My New Book is Finished · 6:41am May 9th, 2023
Exciting news for me. I finally finished the book I've been writing since the end of 2016. (I did take a 1.5 year hiatus in the middle.) It's my first full length novel, clocking in at 92k words. It feels like a significant personal accomplishment because I've never been able to weave a story over 40k without it stagnating or becoming riddled with filler. I've been trying to write a 'real book' by my definition for 14 years and this is the first time it feels like I actually pulled it off.
However…
Although I'm done writing and proofing the story and even designing the cover, it has not been edited yet, therefore it is not out yet. In fact I also haven't officially finalized the book title yet. My editor/wife is an English teacher and does not have a lot of free time so I'm not going to drive her up the wall about it. But Summer break is coming so I'd like to think I'll have this out at least before the end of June but anything can happen. When it comes, it'll be in the form of a Kindle ebook on Amazon. It'll be on free promotion for the first three days so there's no reason to not download it. Since we still have a little wait, I might as well tell you about it now.
The Burnt Key (working title) is set in 1938 New York State. It's a first person noire-adjacent horror mystery that's heavily inspired by two horror games, Rule of Rose and the Silent Hill franchise. It's also shaped by a dream I had plus my brief stint living in a secluded cabin in the mountains. It shares much in common with other titles too, like Deadly Premonition and The Evil Within. I'm convinced the story would make a riveting Telltale game with dozens of moral and relationship choices and several possible endings.
If you're more of a movie person, The Burnt Key is like the tragic existential journey of wonderment in 'What Dreams May Come' with the world-bending madness of 'Inception' and the traumatic psychological dread of 'Jacob's Ladder.'
Here is the (probably) official synopsis:
The worst hell is the one you make yourself…
Norman Hewitt is a homicide detective from NYC with a haunted past. Still anguishing over the loss of his wife and only daughter, he goes on a pilgrimage to their once frequented lakeside camping spot in the country. But his hopes of finally laying his demons to rest are quickly scuttled when he wrecks his car taking a detour. The only thing around for miles is Juniper Gates, a secluded orphanage for girls, tucked away in the Catskills where time seems to have stopped.
Norman finds himself stranded there indefinitely as the orphanage has no working vehicle, no working phone and no one seems to ever come by the house from the outside world. Forced to settle in and while away his trip at a strange place that only becomes stranger by the day, he begins to spend time with some of the less irritable residents. Agnes, an odd girl continually spying on him, shares her account of a coverup and a girl who went missing from the house, a mystery too enticing to ignore. But as he tugs at the veil of the old orphanage, an insidious conspiracy comes into focus that plunges him into a twisted nightmare of dark memories, horrifying secrets and worst fears come to life.
Dark, provocative and visceral.
Themes include:
- Grief and guilt
- The fluidity of memory
- Empathy and forgiveness and who deserves them
- Keeping secrets
- Concrete versus abstract thought
- Autonomy and consent
- The cycle of violence
- Self flagellation
- Perdition and purgatory
All of this in an environment that is influenced and shaped by psychosis.
It’s a slow boil that bubbles over and out of control just after you’ve settled in and turned your back on it. It's both heart wrenching and heartwarming and you'll feel conflicted about many of the characters.
There are many twists and other significant story components that give it a supernatural fantasy edge but probably the less I say about that, the better. Just trust me, it's a real trip and it's big and elaborate for something taking place in a single location. Part of the reason that it took me so long to write this story is because of all of the layers and world building.
Here's a Pinterest mood board for the story if you're interested in that.
Here's the Spotify playlist for the story which I guess is also a sort of mood board.
I'll repost most of this post again when I actually drop the book. Until then, I'm already working on my next fanfic. I'll answer any general questions about this venture sans spoilers of course...
Story inspired by a ton of media I like from an author who knows how to twist the knife? Sounds like something to look forward to.
Sounds rather interesting