Beyond The Twins: Back Story

I'm going to be honest; most of the back story for this novel was discovered by pure "what if" questions. It was not part of this elaborate plot line I had thought up, completely fleshed out, at midnight on some idle Tuesday. It is the "what if" moments, though, that can either take your story to new heights or sidetrack it straight to paperweight status.

For a novel like this, the biggest piece of back story was world history itself. When I realized that a huge piece of this takes place around World War II, I got a little scared. How in the world was I going to take such an influencing event and accurately portray it in about six chapters or less? Better yet, what aspect should I focus on? If you have really solid characters, they will answer this question for you. William and Thomas couldn't care less about Germany invading random countries, and while they find the Holocaust extremely upsetting and horrific, they are not trying to save all the ethnic groups in a daring rescue mission (which, oddly enough, they still get caught up in). They have two reasons for getting involved, and both reasons start out as being a bit self-serving.

The characters' backgrounds are another source of back story. In the last month or so, I have started asking myself a lot of questions about Elizabeth and how she fits into everything. Little things that I wrote about her that seemed insignificant then are now becoming glaring and mysterious questions. My advice to you is that if you see this happening, don't get upset or think you screwed up. Your characters are trying to tell you something, and you would be wise to listen.

The lack of character back story can be a story in itself as well. I haven't really developed any major biographical points for the two NightWolf Handlers, and for awhile that bothered me. I thought that maybe I hadn't fleshed them out enough, or maybe they weren't even needed. Then I looked at everything from their points of view and discovered something; this adventure with the twins is the most excitement Georg and Gustav have had ever. The NightWolves themselves think little of their lives beforehand because they were simply going through the motions. Basically, the G's were in the middle of a midlife crisis when the twins stumbled into the picture. That is never directly stated in the novel, but their sheer fascination with the twins indicates that this is a welcomed detour in their lives.

I say all of that to say: don't fear the back stories, the subplots, and the writing left turns (or even U-Turns). I got over my fear and plunged straight into my fourth draft of this novel, and so far I have loved every second of it.

Interview With A Dark One

I wrote this months ago, just because I felt like it. It is basically a character exercise. It has little to do with the novel, but I decided to post it because it gives you a peek at what the twins could become. It is an imaginary interview between the twins and a college professor who knows what they really are.

William is, by his own admittance, a chameleon of sorts.

Standing in the doorway to my office, there are a lot of things I cannot immediately tell about this 6’3 newcomer. For one, I am having a hard time believing that he is male.

“Please tell me I don’t have to drop my pants to prove this,” he laughs in a rolling German accent. “I can’t tell you how often I get that.”

It was my understanding, I say, that his type is well known for beauty.

William looks skyward for a moment, pondering this rumor. “I have seen some ugly Dark Ones, though,” he finally says with a grin.

With that, he heads over to my box of cigars, picking up and examining one with slender, bony fingers. Of course, these fingers are accented with perfectly manicured nails. “I would, but…maybe not a good idea.” He places it back in the box.

I am curious to ask him about countless things, mostly history-related questions. I want to know about the plague that nearly killed him and his brother many years ago, the years training to learn self-control, and William’s personal quest to find a soul mate.

“It has gotten very depressing,” William laments. “I have been single for a few years now, and while that does not sound like much, one has to remember that before that, I did not know love at all. Now that I know it, now that I have felt it, I want it all the time."

Thomas

Thomas, perhaps going through a midlife crisis at 418 years of age, dresses like he is 18.

He is quite different in appearance from his brother, choosing a more urban-influenced appearance.

“I like this better,” he explains of his attire, examining the same cigar his twin had found just a half-hour earlier. “I am not as constricted, and I blend in a little easier.”

And what of his brother’s fashion sense?

Thomas waves a hand. “Oh, I haven’t the foggiest clue where he gets that from. I tease him about his outfits every chance I get.”

Normally, Thomas’ style of speech is as urban as his clothes. He acquires American and German hip hop slang almost systematically, doing a sweeping review of the culture every few months to see if some new trend escaped his eye. Unlike William, Thomas is determined to assimilate into some culture within normal society. Beyond this and away from human eyes, a much older and mature Thomas emerges. His speech shifts to more Old World cadences and vocabulary, a sight that is a bit unsettling if one is not prepared for it.

