Who Is Inspector Karl Schubert?
I have been told that every story reveals something of the writer. If this is meant to be a confession, then I confess, there is something of me in Schubert. There must be, since he has been birthed from my imagination. But there's more of 'me' in him aside from his genesis.
Who is Karl Schubert? His lineage is traced to the 18th century Austrian composer, Franz Schubert. My Schubert's father is the great-great-nephew of the famous composer. Karl Schubert's mother is from a humble, Mennonite background, nothing grandiose or spectacular. Schubert's parents met at a concert in Hannover, before the war. They emigrated to Canada in the 30s because of the growing Nazi threat. Why the Mennonite thread? It's part of what I know about people and that helped me write more authentically (at least I hope).
The story takes place during the mid-years of World War 2. Why that era? I wanted to write a story that couldn't rely on cell phones, instant communication and technological deus ex machina possibilities.
Prior to the war, detective Karl Schubert's life was simple and predictable. He sang professionally, with an international career. It was while he was singing in London that he met his wife, Louise. Louise comes from a very wealthy family, the Thomsons, old established Ontario money.
How did Schubert become an RCMP officer? Well, a bit of a journey, that one. While stationed in London at the beginning of the war, he worked for MI5 interrogating German POWs (he is fluent in German, of course!). But a sudden case of meningitis left him near death. Mustered out because of the side effects, he is sidelined from the war effort. As such, he decides to "make a lateral transference of geometric thinking" as he explains to someone he meets, and joins the force. But there are more significant reasons than that. His youngest sister was murdered which ushered disastrous consequences on his family. He joins the force because he hopes that if he can solve crimes and bring a modicum of peace to the victims' loved ones, then perhaps he has atoned in some way for his sister's death (and his mother's, too). You see, neither his sister's body nor her abductor were ever found.
After his training, he is sent to the Yukon to head up the detachment in Whitehorse. Whitehorse in the 40s was a frontier town, the 'wild north,' complete with colorful characters, the echo of a gold rush still coursing through peoples' veins, complete with all the consequences of imagined wealth. It also spells the death-knell for his marriage.
Of course, one can't have a detective story without murder. And murder abounds but it makes no sense to Schubert: nothing links the victims. The story begins with him in the (imaginary) village of Blue River. A prospector is killed. After a few days chasing leads, Schubert finds himself at a dead-end and returns to Whitehorse. Very soon another person dies, this time in Whitehorse and links are discovered between the victims of Blue River and Whitehorse. And so the stories begins.
Why World War 2 as a backdrop? In the early 40s, the Nazis sent two teams of spies via submarine to the east coast of the USA. They were to sew terror and mayhem. Unfortunately, both missions failed in spectacular fashion. My story takes a cue from these actual historical events.
But I'll say no more lest I reveal too much. No spoiler alert!
At this time, I have no working title. I've avoided a title because I wanted the story to develop on its own. I began this book three years ago, after reading Stephen King's work on writing. His method? Loosely quoted, he said "forget plot development, character building, overthinking, blah blah blah. Sit down and start and story and see where it goes." As a lark, I thought I'd try out his advice. The first ten versions of the story were really rough. Then, I spent the winter reading as many Scandinavian writers as I could lay my hands on. That exercise helped me tighten my narrative and refine my style.
Is the book done? No more revisions? Who knows. I'll let you decide. Feel free to comment. I won't improve and develop if no one sends their thoughts. OK! Enough said. I hope you enjoy.
Who is Karl Schubert? His lineage is traced to the 18th century Austrian composer, Franz Schubert. My Schubert's father is the great-great-nephew of the famous composer. Karl Schubert's mother is from a humble, Mennonite background, nothing grandiose or spectacular. Schubert's parents met at a concert in Hannover, before the war. They emigrated to Canada in the 30s because of the growing Nazi threat. Why the Mennonite thread? It's part of what I know about people and that helped me write more authentically (at least I hope).
The story takes place during the mid-years of World War 2. Why that era? I wanted to write a story that couldn't rely on cell phones, instant communication and technological deus ex machina possibilities.
Prior to the war, detective Karl Schubert's life was simple and predictable. He sang professionally, with an international career. It was while he was singing in London that he met his wife, Louise. Louise comes from a very wealthy family, the Thomsons, old established Ontario money.
How did Schubert become an RCMP officer? Well, a bit of a journey, that one. While stationed in London at the beginning of the war, he worked for MI5 interrogating German POWs (he is fluent in German, of course!). But a sudden case of meningitis left him near death. Mustered out because of the side effects, he is sidelined from the war effort. As such, he decides to "make a lateral transference of geometric thinking" as he explains to someone he meets, and joins the force. But there are more significant reasons than that. His youngest sister was murdered which ushered disastrous consequences on his family. He joins the force because he hopes that if he can solve crimes and bring a modicum of peace to the victims' loved ones, then perhaps he has atoned in some way for his sister's death (and his mother's, too). You see, neither his sister's body nor her abductor were ever found.
After his training, he is sent to the Yukon to head up the detachment in Whitehorse. Whitehorse in the 40s was a frontier town, the 'wild north,' complete with colorful characters, the echo of a gold rush still coursing through peoples' veins, complete with all the consequences of imagined wealth. It also spells the death-knell for his marriage.
Of course, one can't have a detective story without murder. And murder abounds but it makes no sense to Schubert: nothing links the victims. The story begins with him in the (imaginary) village of Blue River. A prospector is killed. After a few days chasing leads, Schubert finds himself at a dead-end and returns to Whitehorse. Very soon another person dies, this time in Whitehorse and links are discovered between the victims of Blue River and Whitehorse. And so the stories begins.
Why World War 2 as a backdrop? In the early 40s, the Nazis sent two teams of spies via submarine to the east coast of the USA. They were to sew terror and mayhem. Unfortunately, both missions failed in spectacular fashion. My story takes a cue from these actual historical events.
But I'll say no more lest I reveal too much. No spoiler alert!
At this time, I have no working title. I've avoided a title because I wanted the story to develop on its own. I began this book three years ago, after reading Stephen King's work on writing. His method? Loosely quoted, he said "forget plot development, character building, overthinking, blah blah blah. Sit down and start and story and see where it goes." As a lark, I thought I'd try out his advice. The first ten versions of the story were really rough. Then, I spent the winter reading as many Scandinavian writers as I could lay my hands on. That exercise helped me tighten my narrative and refine my style.
Is the book done? No more revisions? Who knows. I'll let you decide. Feel free to comment. I won't improve and develop if no one sends their thoughts. OK! Enough said. I hope you enjoy.
Ah..Blue River is fictional! I was confused about the location of Blue River and the proximity to Whitehorse. I was picturing the town in BC.
ReplyDelete