to indicate north, south, east, or west. Six beats to say south. Again, there wasn’t a lot of creative thinking necessary once this idea was fixed. Once again, the story told itself.
I also managed to add level six, a level, which fortunately I did not have to write much about.
All in all, I think the chapter works well. I enjoy revisiting the chapters and discovering how my mind once worked.
