Inhabit the Garden began as a novel for NaNoWriMo in November of 2005. After finishing the required 50,000 words in the first five days, the story took on a life of its own. Based on the life of a character created for an online original roleplaying game, A Field Sable, and later Dirty Life, 'Inhabit' was a novel I always intended to write but never got around to. The original title was Playground, but this changed less than three months later when reviewing the poem, Four Quartets 1: Burnt Norton, by T.S. Eliot, a poem that, ironically, was used in the game by one of the protagonists love interests long before backstory was created. It held within so much coincidence that once found again in the archives of a journal, part of the poem was adapted as the new title.
'Inhabit' spans three years of Avery Driscoll's life, from age twelve to age fifteen. Born and raised in South Africa, accepted to Eton College at the unusual age of twelve, and coming from a family of billionaire diamond-importing jewellers, Avery was a child so satisfied with life that even boredom really was no problem, simply a nuisance that all people had to deal with. His supportive mother and slightly distanced father were never a problem, and though he was gifted in academics and sport and a child prodigy with his violin, they never pushed him, never set out ground rules for his future. Avery's rules were created by his own assumptions.
His world is turned virtually upside down when he arrives in London, England for the first time since visiting his grandparents there years ago. From winter to summer in less than a day, to meeting a boy three years older and already an Eton student, everything that had once made sense no longer existed. Soon, he was not only involved romantically with the boy, but experiencing first-hand the power of drug use in the world of teenagers around him. But at twelve and already overwhelmed, it seemed that there was no way out.
Through the course of the novel, Avery must deal with vast consequences, from the physical to the emotional, and reevaluate what seems to be a predestined journey into hell.
This story is primarily focused on the psychological damage incurred by Avery as he progresses deeper and deeper into something he cannot control, no matter how many times he tries. There is an element of fantasy that binds the novel together, but finding it within the pages and in the words will be very difficult, indeed. To find out exactly what it is, you can view the FAQ, but only at your own risk: SPOILERS WILL ABOUND!
If you have any other questions, first seek out the aforementiones FAQ page to help. If you don't see yours answered, there is contact information at the bottom of the page and you can E-mail me, the author, and I'll do my best to respond as quickly as possible.