Llewellyn Mark Jones

Llewellyn Mark Jones

 Tell us how Tales from Eutopia: Thirteen Short Stories came into being.

There is the axiom, “Write what you know.” It guided this project. While writing Heir of Promise and Company of Nations, I thought about a third novel, perhaps a satire, on education. However, when I tried to pull thoughts together, several stories developed in my mind that could not easily be brought together. The resulting change in direction was a goal of twelve stories that would be tied to the mythical community of Eutopia. In the pulling together of these stories, two of them were more community specific, so setting them in Eutopia was difficult. The first story, Staring Truth, is New Orleans specific. I chose not to alter that. In The Lonely Beat on Simcoe Street, it is Port Perry specific, but the protagonist’s daughter is conveniently a custodian at the Eutopia School Board. That story made it the thirteenth story for the sake of offering more to readers, making Tales from Eutopia a baker’s dozen.

Where is Eutopia?

You’ll notice the spelling is different from utopia. Eutopia is a community, a world within a world, a place before us and all around us, a state of mind. It’s not a perfect community, but all the stories connect by the theme of intrinsic worth of humans. Difficulties and dark and even tragic things can happen there, but the community and individuals are able to survive, as well as overcome them.

Some of the character repeat in other tales. Why?

If the tales are to connect, first I needed to create the setting of Eutopia. Another unifier was repeating characters. Another bonus for readers is they gain new insights about those characters in different situations.

How did Heir of Promise develop?

Around a campfire at a family reunion on Otty Lake in late July 2011, Larry Claeys had an idea for a movie. As he was describing it, other members of the family contributed modifications and ideas. Larry insisted that my son, Dylan (a Film Studies graduate and video editor), direct the movie and that I write the screenplay. Larry even had casting ideas. I made notes, sent them to my brother-in-law, David Kravacek for verification. Soon after, I began to research the war in Vietnam. Larry’s plot became the skeleton for the plot of Heir of Promise.

Writing plays, short stories, and poetry did not intimidate me, but writing a novel did. I realized that this story should be a novel first and a movie second. Insecurity needed to be overcome by writing the novel. It was time to slay my dragon.

 In February 2012, Larry asked if I had written the book yet. I was still working full time then, and the project required extensive research. “Forget Vietnam.  Just set it in Canada,” was Larry’s response. “Let’s go!” His enthusiasm was encouraging. However, I was too far into the research at that point to change.

 I also was not prepared to make writing a novel a spare time experience. Other than occasional covering for absent vice-principals in local high schools, I retired from a career in education July 2012. Writing a novel was the second thing on my retirement “bucket list” after travelling Route 66.

 By January 2013, I confronted my procrastination by deciding, “Enough research.  Create an outline and put your fingers on the keys.” Continuing research, problems with the plot surfaced. While realism guided the writing, mixing mystical elements from the biblical story of Jacob and Esau made the project more inspirational. It became an exciting, living process when the characters told me that they would not do what my outline said they should do. I revised my outline several times.

 In July 2013, with fifty-five pages written in Word, I took a weeklong course at University of Toronto with several other aspiring novelists under the teaching of Joy Fielding. The advice of classmates and Joy contributed to sharpening my focus. I scrapped what I had written. A linear plot appeared. The working title changed from Leftovers to Identity to finally Heir of Promise.

 Several literary friends and family members gave me advice as I wrote. As a result of their input and the first professional editing, the linear plot reverted to a non-linear storytelling structure. By late August 2014, a second professional editor made suggestions. Dylan and Susan with Tim’s help designed the cover. Susan and I completed another edit after the first interior proof. Printed copies of the novel appeared in mid-October, 2014.

 Self-publishing has provided learning experiences and it will continue to do so. I thank you all for participating in it with me. I hope that Heir of Promise is as much fun and challenging to read as it was for me to write it.

 How did Company of Nations develop?

There were unresolved issues in the first novel that required resolution in the second. For example, whatever happened out of that two-paragraph fling in Novel One between Kim and Jake? Well, the refugee situation opened that can of tuna. Jake also promised to bring back Bohdan’s bones. Pam Shade wasn’t going to let Jake go without some money coming her way. How does a war deserter find peace? I wanted to continue exploration of those character issues.

Why so much world events stuff?

The world is a complicated place. Butterflies fluttering in Mexico can change climate and world events. How can we not be affected by world events in our lives? HIV/AIDS, POW/MIA, Falkland War, Vietnamese and Laotian refugee crises, Ocean Ranger disaster, and Mississauga Train Derailment have varied affects on the lives of characters in Company of Nations. The Vietnam War Memorial in Washington was a controversial project at the time of inception and construction. Canadian politics in the 1980’s was, as all politics can be, pivotal in Canadian history. Our lives are complicated by events outside of us, with which we intersect by existing, that are beyond our control.

Man, Jake’s family is messed up.

Just like the rest of us.

Should we talk about cultural appropriation?

If you want. I’m not Chinese-American-Canadian. I’m not black. However, I do have empathy and imagination. Will that do?

You brought Yao back. What’s up with her?

Yaweh is eternal.

Ah Ha!

Too obvious for you?

So while we’re talking biblically, why the Jacob, Rachel, and Leah names?

I thought it might be interesting and challenging for me to carry the Old Testament story into modern times. Kim replaces Leah in this story as far as the creation of children goes. There’s still a rivalry between sisters, as there is between Rachel and Kim. Everyone wants to do the right thing, but circumstances make that difficult. How can I recreate that dynamic with modern realities? That was the challenge.