“I wouldn’t go as far as to say that we are playing two different people,” Thomas responds when asked if he and his brother are playing roles for society’s sake. “What you are seeing, what humans are seeing, is no different than what any other Immortal presents. I present hip-hop because I am naturally curious and fascinated by that culture. It is more than simply poetry set to music, it is in fact a movement. Mind you, I enjoy other music as well, but it's this culture that interests me.”

Thomas could easily discuss music for hours on end, telling about some of the composers he has met (Mozart is amongst them -“an insane genius if I ever saw one”), the first time he picked up an instrument (“a guitar-like instrument at age seven”), and his attempts to sing (“I sound quite horrible”).

Then there are his countless female conquests. Thomas says that he stopped counting long ago, but reveals slyly, “I would say close to 1,000. I have slowed down considerably in recent years, though. I think that can be attributed to my ability to control my more primal urges better. Sex was a need for most of my life; now it is a want, and wants can be postponed or terminated.”

I ask him if he was indicating a desire to become chaste for a time, and Thomas gives me a strangely pensive look. “I suppose so. I am a bit tried of it all, to be honest with you. I believe that I want to look for a lifemate now…not quite sure if anyone would want me, though.”

There are also the unshaken whispers of the twins being bisexual, and that a few males may be part of Thomas’ extended sexual history. Thomas smirks at this. “My lifemate will be a female. End of story. They are the most beautiful creatures on Earth.”

I then ask why he wasn’t sure if anyone would want him.

He shrugs. “I am a Forbidden Child, nothing will ever change that. It is like being branded as a leper; everyone avoids you. My brother and I do not have some kind of disease, but we might as well have one. We have very few friends, I can count them on one hand, and Immortal females tend to avoid us. Perhaps that is why we dress and act the way we do. We were branded as rebels, outcasts, so we behave as such."

Random Quotes

After much debating (okay, about three minutes), I decided to post some of my favorite quotes from the book thus far, including a few that popped up in the last few days. In no particular order:

“How did you not notice that the train was in fact a ‘death train’?”

“How didn’t you?”

“Are you actually trying to blame me for this folly? Georg, you are over a century older than me. I have youthful ignorance, what’s your excuse?”

-William and Georg

“I will make this painless for you, Laura. You are right; I have no doubt that you are going to Heaven, and that I am going to Hell.”

-Thomas

“That one man was not innocent. He tried to kill that girl.”

“Yes, and then we did the job for him, remember?”

-William and Thomas

“Dark Ones seem pretty content to live in the shadows, as if them and the other Immortals should hide from humans. I have never understood that. Immortals were created first, then humans. There was a reason for that; we are the top of the ladder. Humans are nothing more than ignorant beasts of burden and a food supply.”

-Elizabeth

"She is probably at least a century.”

“And? I like my women older.”

-William and Thomas

“We work for him [Claudis]. We’re kind of like his…attack dogs, I guess.”

“Gus, that’s a horrible way to put it."

“We are, though, aren’t we? Or maybe we are just the ones that clean up messes.”

-Georg and Gustav

Take It Away, Boys...

(William and Thomas spend about 15 minutes using the computer to research old German photographs and play the 'do we know them' game.)

William: So, um, I guess we can start now?

Thomas: Now's as good a time as any.

William: Very well. Well, hello to all of you in...the real world, I suppose.

Thomas: The Internet is not the real world.

William: What about all of those people who keep talking about Second Life, and The Sims, and all of those other online communities?

Thomas: Trust me, it is not the real world.

William: Oh, well, anyway...let us introduce ourselves. My name is William, I look 20, but I am 417 years old.

Thomas: I am called Thomas, I also look 20, and I am also 417 years old. We're twins, you see.

William: I think they can see that, Thomas.

Thomas: No, they can't. Angel doesn't have that web camera contraption.

William: Ugh. That ruined my entire entry.

Thomas: In any case, we are here to answer questions, give a few first hand accounts, and if William has his way, completely ruin this blog.

William: I will not ruin the blog. I barely know how to use it.

Thomas: I rest my case. So William, do you think this author covered our story nicely?

William: She left out that time we crashed that party while we were at Georgetown University.

Thomas: Well, um, I think that was for the best.

William: Are you kidding me? It was amazing! You drunk that one kid under the table...

Thomas: Okay, that's enough of that.

William: ...you do not remember that? I remember it quite well...

Thomas: Let's end this, now.

William: Why? We just got started. Vladimir is not going to get mad because you beat a 19 year old at drinking.

Thomas: You forgot that we are supposed to abstain from alcohol because it lowers our inhibitions.

