All my best storytelling happens when I allow myself to be incredibly self-indulgent. When I slip down into the non-linear, lush world of flashback, backstory, character recollection. People don't exist in a vacuum; we recall things; scents trigger memories, and dreams leave us nostalgic for the past. Not to mention, to study history is to leap forward and backward in time; to tread well-worn avenues, and to diverge down forested footpaths, into the unknown, the rarely explored. To dabble in theory and empathy. I can write tidy stories, but that isn't where I flourish. That isn't where I feel wild, and attached to the story, and like a conduit for its energy. I can ask myself: what's most marketable? What will the greatest number of readers prefer? Or I can ask myself: what story do these characters need me to tell?
With Lionheart, it's a case of the latter question. It's why I've not rushed it. This is going to be a behemoth of a book. And could I streamline it? Yes, of course. But the streamlined version wouldn't be the same story at all. For me, every scene, every sentence, is the result of great thoughtfulness. I'm thinking "what do I hope to convey through showing the sunlight glint off of a ring?" "What does a scent or a sound add to our understanding of this character?" Sure, the gist of the story would be the same, without the flashbacks, and the small details; without the attention to expression or gesture or physical fear response - but without those things I would not have portrayed my exact vision of a character, of a moment, of an emotion, of a whole story. Because that's what I want to tell - the whole story. I'm not here for the gist; for the suggestion of something. I'm always chasing that particular ache that only comes from the richest kind of narrative; from the complete understanding of a group of characters.
If I want to wander down the footpaths of Sherwood Forest with Robin, I won't set that aside for expediency's sake. If I want to pull back the curtain on a wild, violent, passionate duke-turned-king-turned-crusader, I will allow myself the indulgence. I thank those waiting on the next Sons of Rome installment for their patience: it's been a long wait, and I don't have a date for you yet, but I promise that it will be most worthwhile.
Excerpts from Lionheart
Copyright © 2021 by Lauren Gilley
Both of
Robin’s parents were storytellers.
