J.L. Whitton's Blog: The Pendulum

Recently I've been thinking about how some of the philosophy in the Pendulum book relates to my own life and life in general well it isn't my exact personal philosophy there are many elements of it that I identify with and can see working within life in the universe such as there's a predetermined element to life but also seems to be intersected by this strange element of randomness of uncertainty and where does this agency come in.
I know many philosophers and thinkers have tried to decipher this before I'm just another one. Even in terms of marketing the book and its success, do the things I do matter or is it already on a predetermined arc or course? and the things I do just influence it or has it already been decided whether I choose to market it or not market?
Can the things I do actually influence it or is it just luck which is another abstract and interesting concept that the characters are trying to decipher especially when the main character Ally is describing her Pendulum theory where she says although life can be predetermined a person can't abandon all agency and having trust in something as Abstract as a universe might be too much for some people.
She explains there needs to be a distinct division of surrendering some control to the universe but yet not abandoning all of your agency and this brings up another interesting point from the character Portia. Who's actually one of the most interesting personas in the book, she drives a lot of the action and has a very interesting dichotomy for a character.
I want the reader to simultaneously sympathize with her yet condemn some of the actions she's doing although understand she does have honour. Even if her deeds are misguided she has morals and falls on the chaotic neutral part of the spectrum as she rallies against parts of the law she sees as unjust.
She has a tattoo on a Latin maxim that says "Ex Nihilo Nihil Fit" which means 'nothing comes from nothing' that's important in the book in the sense of that day have agency within their lives.
They still have to do things to change the situation despite how predetermined or how hopeless things may seem. By having faith or whatever you may call it in the Pendulum it will swing through you life and put you on to the right path at the right time and this in conjunction with playing an active role ensures movement to the next phase or stage of life.
The characters are turbulently moved through multiple phases within the book and this also relates to my own life because I wave a lot between influencing it with my actions or just letting it play out like some cosmic stage direction. Of course I can't shed all responsibility but would anything drastically change if I did? What if I'm inadvertently making things worse?
The conundrum goes on.

Exciting news, I recently entered The Pendulum into a competition through Screen Queensland in Australia. A government organisation interested in advancing the arts and screen culture. The competition is called Adaptable and aims to develop The Pendulum into a television or film adaptation. Which would be great for the Australian cinema scene and a great progression for The Pendulum.
I'm really excited to be involved in a lot of the aspects such as wardrobe, mise en scene, dialogue, sound, and storyboarding. I have all of the rights thanks to a generous publishing contract so I'd be thrilled to bring this to television or film as I have a lot of great ideas. There are some elements when I wrote it that were perhaps too cinematic for words on a printed page. Some of the material would translate a lot better on a film or show.
Even if The Pendulum isn't chosen as the winning project it can still be circulated around to interested agents and producers so something good will come from entering the competition. Another benefit will be the emphasis on the Australian landscape, hopefully resonating with domestic audiences and also international viewers. That was one of the important prerequisites I had that I wouldn't compromise on, it has to be made in Australia to help promote our industries, not for nationalism.
There were a number of interesting questions such as developing a tagline for the project. I pondered over it for a while, I didn't want to agonised over it. I may have written it too hastily and it can be subject to change but I chose "When The Pendulum swings...get out of the way" it's short and effective. I wasn't sure on the exact wording so if anyone has any suggestions that would be great.
The trend continues of strong adaptations of novels onto the screen and with the rise of streaming services, authors have a lot more choice how to get their work onto the big screen and enjoyed by a whole new audience. And of course there'll be the classic debate of whether the book was better than the film. I'm going to continue to seek out interesting and varied opportunities to help get my work into as many forms as possible.

I’m getting closer to clinch the "Cover of the Month" contest on AllAuthor! I’d need as much support from you guys. Please take a short moment to vote for my book cover here: https://allauthor.com/cover-of-the-mo...

Another great section from my book showing the filthy milieu in which our characters live and operate. This environment has an effect on the characters through their behaviour and psychologically. Showing how environmental factors can influence people in drastic ways. J.L. WhittonThe Pendulum

A little teaser from my first fiction book, The Pendulum, an exhilarating literary/crime thriller with lots of corruption and chaos after a new nation is formed on the Australian continent. Features a mix of ethical questions, social commentary and historical parallels. J.L. WhittonThe Pendulum

J.L. Whitton

Next stop Pendulum station, all aboard because we're going off the rails on a crazy train. Which is a bit like the state of the book, learn how to love and forget how to hate. Unfortunately, this hasn't been achieved just yet in the U.R.S.C. the new nation formed on the Australian continent. Originally founded to promote ideas such as this but it turns soured and corrupted.
Some of the original intentions of the founding people of the country may seem a little idealistic.

