Of Synopses and Reversing the Norm
Some mild book two news before I begin this missive. The "blurb" on Whistlend is now drafted and close to final. I've put it on the Whistlands Series fact page for all to see, but here it is for those who don't like clicking elsewhere:
A recent re-find (found on an old iPhone playlist on my computer) of mine that has helped shape and finalize the last few plot elements of Whistlend is Norma Jean's "Deathbed Atheist." The song posits an interesting flip on an age old adage: the deathbed Christian. Normally, it is the Atheist who, upon facing their ultimate end, convert to Christianity in a last ditch effort to salvage their souls from damnation. Norma Jean's song is from the perspective of the opposite, turning the cliche on its head.
Follow the jump for the song and further analysis of this 180 degree turn on a trope.
(Fair warning, this is metal music, so prepare for screams.)
What if a reaffirmed / born again Christian is on their deathbed and starts to question the validity of their salvation? What if they turn against God in their final moments? To a Christian like myself, this is a harrowing concept, not just because it turns the trope around but from the fact that a Christian is, by nature, someone who does not fear death for they are affirmed in what that means: they get to meet their savior in Heaven. Death to a Christian is almost something to look forward to; it is a gateway to an everlasting beautiful life with God. Perverting that at the last minute, guaranteeing an eternity in the flames of damnation? It's an unsettling thought. Magnifying this unsettlement is the song's incredibly strained vocals and dissonant chords. Every line is shouted from the back of the vocalist's throat as if he's mimicking the death throes of the subject of the lyrics.
In interviews, the band (who identify as Christian and whose lyrical content is colored by this from time to time) have stated that they leave the interpretation of the song's meaning up to listeners. Most listeners on Youtube and some forums are torn if it's about abuse or a person actually questioning their faith.
My interpretation kind of combines those. Let's deep dive into this disturbing song:
The opening verse sets the mood:
Watch it all change - Their faith, most likely. If this person is a Christian, then they've lived the life they thought they should, in the image of Christ, but have seen it change at their moment of dying. This leads to it "all going away" from them, as if they have lost their Salvation, so that it could "never be the same again."
Watch it all be nothing - A hypothesis the Christian has as the hour approaches, contemplating that maybe it really doesn't mean anything, "like we thought before," hinting that the subject of the song was once a non believer but was born anew in Christ.
Watch it be lies... - More of the doubt from the dying Christian, leading them to view things as just "statistics," with no more meaning to them. They yearn for the people around them to "lie to me" to comfort them as death approaches, meaning the lies are the admissions and comforting from the faithful around the dying, and now lost soul.
The next verse shows another transformation occurring in the dying soul
The next portion is where I think those that offer the abuse theory pull their interpretation. I'm a bit different on this next bit.
The song breaks down and we get a repeated line about this being the nightmare of the person telling this aural story.
There's one more line that seems to hint further at the exasperation of the dying individual with the Faith they have abandoned
The song is a traumatic experience but has still hooked me. The painful screeching vocals, the strained, dissonant music, and the overall doubting gloom of the track seem to resonate with me. Impact is important in music and only the most impactful songs make it on my "write" playlists. Music that moves me helps move my worlds and my characters; it can frame plots and set scenes.
Norma Jean really turn the trope on its head, something I try to do in my writing. Not sure I've been successful but it's something I aim for, at least. With The Cyneweard, I know I hit on a lot of tropes and to be quite honest, Whistlend will be similar. I just hope that I can turn a few of these notes I'm hitting on their head and make the reading experience worthwhile. Only time (and lots of effort) will tell.
Following his blood-drenched deeds in The Cyneweard, Cyrus Fehweald escapes west across the Whistlands in search of the Crone, chased by more than just the law. His arduous journey will take him beyond the land's known edges and embroil him in a decades-deep conspiracy that threatens the tenuous peace his deeds helped win.In other book-related info, a new page will go up with information regarding the music that goes into the production of these novels. Music is an integral part of my writing process. Many writers I've spoken to are just the opposite: they can't have any music on while they write. For me, music helps put my mind in a place to visit the people and worlds I've created up there.
A recent re-find (found on an old iPhone playlist on my computer) of mine that has helped shape and finalize the last few plot elements of Whistlend is Norma Jean's "Deathbed Atheist." The song posits an interesting flip on an age old adage: the deathbed Christian. Normally, it is the Atheist who, upon facing their ultimate end, convert to Christianity in a last ditch effort to salvage their souls from damnation. Norma Jean's song is from the perspective of the opposite, turning the cliche on its head.
