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I already confessed that Indiana Jones and the mythical artefacts he chases across the world were a childhood love of mine. The two movies where he must outrun the Nazis are by far my favourites.
But did you know the Nazis’ interest in the Grail was historically accurate?
‘This is a terrible idea,’ he said, and stubbed out his cigarette end in the overflowing ashtray. ‘Absolutely terrible.’
Nevertheless he took out a thick folder from the top drawer of his side of the partner desk and opened it. Scrutinising every page, he removed all notes, copies and newspaper clippings that might be deemed offensive by anyone reading over his shoulder.
Impatient as I am, I created The Kalbrandt Institute Archives series to cover as many subjects as possible within one project. As a consequence, the classic story structure doesn’t work.
The standard 3-act (or 5-act, if you prefer) story arc is designed for a single plot with subplots. When you weave multiple plots together, you have to switch focus between them. Just look at Game of Thrones.
But where the Game of Thrones intersects the plots, permitting a classic structure for each plot in itself, the stories from the archives were going to be stand-alone stories that do not touch on one another. Their only link – at least initially – is be Eva, who reads them.
Assembling apparently unrelated stories into a single, coherent story is a unique challenge. The answer, however, was obvious:
Chandra didn’t see them coming, but she felt them, those sharp knives plunging into the front and back of her right shoulder. Clammy, living leather rubbed against the side of her face. She wanted to scream, but something heavy collided with her head and her breath escaped with a sigh. A cable as thick as a barrel coiled around her and squeezed.
October, 1347. Twelve ships entered the harbour of Messina, Sicily:
“The people who gathered on the docks to greet the ships were met with a horrifying surprise: Most of the sailors aboard the ships were dead, and those who were still alive were gravely ill.”
This is the standard passage telling of the Black Death arriving in Europe. While doing research for Leo’s story,
