As a side project to go alongside Crow, I will do my best to keep you in the loop about certain facets of this particular novel. While it is not something I have done before, all I can do is hope it is enlightening.
To begin with, I would like to delve into the inspiration behind Crow, so that you can get a better understanding of what I am aiming for. Of course, the first thing to note is that Crow is in a genre I am wholly unfamiliar with, so each word I write is breaking new ground for me.
At first, however, I had no idea what I wanted Crow to be. There was no plan for the genre, only the initial character I created for the purposes of the novel. This was before I even settled on a plot or a name for the book itself. Indeed, after the initial twenty pages were written, I was unsure if I even wanted to continue writing the novel. Then, as I scaled back my efforts and focused on writing my initial novel, The Elder Ones Part One: Sea Spray, I realised I was stumbling upon writing gold with my focus.
The experience I gained from working on Sea Spray allowed me to realise how good I was at exploring the psychological aspect of characters and that encouraged me to push the limits with the characters I would write in the future. I will be the first to admit most of my characters start off as common tropes, but throughout the course of their individual story arc, they metamorphose into something far more.
Then, a chance reading with a friend gave me proper inspiration for Crow. It was the first time anyone had the opportunity to read any excerpt from the novel, and, to them, there was a very noir feel to the writing. And that’s when the pieces began to fall into place. The story would start out with a very neo-noire (and I use the feminine form of noir as the story revolves around a female protagonist) feel to it.
And, as it so happens, with each passing moment in the novel, and the choice of beats I am using, the evolution of Crow began. Then, within the last month, the final piece of the puzzle clicked in my brain. Crow is not a mere Noire Mystery Novel, but a deeper, more meaningful work of art that relies on the reader understanding the dichotomy of good and evil.
So, after realising that, I can say that Crow is a Psychological Noire Thriller that explores the concept of good and evil and blurs the line between those two ideologies. And, in doing so, I decided that I would focus on the philosophical idea that heroes either die young, or they live long enough to see themselves become the villain.
So, that being said, Crow is much more than I envisioned it being originally, and I owe it to the experience I gain with each book I write. I am finding my style, and it is something a writer can only do through experience. It does not matter how much ability you possess; as a writer, it is all about finding what works for you. And I have found my style. That is, writing books with a heavy emphasis on the psychological aspect of characters.
Fenrir's Lair 