Pageturners: MI7 Assassin Inciting Incident, ‘Smite the Wrongs’
At his club, Captain Pollard introduces his young protege Sean Stone to the great war poet Siegfried Sassoon
Welcome to Pageturners, a book I’m writing in which I share what I’ve learnt – and am still learning – about comic writing, film writing, novel writing and how new writers can sell their stories.
For the next six weeks or so I’ll be sharing with you the back story of MI7 Assassin, revealing the experiences that compelled the protagonist to become an assassin, including his meeting with real historical figures, many of whom feature prominently in the novel.
And I welcome your feedback or questions, so do leave a comment below!
Missed the Pageturners intro? Read it here.
Sean Stone. The MI7 Assassin.
He didn’t believe in pacifism or any other ism
He just wanted the war to stop.
He just wanted the voices in his head to stop.
But the dirty secret of war is that the dead stay with you.
If you missed the intro to MI7 Assassin last week, read it here.
Many fictional heroes have had their inciting incident before their story begins. Marshal Law, for instance, is already a super hero hunter before we meet him in episode one. So it’s only much later we learn about the inciting incident which finally inspired him to action.
It’s always tempting to write an ‘origins’ story, but they often lack the criteria for an action thriller – they can be slower and more emotional, whereas an introductory novel needs to be fast moving focusing on one central target.
His origins will still be referred to in the novel.
With the MI7 Assassin, it’s important to know what his inciting incident was.
At his club, Captain Pollard introduces his young protege Sean Stone to the great war poet Siegfried Sassoon. Sassoon is known as ‘Mad Jack’ because of his suicidal bravery in action in the trenches. Sassoon and Pollard are both keen fox-hunters.
Sassoon shows Pollard an early draft of his famous ‘Finished with the War: A Soldier’s Declaration.’ This draft includes the claim that the war is being deliberately prolonged for profit. ‘I believe that the war upon which I entered as a war of defence and liberation has now become a war of aggression and conquest….I have seen and endured the sufferings of the troops, and I can no longer be a party to prolonging those sufferings for ends which I believe to be evil and unjust.’
Sassoon wants Pollard’s help in getting it past the censors and into print.
Pollard tells Sassoon that no one will publish it. Sassoon says he will find a way (he succeeds the following year).
Pollard suggests Sassoon join them at MI7 and put his writing talents to better use, like Sean. That’s the way to win the war, not with all this ‘talk of treason’.
Sassoon hands across his new book The Poet as Hero and Sean reads:
‘Wound for red wound I burn to smite their wrongs.
And there is absolution in my songs.’
Sassoon leaves. Pollard tells Sean gleefully that even if Sassoon does get his declaration published, it will make absolutely no difference to the war. Sean is concerned Sassoon will be shot for treason, but Pollard says that will never happen:
‘Of course an ordinary soldier would face the firing squad, but that can’t happen to Siegfried. He’s one of us. They’ll just lock him up in an asylum until he come to his senses.’
Sassoon had talked angrily about killing those responsible for prolonging the war.
Pollard sneers that ‘It’s just talk. Hot air. He won’t do anything. What can he do?’
That night Sean has his worst nightmares ever.
And he knows it’s time for him to ‘Smite the wrongs’.