As is common in all my writing, Rain has a focus on family and relationships. I started writing Rain in 2005 and worked on it for six years until publication in April 2011. It was a difficult story to write as there is a lot of death and tragedy and this is based on my own experiences, in particular the death of my two older brothers. Each rewrite during those six years meant reliving times I did not wish to relive.
What genre(s) do you consider this story primarily to be, or how would you describe this story?
Rain is a multi-generational family saga. It follows three generations of the Wallin family whose ancestors immigrated to Australia from Sweden (as did my ancestors) in the early 1900s.
What is a published fiction story by another author you would compare this story to and why are they similar?
There are similarities with the storyline in Rain and The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough) including the Australian setting (outback and regional Australia), several decades following the families of immigrants (the Clearys from Ireland and the Wallins from Sweden) whose lives are filled with tragedy, forbidden love and changing fortunes.
To what extent did you use any pre-existing story formula, template, paradigm, plot design, archetype, or theory or principle of story/plot structure in planning, writing, editing or rewriting this story?
My writing style is the opposite of how I live my life. In life, I plan everything in great detail but when writing, I do not plan at all – the writing happens organically. I will usually have an idea of a beginning, the ending and a protagonist but not much else. Having an ending allows me to manoeuvre the story to get where I want to go, and also helps with focus.
How would you describe the first chapter, scene or section of this story in one paragraph?
In the first chapter, I wanted to give readers a sense of the town of Maine where the story is mainly set (at least for the first parts) because this then explains the attitudes of the characters. The opening sentence, “Maine was a town with immunity from outbreaks of new ways of thinking,” let’s the reader know the characters actions are governed by life in a small town where old-fashioned values reign and certain behaviours (including divorce) are frowned upon (it was the early sixties). Inspiration for Maine comes from my own childhood growing up in regional Australia but also from the movie The Truman Show where Truman Burbank lives in a perfect world albeit one that is artificial. I was also influenced by Utopia (Thomas More, 1516). Utopia is an island with one entrance and exit and only those who belong know how to navigate in and around the island safely. The second and third sentences in the first chapter of Rain are meant to convey this: “Bohemians had never penetrated its outer limits, nor had the beatniks, and the Hippies would go the same way—around the perimeter. The Aquarian age that blew through elsewhere releasing seeds that would sprout rebellion and enlightenment, passed over Maine at a great altitude.”
What makes this chapter, scene or section an effective opening for this story?
Helena Wallin, one of the main protagonists in Rain, is introduced in the first chapter. The intention was to offer an insight into what makes her tick so readers might understand the decisions she makes and her reactions during the story. We get a hint that she is not good-looking or glamorous (she compares herself to a Homy Ped: sensible and comfortable). We learn she has weight issues, she is comfortable with the insularity of her hometown, she is keen to please her father and to inherit the mill, and getting married and having children was a priority. We also learn that something had happened to her older brother, which is how she came to inherit the mill.
Major stages, twists or turns does the story conflict take in this story before the conflict is resolved (or not resolved)?
Being a multi-generational family saga, Rain progresses linearly with conflict in most chapters. The conflict arises from the various relationships or the actions of the antagonist. Much of the conflict does not resolve as the reader might like but ultimately the story is one of hope and renewal and there is a generational resolution in the final chapter.
How would you summarise the major sub-plot or sub-plots in this story? If this story has no sub-plots, how would you describe the main sub-plot or sub-plots from one of your favourite published fiction stories by another author?
A major sub-plot is the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Robert Wallin (Helena’s older brother) at the age of twelve. We are introduced to the mystery in the second paragraph of the first chapter but it is not resolved until Chapter 25. This storyline is based on the disappearance of Daniel Morcombe.
What does the story gain from the sub-plot or sub-plots?
The disappearance of Robert Wallin in 1947 explains the dynamics of the Wallin family including the overprotective patriarch, the older daughter who tries to compensate her parents for their loss, the younger daughter who feels trapped, and the fractured mind of Millie Wallin (the mother). All of these elements serve as catalysts for what happens throughout the story.
To what extent would you describe your story discussed here as typical or atypical of your fiction stories?
There are two consistent themes in all my writing whether it is for children or adults and that is the discussion on family relationships (and family structures), and death. My next title for the adult fiction market is in an entirely different genre and while it also has storylines based on family dynamics and death, it is a lighter read than Rain. I don’t feel compelled to stick to writing one particular genre – I write whatever idea germinates.
Author website: www.leighkcunningham.com
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