The Last Gentlemen’s War: Inside Once Left the Field of Valor

When creating a story it is crucial to have your three key elements, main character, conflict, and setting, work together. Once Left the Field of Valor is no different. Inspiration for the story popped into my head like most of my ideas, right in the middle of working on another project. In my usual style I dropped what I was doing and worked my new idea.

Of the key elements, the setting is what I will focus on today. With that is mind the question that must be asked is why World War I (WWI)? The answer is that it was the last gentlemen’s war. It’s strange to think how warfare and culture have changed in last century. WWI was a conflict like the world had never seen and many who fought in it were last chivalrous warriors. Early in the conflict the old “rules of war” were still prevalent though the technology of the time vastly exceeded them.
Another important aspect to note about WWI is that it was the last great adventure war for American boys. Unlike wars after, many young Americans viewed WWI as opportunity to conquer an adventure like there folk heroes of old. This is something true for Damien, the main character in my novel. He felt it would be his glory song like tales of the civil war had been his grand father’s.
The last major reason I chose WWI as my setting for Once Left the Field of Valor is because it is the first time in history where post traumatic stress was a recognized condition. The term used at the time was shell shock, but the symptoms went along with modern diagnosis of PTSD. Several characters in Once Left the Field of Valor are affected by post traumatic stress to include Damien. Because of Shell shock the medical world took post traumatic stress seriously which laid the ground for future treatment.
These above mentioned factors made WWI the only medium with which to paint my story on. I’m glad I chose this setting for it enables my mind to create a cast of unforgettable and unorthodox characters. I hope you’ve enjoyed your inside look at the setting selection for Once Left the Field of Valor.