Richmond Writer Jon SealyRecent publications “The Merciful” and “So You Want to Be a Novelist: A Memoir & Manifesto” are related by more than authorship, although one is a novel and the other is a practical guide for those with aspirations to create fiction . Both books investigate aspects of uncertainty and the complexities of motivation and character.
So, in Sealy’s third novel, “Merciful,” which takes place on a dark road in Overlook, South Carolina, falls on the table of red-haired prosecutor Claire Fields, who is motivated to rescue her career after a previous loss. She reflects on what the narrative’s premise provides, describing it as “a heart-breaking story, complete with a mystery, a victim, a villain and an investigation into the inner workings of the human heart”.
Samantha Grace James, 19, riding a bicycle an hour after leaving the restaurant waiter’s shift, is run over and killed by an SUV driven by Daniel Hayward, who wants to believe he hit a branch or animal – but the reality is in soon revealed. He waits for a few days, gets a little confused and the lawyers even surrender. The event opens the lives of everyone who is connected.
What surprised Sealy during the survey was the frequency and number of people killed in vehicle bicycle accidents. This includes the death of cyclist Lanie Kruszewski on River Road in 2012, which dominated local news.
Perspectives change among those caught in this circumstance. Looking at the story is Jay, Hayward’s classmate, now a business consultant, who tries to understand how it went. Sealy examines social media voyeurism and “cancel culture”, coverage of hyper-enthusiastic local news and persistent issues of law against justice, as well as whether reality exists outside of immediate perception.
“The truth sometimes exists in the limits”, ponders the judge of the case “Merciful” to Fields, during a previous casual encounter. “Not always. But sometimes.”
“So you want to be a novelist” partly describes Sealy’s perceptions of the life of writing (pleasant, though challenging) and the publishing industry (a discouraging game of Chutes and Ladders). The first novels launched with fanfare may have a certain level of success, but the authors are unable to find publishers for the second or third. (Sealy formed his own Haywire Books as an effort to solve this problem.) The memoir / manifesto is divided into three sections that analyze the challenges of building a career, the aspects of crafts and business.
Do not neglect the notes provided at the end of the guide. You will find the context for Samuel Beckett’s famous quote: “Fail better.”
“The bottom line is that people like a good story,” says Sealy, “but novels can become a niche of interest, like opera or live theater. … If you can live without writing, you can consider pursuing law or real estate, perhaps practicing weightlifting or yoga to keep fit and sanity – but if you are a writer, you will write.