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After a false start, Enemy of the Crown, book twelve in the Heir to the Crown series, now sits at just over 6,000 words. What do I mean by false start? I was two chapters into it and didn’t like how it was flowing, so I rewrote them both from scratch. They still cover the same plot points, but the story flows much better.
I’ve also got a working map of Halvaria, divided into regions with several cities marked on it, and it has a hex overlay to make calculating distances a little easier. There’s a lot more work to be done on it before the book is finished, but it’s much easier to visualize where the story occurs. Now, I must get back to work! Until next time, Happy reading!
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I've been asked if I might consider writing books set in much earlier years of Eiddenwerthe, such as the founding of Merceria or the fall of the Old Kingdom. While I have many notes on the subjects in question, I doubt I’ll write stories based this far in the past because the history has already been established.
For me, part of the allure of writing epic fantasy is the ability to shape events based on the actions of my characters. If the outcome is already known, and the reader knows it, I think it detracts from the story. That’s not to say it’s impossible, as I have written multiple origin stories, but these are not based on past history. Plenty of authors do an excellent job of historical fiction, and it’s one of my favourite genres to read, but I like to shape the future rather than follow an already established timeline. That also means that my future series (which I’ve already started planning out) will be looking forward rather than back. The first draft of Torrent is now complete. Coming in at just over 101,000 words, it’s very close to my estimate of 100,000. I’ve also worked out a three-act structure for the last book in the series, Cataclysm, but even as I write this, I’m thinking of things I want to add. The final book in the series will resolve Athgar and Natalia’s story, but there are others I’m just itching to write about.
Next up is Enemy of the Crown, which will detail the inner workings of the Halvarian Empire. This one will require much more planning, so it will be a week or two of extensive outlining before I begin the writing process. Until next time, happy reading! The first draft of Torrent is now complete. Coming in at just over 101,000 words, it’s very close to my estimate of 100,000. I’ve also worked out a three-act structure for the last book in the series, Cataclysm, but even as I write this, I’m thinking of things I want to add. The final book in the series will resolve Athgar and Natalia’s story, but there are others I’m just itching to write about. Next up is Enemy of the Crown, which will detail the inner workings of the Halvarian Empire. This one will require much more planning, so it will be a week or two of extensive outlining before I begin the writing process. Until next time, Happy reading! I’ve been busy creating a map for Carlingen, the city where the lion’s share of Torrent unfolds. In between that, I’ve been working on the outline for the final book in the series, Cataclysm. I mentioned that in last week’s newsletter, but I thought it only right I update you on my progress.
The map is about half done, mainly because filling in those buildings is time-consuming. As for Cataclysm, there’s still a lot of work to yet. The overall storyline is in place, but many details have yet to be worked out. Inevitably, there will be minor changes once I start writing it, but that happens with all my stories. Now, I must get back to finishing Torrent! Torrent is in the final stages, with only six more chapters to write. Everything is set in motion, including an important reveal I can’t share (spoilers). These characters have taken on a life of their own, with many of the scenes almost writing themselves.
I'd hoped to have it completed this Friday, but I'm taking some time to work on the maps, so I've put it off until early next week. I’ll also spend a little bit of time on the outline for Cataclysm, the final book in the series. Why would that delay my completion of Torrent? I like to add clues as to where the story goes next, so with a complete outline, I’m better able to decide what hints to include. My latest WIP, Torrent, just passed the three-quarter point this week. At my current rate, I’ll be done with the first draft by the end of next week. Then, I’ll need to put some time into the outline for the last book in the series, Cataclysm.
That story will complete Athgar and Natalia’s journey, and though I have a summary of what’s involved, there is a myriad of details yet to be addressed. Just to be clear, I won’t start writing it until later in the year, but I like to have everything outlined in point form long before I start on the manuscript. Wow, I can hardly believe I'll have a complete series under my belt by this time next year! Of course, Heir to the Crown has more books, but it's also going to be a 15-book series by the time it's done in a couple of years. I often see people posting questions on Social Media concerning writing advice. It seems everybody has their own idea of what it takes to be an author, but one thing I feel is missing is the act of writing itself. And by writing, I don’t mean research, I mean actually putting words down on paper, or a computer, or a phone etc.
You wouldn’t expect a person who has never played hockey to become an NHL star or an inexperienced driver to become a NASCAR champion. At a fundamental level, you can’t call yourself a writer if you don’t write. I’m not saying you will produce a masterpiece the first time out, but everyone has to start somewhere. Write for the joy of it, or write to get ideas down. It doesn’t matter if you write poetry, short stories, or multi-book series; write what you’ve always wanted to write. Nothing says your words have to be permanent, and in this age of digital publishing, anything can be edited later, providing there’s something to edit. So write, and perhaps someday you’ll find what makes you proud to call yourself an author. Until next time, Happy writing! I recently had someone ask me where I get all my ideas for stories. The simple answer is that I make them up, but in reality, they’re snippets of individual ideas tied into a common storyline. The Heir to the Crown series started as a Fantasy Role-Playing(RPG) Game (think D & D), though the books have expanded on that considerably.
The Frozen Flame, on the other hand, was mostly made up from scratch. It started with a simple idea that two mages from opposite schools of magic (in this case, fire and water) would somehow find a way to combine their magic to produce an even more powerful effect. Athgar and Natalia had been minor characters in another RPG campaign but underwent a significant revision before making it into the books. Thus, the family was born, and the concept of Athgar’s inner spark being unleashed by the Orcs was all new. As for Power Ascending? That also started with two background characters, Ludwig and Margaret, though I had to change her name to Charlaine since I’d already used the name Margaret for someone else in the Heir to the Crown series. Once again, the two characters were considerably revised, but the basic concept, a lord becoming king and a Temple Knight rising through the ranks, remained intact. What’s next? My major series will keep me busy for the next couple of years, but don’t worry, I’ve plenty more ideas to explore in the future. Recently, we were filming some videos for social media, and I pulled out issue number one of Dragon magazine. At that time, it was called The Dragon, but it would go on to be a staple among players of Dungeons and Dragons.
It followed on from an earlier magazine, The Strategic Review, of which I also have a few copies, though they are far less impressive when it comes to content. Dragon magazine was issued monthly, beginning in 1976, and the last issue, topping off at a whopping #359, was published in September of 2007. Dragon was relaunched as an online magazine by Wizards of the Coast (the new intellectual property owners) until 2013. A new digital version called Dragon+ launched in 2015 and continues to this day, though it is now bi-monthly. I’m all for progress, but there’s just something magical about flipping through an old magazine! |
AuthorPaul Bennett, Writer of Epic Fantasy Adventures. Archives
May 2023
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