I Write Darkness
I realized something about my writing lately. There is a lot of darkness, anguish, and sometimes downright disturbing stuff that appears on the pages of my books.
I’ve never really considered my stuff to be “grimdark,” but I suppose there might be elements there (some books more so than others.) The term is subjective.
All three of my series feature some form of conflict—war, battles, etc. That by itself lends well to aforementioned darkness, and since I have this inexplicable need for realism, some things are…brutal. Gruesome, even. And it’s rare when I write a book where nobody dies.
I do strive to end a series on an uplifting note, but my characters are often forced to wade through hell to get there. Some have happy endings. Others are a bit more ambiguous (like Hunted.) I write the conclusion that fits the character(s) and the book/series involved.
The only exception to this is my novella, The Ballad of Alchemy and Steel. I wrote it as an aside to The Relics of War, and it’s a sort of journal two of the characters from the trilogy wrote together. It’s the story of how they met and why the chose to spend their lives together, but it isn’t without heartache or strife. (Jal’den’s portion of the story in particular.) While I love the Ballad and what it stands for, it’s an anomaly amongst my other works.
But back to the topic at hand.
Every one of my main characters experiences some form of grief at some part in their story arc. Even Dranamir, the villain of the trilogy, has her share in War of the Nameless. Most of my books mention death in some form, some characters experience near-misses, and some go through situations that might be even worse (I’m talking about Serpentus here. I think what that character goes through is possibly worse than anything else I’ve ever written.)
I’m not sure why I write what I do. The stories come into my head, and I feel almost compelled to write them down. And as I said, they usually get dark, grim, gritty… I can’t explain it any more than that. It’s just what I write.
If you’re looking for happy or cozy reads, my books are not for you. If you’re looking for humor, my books have some (not much), and it’s rarely planned. I don’t consider myself that funny, and I’ve been told often enough in my life that I’m “too serious.” I think that carries over a bit into my books. Light-hearted and humorous do not describe my writing.
If you like strife and struggle, characters that suffer and wind up irrevocably changed, you might just like my books. If you want grim, battles, and some of the uglier facets of human-nature, you might like my books. If you’re looking for a book that will make you cry, I can provide that for you too.
What does this say about me as a person outside of my writing? I have no idea. I don’t think I’m particularly dark, and I’m happy enough with my life. But I write about darkness and distress. I write about grief and turmoil, and I enjoy doing so.
Is my work grimdark? I don’t know. I call it epic fantasy for an adult audience. I’ll let my readers decide what other labels they’d like to apply.
Some random stats from my books:
| Title | # of Named Characters that Die* | # of Battles/Combat Scenes | Published? |
| Hunted | 4 | 1 (ish) | October 20, 2020 |
| The Moon’s Eye | 3 | 5 | January 11, 2022 |
| The Talisman of Delucha | 2 | 7 | July 19, 2022 |
| War of the Nameless | 7 | 30% of the book | December 6, 2022 |
| The Ballad of Alchemy and Steel | 0 | 2 | April 30, 2022 |
| Exile | 7 | 2 | May 24, 2023 |
| Guardian | 2 | 4 | November 28, 2023 |
| Harbinger | 3 | 15% of the book | Coming 2024 |
| Legend | 3 | 30% of the book | Coming 2024 |
| Serpentus | 4 | 40% of the book | Coming 2024 |
| The Triad Murders | 3 | 1 | Pending… |
| Oracle | 4 | 1 | Pending… |
| Magic in the Deeps | 1 | 1 | Pending… |
| Cursed Blades | 2 | 30% of the book | Pending… |
One thought on “I Write Darkness”