How
I came to write Spartacus: The Gladiator and why I became a writer
It’s a funny
thing, but the idea for writing about Spartacus came about by chance. In March
2009, I was talking with my agent about ideas for books. I had already set my
mind upon a trilogy (now quadrilogy) set during the second (Punic) war between
Carthage and Rome, but we were talking about other possibilities as well. I won’t
mention many of them, because I haven’t written the books yet, but Spartacus
came up. It sounds naïve, but in that moment it was as if someone had switched
a light bulb on in my head. I had watched the famous Kubrick movie once as a
boy, and it had made a great impression on me. (I should add that we didn’t
have a TV when I was growing up, or I am sure that I would have seen it more
than once!) I had had cause to read about Spartacus in the previous few years.
As many of you know, Marcus Licinius Crassus was the man who put down Spartacus’
rebellion in 71 BC. He is also a character in my first novel, The Forgotten Legion. That day, the plan
for a set of novels about Carthage and Rome won out, but the idea didn’t go
away.
In early 2010, I
started hearing a lot of news about an upcoming TV miniseries called Spartacus: Blood and Sand, starring a then
little-known actor called Andy Whitfield. This made me start thinking about
writing Spartacus’ story all over again. I did some more research on him, and
became even more enamoured of his achievements, and amazed by how close he had
come to getting away. He was someone who was subjected to a great injustice,
and he didn’t take it lying down. Instead, he fought back ― in the process
shaking the mighty Roman Republic to its core. Although the reasons for
Spartacus’ fame have quite modern roots (he was resurrected as a symbol of the
small man’s fight against oppression in the 18th and 19th
centuries), his name is one of the
most well-known from ancient times. Thrilled, I went as far as writing the
plotline for a novel and submitting it to my UK publishers. Sadly, but perhaps
sensibly, they were keen that I concentrate on my other novels. I went back to
work, finishing the novel Hannibal: Enemy
of Rome.
The itch to
write Spartacus became a lot worse over the subsequent months, however, and I
kept badgering my publishers. I am pleased to say that eventually, they gave in!
I started writing Spartacus’ story in mid-December 2010, and I had it finished
by mid-June 2011. The story just burst out of me. At about 100,000 words (the
normal length of my novels is about 145,000 words) I knew there was no way this
amazing man’s story would fit into one volume. Cap in hand, I went back to my
publisher. This time, they were quick to agree to a second book. The first
volume immediately became Spartacus: The Gladiator, while I named
the second Spartacus: Rebellion. That
book also took me little more than 6 months to write. In all, I lived, breathed
and dreamed Spartacus for more than a year. It was the most amazing experience,
and I was very sad to end the story. I actually dreaded writing the final
battle (most everyone knows what happens, but I won’t mention it just in case),
but when the time came, the writing flowed so well. Working up to 16 hours a
day, I wrote more than 15,000 words in 8 days. By the end, I was totally drained,
but it had been a fantastic experience. It is my sincere hope that readers will
get as much enjoyment out of reading the books as I did in writing them.
I believe that my path to
full time writing is a little different to many. It wasn’t born of an
overwhelming desire to write ― either about a particular subject, period or
person, or just to write in general. The seeds were there, it’s true. I have
always read huge amounts, and have been fascinated by history, particularly
military history, since I was a boy. So what made me actually start writing
about Rome? Well, quite simply, it was my extreme frustration at being ‘on
call’ as a veterinarian one Saturday night in 2003! I’ll tell you the short
version of the story.
I had worked a
full week, Monday to Friday, and then all day Saturday. By 6 p.m. Saturday, all
I wanted to do was to get home and cook my dinner. Every time I tried to do so,
my pager went off. It did that 6 or 7 times in the subsequent hours. By about
midnight, I had still not got home for more than a few minutes at a time. When
the pager went off yet again, I threw it at the wall in utter frustration. It
smashed and fell to the floor, still beeping. Fortunately, I was able to read
the telephone number that was displayed on it. I went back to the surgery,
treated a cat (I think!) and came home. I opened up my laptop and started
writing a book about Roman soldiers. My efforts soon became a habit, and then
an obsession. Yet they paid off, because in August 2007, after a bidding war
between 6 major publishers, I secured a three book deal. Since then, my feet
have barely hit the ground.
To find out more about Ben and his books visit: www.benkane.net, check out his Facebook page or follow him on Twitter: @benkaneauthor
