English News
The Stranger’s Eye
Two rounds of editing on my new story — about the author’s blind spot, why my protagonist knew too much, and what a stranger’s eye sees.
11. August 2026
Two rounds of editing on my new story — about the author’s blind spot, why my protagonist knew too much, and what a stranger’s eye sees.
There are characters you invent. And there are characters you find—somewhere between an observation, a question, and your own unease. Jonas Keller belongs to the second kind. He is the main character of a novel I’m currently writing—and this post is an attempt to explain how he came to be.
A decision is only relevant to the narrative when it does more than just offer a choice between alternatives. It must permanently reduce the range of possibilities. It must shift power relations. And it must cost the character something.
For me, the start of a new year is less an occasion for announcements than a moment for taking stock. This text is not intended to provide an outlook in terms of dates or results, but rather to describe the framework within which my work will take place in 2026. It is about my working methods, my priorities, and the decisions I make—even if they are not immediately apparent.
After “Rock Dreams,” people ask me what instrument I play. The answer surprises them: none. I’ve never played in a band, never stood on stage.
Why do readers believe me about the music scene anyway? Because technical accuracy is not the same as emotional truth. And because a friend who knows the scene told me about every scene, “This is much more harmless than reality.”
About doing research, pretending to be something you’re not, and what kind of expertise a novel really needs.
In “Rock Dreams”, there is one scene that caused me more headaches than any other during the editing process: Tom is sitting on a park bench after the concert. He has just been humiliated on stage, is wearing a collar he cannot open, and is completely devastated. It is when everything falls apart.
Last week on the train to Zurich, a woman diagonally across from me in the next compartment laughed loudly–uninhibitedly, freely. I catch myself staring at her. Not because she’s too loud. But because I’m jealous. Jealous of this lightheartedness that I don’t allow myself.
Summer is slowly coming to an end, the light is changing, the days are becoming quieter. Between the sea, reflection, and new beginnings, space emerges for stories – a good moment to continue projects and plan new paths.
Rock Dreams went online on December 16, 2024 – and what a journey it’s been so far! Over 100 copies have now been sold and I am incredibly grateful for all the readers who have engaged with Tom and The Cry’s story.
Do you know this? Lost in thought, you scroll through the daily flood of emails, news and advertising – and suddenly you get stuck on something that surprises you and won’t let go. That’s what happened to me when I came across a link to a new course by Brandon Sanderson. Maybe you know him: He has already published an impressive series of lectures on writing at Brigham Young University several times – free of charge and in English (Brandon Sanderson’s Writing Lecture #1).