Tuesday, April 05, 2011

HOW I CAME TO WRITE THIS Book, Anonymous 9


HOW I WROTE THIS BOOK by Anonymous-9

Synopsis of HARD BITE, the novel

The hit-and-run driver took everything—his wife, child and legs. Now a paraplegic, Dean Trahearn unleashes payback on suspected hit-and-runners in Los Angeles. Helper-monkey Sid is his deadly assistant as a satisfying conglomeration of dirtbag-corpses piles up. Until Dean kills an innocent man by mistake. The revelation is agonizing—just as the Mexican Mafia figures out that his first murder victim was one of them. Carnales kidnap Marcie, his home-visit nurse, so Dean uses himself as bait—armed with only Sid, his wits, and a last chance at honor—to save Marcie.

How I Wrote the Book

Terry Pratchett said, “You need the darkness to let the light show up.” Triumph of the human spirit enthralls me, so I made my main character disabled, with a limited amount of life left, and burning with ambition to avenge his own hit-and-run accident. The big challenge? Making him a serial killer. Dean had to be human and sympathetic enough that you’d actually care about him, not just watch at a distance and wait for him to get caught. Obviously, this is a razor’s edge of writing, a very fine moral line, and each reader will decide if I pulled it off or crashed.

I decided Dean would follow a vigilante code of honor, and I delved into the code of the bushido plus “the officer and a gentleman” credo to get a handle on it. I got so into Miyamoto Musashi, the original badass samurai, born in 1584, that I started waking up and writing every day at 4am, just like he says he did, in the preface to THE BOOK OF FIVE RINGS. However, I didn’t stop bathing, like he did. I tried, but it was hell on my social life.

If the book doesn’t make enough money to buy me a private island with servants I don’t know what I’ll do. Probably write another one, I guess.

Check out my website www.anonymous-9.com. I’d love to hear from you.

Thanks for this forum, and the invitation to write, Patti!

8 comments:

Al Tucher said...

As one of the happy few advance readers, I'm telling everyone--it's good.

Charles Gramlich said...

I just reviewed "hard Bite" in the BTAP antho on Goodreads. Much enjoyed it.

Anonymous-9 said...

Thanks you guys!
A-9

Brent Garland said...

Anonymous-9, up until now, has been primarily a short story noir rockstar. As someone lucky enough to see an advance manuscript, it is a joy to see what she can do with more space to run.

Say, if that private island thing works out, don't forget a guest room for your fans!

Alan Griffiths said...

Great insight from a terrific writer.

I'm another very lucky advanced reader and know that HB will be a tremendous success – it rocks!

I'm up for the private island trip as well; put me down for a fortnight over the August Bank Holiday please...

Paul D Brazill said...

A classic tale and a major book to look forward to for sure!

Glenn Gray said...

Can't wait to get my hands on this one. Looking forward to it!

Jodi MacArthur said...

Hey Anon!
I read Hard Bite in Round 1 as well and it tickled me through and through. I can't wait for you to agent this baby so we can read it. 5am writing habit is good, not bathing is bad (even the monkey would agree with that!). Excited for you. ;-)