William: ...

Thomas: So we are going to sign off now.

William: Yes, we are going to go now. We've said too much. Can we delete this?

Thomas: If you have questions for us...

William: ...something that doesn't involve any form of alcohol...

Thomas: ...then comment below or contact our scribe, Angel.

William: I'm serious, can we delete this?

Age Old Battle: Good Versus Evil

 Good versus evil is the most basic but most powerful battle in the real and imaginary world. Sometimes it is an obvious battle, like in the Harry Potter series or in Brian Jacques' Redwall series. In this novel, it is much more blurry.

 The biggest dilemma I faced with this story was creating the climax, the high point. It was actually the last piece of the plot puzzle written. I had the beginning, the rising action, the point of no return, the ending, and no climax. There was no climax because I had no obvious battle. It took quite some time to identify the one thing that could defeat William and Thomas. I knew that Elizabeth was not a direct threat (yet), and no one was trying to kill them (yet). So what could make up this epic climatic battle?

 The twins themselves.

 Anyone who knows a set of twins knows that they seem to either really love or really hate each other, often doing both at the same time. They are not living examples of good and evil as much as they are living examples of the human condition itself; a constant tug and pull of wills, desires, hopes, and wishes. That is what the main battle of this story is: the battle of the human condition. It is one of the most complex battles to write about because there is no clear winner or loser, only achievement of a certain level of existence and acceptance. 

 The series will eventually lean more toward the traditional good versus evil fight, but even that is compromised and open to debate. No one side is completely right or wrong, just as the twins' two sides (humanistic and animal) are not right or wrong. 

 I say all of that to say this: there aren't any true villains, in my opinion, to boo in this series. There are only different viewpoints that can easily be regarded as good or evil, depending on who is looking at them. Be mindful of every character in this series outside of the viewpoint characters, William and Thomas. 

Religion and "Forbidden Children"

 About four people on the planet have seen the prologue to this novel. The Prologue is the story of how the Immortal Clans came into existence, and it runs parallel and with the Christian story of Creation, Adam and Eve, and Noah. 

 Most Immortals (and all of the ones featured in the novel) believe in a Higher Power. Most refer to that Higher Power as God, but the Immortals accept any name given to that being (God, Allah, the Creator, etc). To them, all of those names refer to the same being. Immortals are not as stringent as humans when it comes to religious beliefs; they feel that every culture is entitled to their set of beliefs and celebrate the similarities between major religions rather than the differences. 

 The Higher Power belief is very strong in the Immortal world, but I chose not to go too much deeper into their spirituality with the fear that it would take away from the Forbidden Children plot (and later the Tylea's Blood plot, which is the working title for book two). And yes, the vampires and werewolves believe in a Higher Power as well. 

 This, of course, brings up the ever touchy subject of religion in fictional works. Heads of different religions appear to be wary of the questioning or altering of their beliefs, even in a work of fiction. Look no further than some of Dan Brown's novels and the reaction of the Catholic Church to see an example. I believe that many writers don't go in trying to attack a particular religion (although some do); we go in to write a compelling story, and religion is one way to make a story compelling. 

 Rest assured that even though religion does pop up often in Forbidden Children, I am not trying to attack or dismiss a religion. I am introducing you to a world different from your own, beliefs different from your own, and a general world view that is different from your own.

The Art of Friendship

I once heard that we tend to change friends (leave some, get new ones) every seven years or so.  I don't think this is a hard and fast rule, but it highlights how fleeting friendship can be, especially if you have very little in common. By that rule, the friendship between the twins and the two NightWolves should end in 1613.

 Immortals have a different concept of relationships; friendship is highly valued, and once one is deemed a friend, it takes extreme betrayal to destroy it. This is one of my favorite things about these four. They meet under distressing circumstances, and yet a supportive bond is formed when Georg and Gustav realize that the twins are not the monsters everyone thought they were. They take a chance on William and Thomas, and as a result, a centuries-long friendship is started. 

 So what does their friendship look like? It involves a bond between families, comical banter, wise words, and saving lives. It also looks like a bunch of guys hanging out with some high quality ale or beer, snapping good-natured insults at each other. It includes godparents, project buddies, and guard relief. They are sparring partners, babysitters, advisers, and coaches to each other. Out of all of these titles, though, one overpowers them all: Friends.

"Are you looking for the Holy One? I am in the next seat. My shoulder against yours." ~Kabir