Follow the jump for the song and further analysis of this 180 degree turn on a trope.
(Fair warning, this is metal music, so prepare for screams.)
What if a reaffirmed / born again Christian is on their deathbed and starts to question the validity of their salvation? What if they turn against God in their final moments? To a Christian like myself, this is a harrowing concept, not just because it turns the trope around but from the fact that a Christian is, by nature, someone who does not fear death for they are affirmed in what that means: they get to meet their savior in Heaven. Death to a Christian is almost something to look forward to; it is a gateway to an everlasting beautiful life with God. Perverting that at the last minute, guaranteeing an eternity in the flames of damnation? It's an unsettling thought. Magnifying this unsettlement is the song's incredibly strained vocals and dissonant chords. Every line is shouted from the back of the vocalist's throat as if he's mimicking the death throes of the subject of the lyrics.
In interviews, the band (who identify as Christian and whose lyrical content is colored by this from time to time) have stated that they leave the interpretation of the song's meaning up to listeners. Most listeners on Youtube and some forums are torn if it's about abuse or a person actually questioning their faith.
My interpretation kind of combines those. Let's deep dive into this disturbing song:
The opening verse sets the mood:
Watch it all change / And watch it go away / Watch it all never be the same again / Watch it all be nothing / Like we thought before / Watch it all watch it / Watch it all / Be lies, damned lies, / Statistics / Lie to me / Lie to me / Lie to meA lot to unpack there so I'll take it line by line.
Watch it all change - Their faith, most likely. If this person is a Christian, then they've lived the life they thought they should, in the image of Christ, but have seen it change at their moment of dying. This leads to it "all going away" from them, as if they have lost their Salvation, so that it could "never be the same again."
Watch it all be nothing - A hypothesis the Christian has as the hour approaches, contemplating that maybe it really doesn't mean anything, "like we thought before," hinting that the subject of the song was once a non believer but was born anew in Christ.
Watch it be lies... - More of the doubt from the dying Christian, leading them to view things as just "statistics," with no more meaning to them. They yearn for the people around them to "lie to me" to comfort them as death approaches, meaning the lies are the admissions and comforting from the faithful around the dying, and now lost soul.
The next verse shows another transformation occurring in the dying soul
Take it all in / And take it all from me / Take it all / And bury it deep inside of you / Take it all and run away / Take it all foreverThis almost sounds as if the dying person is bequeathing their faith to those witnessing their decline, as if faith is a gift. They are almost planting the seed of their faith into another, asking them to "bury it deep inside of you." Some could argue that's almost meaning for the witness to bury the faith and never look at it. I see it as that person wanting someone else to use their faith (life in Christ) as an example. They use the term "forever," when asking the person to take the burden of Faith from them, as if saying "I lost mine, help keep it and your own forever." Basically "don't do what I did."
The next portion is where I think those that offer the abuse theory pull their interpretation. I'm a bit different on this next bit.
Bury your hands in the sand / You'll never use them on me againSo here we are, yelling at the faithful to take your hands away from them. I see these hands as the "healing hands" of faith, though it could be a more literal reference to a religious person believing healing comes through laying on of hands. Perhaps this is from the perspective of the dying person, who believed in this form of religious healing and, now dying, is rejecting it fully.
The song breaks down and we get a repeated line about this being the nightmare of the person telling this aural story.
This is my nightmareI take this as we are witnessing the fear of a life-long born again Christian losing their faith just as they are about to pass away. And that is something that is in constant battle with a Christian; the battle of faith against worldly knowledge.
There's one more line that seems to hint further at the exasperation of the dying individual with the Faith they have abandoned
I'm exhausted / From shaking hands / With your meat hook / fingersAgain, we get a group of lines pointing to the faith the dying person has lost; but perhaps this is more pointed at the religion and its leaders than faith itself. A handshake with faith is something you don't want to get out of, perhaps there's some manipulation going on that this person endured. Not real sure on this one.
The song is a traumatic experience but has still hooked me. The painful screeching vocals, the strained, dissonant music, and the overall doubting gloom of the track seem to resonate with me. Impact is important in music and only the most impactful songs make it on my "write" playlists. Music that moves me helps move my worlds and my characters; it can frame plots and set scenes.
Norma Jean really turn the trope on its head, something I try to do in my writing. Not sure I've been successful but it's something I aim for, at least. With The Cyneweard, I know I hit on a lot of tropes and to be quite honest, Whistlend will be similar. I just hope that I can turn a few of these notes I'm hitting on their head and make the reading experience worthwhile. Only time (and lots of effort) will tell.
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