The Chaos of Writing Fiction

Abstract

This creative thesis “Swing On A Gate” is a novel that explores the context of a suburban riot, its possible causes and consequences. Because such an event has multiple viewpoints, the thesis has been written in third person subjective through the eyes of six main protagonists, and at times in third person objective through the narrator’s point of view. This fictional novel is influenced by the so-called UK ‘Blackberry Riots’ of August 2011, particularly those that took place in Croydon, South London. The novel does not come down on one side or the other, but explores some of the underlying complexities through narrative points of view. The novel draws a contrast between the past and the present, and attempts to explore through the characters’ eyes some of the actions and reactions surrounding the event. Many commentators saw these riots as differing from previous UK riots (based on inter-ethnic conflict or overtly political themes), in that they centred on desire for consumer goods, while others saw the riots as a symptom of social polarization and disenfranchisement.

The exegesis discusses some of the complexities and chaos in creating the novel, which at times mirrored the chaos and confusion surrounding the event itself.