This anthology will collect noir and hard-boiled style stories from some of Wattpad's brightest authors, as well as some up-and-comers that I think we'll be seeing a lot of in the future. This dark group will spread their stories across several diff...
Well Leslie, I know when I first started this project, you confided in me that you didn't know that much about noir. Of course, having read your works, I felt you'd be a natural fit. Looking back now, do you remember the first time you encountered the noir style? How did it affect you as a writer?
Looking back, I've come to realize that I enjoyed the noir genre and its themes and concepts even before I understood what noir was.
Some of my favorite movies are considered noir, neo-noir, or modern noir. For example, Christopher Nolan's 2001 twisted thriller Memento can be classified under modern day noir. Knowing this inspires me to step out of my comfort zone more often, because I find I often enjoy my experiences when I do.
Ah, love Memento. And The Prestige, as well. I remember you told me that you did quite a bit of research into the noir style when I enlisted you to help with this anthology. You ended up delivering a piece with a very "classic" vibe to it. What was your inspiration here?
The classic noir style in general is what definitely inspired Nocturnal Sunshine. I decided to incorporate certain aspects of classic noir into the tale, especially the sharp, no-nonsense dialogue, the mysterious anti-hero with a shady past, the darkened rain-slicked streets, even the mention of a hat stimulates the visuals of a trench-coat-wearing crime boss. I thought it was necessary to understand and perfect the classics before trying to spin the noir genre too much.
My motto: Know the rules and apply them before you break them.
However, I had to incorporate a bit of my own style and bring the suspense and thriller elements along with a horror-esque plot twist. I mean, I HAD to. The story wouldn't be mine otherwise. :)
It's just the kind of piece that made me want you as a contributor to our anthology! Which elements of noir did you find the most satisfying to weave into your stories? And conversely, did any of those elements pose any difficulty for you when writing Nocturnal Sunshine? (i.e. dialogue, characters, narrative, etc.)
I've studied the noir dialogue and aimed to deliver in Nocturnal Sunshine. Although dialogue is (admittedly) one of my (personal) weaknesses in writing, dialogue became pivotal to the plot of the story and the characterization of Harvey "Dig" Stone as well as the elusive Ms. Sunshine. Their words and their delivery not only drives the story forward, but it adds a bit of background to every character, world-building as it sets the atmosphere and period, and justifies the characters motives.
Because it was so important for me to nail the hard-hitting, snappy, memorable lines, I watched Sin City as research. With just the opening scene and the first few spoken words, my "Ms. Sunshine" character came to life. I knew then that dialogue and a love interest had to drive the story.
And because words, spoken or otherwise, is significant to the story, they even influenced the title as a sort of play on words or a symbolic oxymoron.
Haha, I like the way you do research! Do you see yourself coming back to the noir/hard-boiled style in future works? And speaking of future works, what projects have you got on deck for your readers?
Of course! I definitely would explore the noir style again. This anthology and my research has opened my eyes to the beauty of the genre, while revealing how much it has in common with the dark themes I enjoy. I leave this experience with so much more appreciation for noir in film and written form.
I have a lot of writing ideas and plans. Burying the Hatchet is a novel I'm currently updating here on Wattpad. It's a companion to my featured story Passing the Torch. It doesn't contain elements of noir, but those who enjoy twisted mystery, psychological thriller, and nature survival stories would enjoy Burying the Hatchet.
Thank you Leslie, for the insightful interview AND for being a part of our awesome collection!
Find more of @LLSanders wonderful thrillers on her page, along with her aforementioned psychological thriller, Passing the Torch.
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