I even wanted to examine that in the book where we've strayed so far as a society an idea such as love, harmony and inclusion are seen as alternative or 'hippy'. A good example is some of the lines from John Lennon's "Imagine" where he postulates much the same thing. "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one".

This advertisement is also quite fitting for the book as there is an geat scene that takes place upon a train in the predatory public transport networkJ.L. WhittonJ.L. WhittonThe PendulumThe Pendulum

This unfortunate shift in the country's outlook, values and principles in turn corrupts and distorts the characters within the book as they are a product of the hateful nation. The nature of the place spurns the vicious circle of the behaviour's and activities they are engaging in.

When you view this you can hear the announcements being made on the platform, the detached female voice. The noise of the trains. You can feel the surge of the people, the rush, the ephemeral nature of the people coming and going intersecting in one location. Get it here https://jlwhittoncreative.myshopify.c...

I just started a Shopify store, better late than never I guess. You can get my book The Pendulum from me signed and with a message, enter the code PENDULUM30 to get 30% off The Pendulum. Hurry discount ends soon.


https://jlwhittoncreative.myshopify.com

(May contain Spoilers)J.L. WhittonThe Pendulum

In this essay I will be focusing on the characterisation that comprises The Pendulum and in particular the troubled character Portia. The morally grey, corrupt detective who fits into the chaotic good or chaotic neutral categories. She believes in the rule of law to a certain degree being a member of law enforcement but often ignores it to suit her own personal agenda or gain.

She isn’t completely devoid of morals or ethics though her actions are questionable and motivated by personal preservation and advancement. While this resembles neutral evil in pursuit of her objectives, she does have a human side and dreamed of being a good detective to help the socially disadvantaged and vulnerable. The book alludes to her being subject to child labour and as a result has a strong sense of social justice, though often strays from this vision with reprehensible actions.

She is partially a product of the milieu in which she lives and operates, a country touted as a place of freedom to escape a turbulent world, instead is tearing itself apart with corrutpion, mismanagement and increasingly unstable leadership. She immigrated there from Italy when she was a teenager and quickly became exposed to the violent world of the U.R.S.C. While she has good intentions, the conditions around her don’t allow for this as she has to be predatory to survive in the cut-throat world.

I wanted to write complex, interesting and ultimately flawed characters that straddle the line between hero and villain. She does express remorse for some of her actions but has no problems committing crimes against those who she believes are already corrupted or criminal. When I was creating the character I pictured in my head her resembling one of the actresses from the Golden Age of Hollywood. I wanted to model her after an actual woman and chose Hedy Lamarr, a interesting woman in her own right. An immigrant herself from Nazi occupied Austria, she used her engineering experience to develop a sonar to locate submarines to help the allies in World War II, she is the forerunner of modern Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology and honestly should receive more appreciation.

In a scene on page 52 Ally mentions that Portia reminds her of Lamarr, she is from a different era and I could have used a more modern celebrity but after hearing her story I thought it would be good to include her in the story in some way. Although it may be seen as a passing reference and not vitally important to the story, I think it helps humanise the characters and show their more vulnerable side.

Portia continues to be the voice of rationality amidst an increasingly unjust application of the law, which she believes in. She champions for the underdog and what she dosn’t believe in is governments using authority and power unchecked and unrestrained by justice to trample over the disadvantaged or downtrodden. After the coup plan fails spectacularly, Portia flees her life and everything she’s known in the space of a few days, her life irrevocably changed, her reputation tattered. To escape the people in her own department catching her she flees to a Township on the edge of an area of land within the country with no laws. The dilapidated town has made a deal with the government that they can remain there but no services will be provided to them, and as such they operate a tenuous shantytown in the desert that operates under its own laws.

Due to increasing government intrusion Portia becomes the unlikely voice for the people who have been banished to the desert and forgotten about by the increasingly erratic regime. Due to her connections and information she sets into motion the events that progress large parts of the book. Helping Ally, Osiris and many others along her journey. Even when she faces mountingly dire odds she perseveres and in many ways is triumphant. She embodies the resilience of the human spirit, although she unwillingly forced to participate in some horrific actions and practices she is constantly trying to improve conditions at the township.

In conclusion, Portia is a vitally important character and one that I hope is well written and will resonate with readers, making them questtion their own stance on a number of ethical and philosophical dilemmas. I can also see how some readers amy simultaneously support yet condemn their terrible behaviour. She is a multi-faceted and relatable character in the way she wants to do good but finds herself doing the opposite. I think she represents the struggle within many of us, I hope people can find a piece of themselves within her.