Voices
I find the more I write, the more ideas I come up with. Sometimes those ideas are related to what I’m currently working on (a sequel, related short story, etc), and sometimes they feel completely random. Every once in a while, an idea will hit me, and not long afterward, I feel almost as though the characters are speaking to me directly from…the void? Through the ether? No idea. But it happens, and I struggle to explain what the experience feels like to others.
When I was writing some of my earlier works, I never connected to a character that strongly. I’m sure it was reflected in the writing, and most of that will never see publication (unless it undergoes a massive rewrite.)
I had my second experience with this weird connection early one morning, last week. The first time occurred in 2017/2018. Let me attempt to explain…
When it happened the first time, I’d been in a very long drought in terms of my writing. It had been seven years since I’d completed any of my writing projects. I’d started a number of them, got through 50 – 100 pages, set them aside, and eventually gave up. Rinse and repeat for years. At one point I nearly gave up on my writing altogether. And then along came Andrew Caein.
The idea for The Caein Legacy surfaced months before I sat down to begin writing. Andrew, and his half-brother, Alex, continued to haunt me and eventually I caved. I say haunt, because it felt very much like they were almost tangible presences, hiding just out of reach and following my every step until I put pen to paper. Metaphorically, at least – I haven’t hand-written a manuscript in almost twenty years.
The experience of writing that series was an awakening for me. I knew that I had a story worth sharing, a story that was amazing and crazy and wonderful all at the same time. It was the story that changed my outlook and rekindled the spark of my creativity that had nearly guttered and died. I’ve been querying the series (albeit, badly…I’ll send one or two then nothing for weeks. The process induces anxiety on a level that I struggle to cope with. The result is that I am a very slow querier.)
Now this second experience happened very recently, as I said. I’ve been toying with the idea of a short story/novella to accompany The Relics of War trilogy, featuring two of the non-human characters. I woke early one morning, and the script for both characters ran relentlessly through my head. I knew every detail that needed to be added, knew that each character would be given equal voice. I got up and wrote the outline immediately. It wouldn’t help any of us if I forgot important details. (By us I refer to myself, the two characters, and any future readers.)
The Ballad of Alchemy and Steel will likely be novella-length, and I’ll begin work on it once I finish writing The Talisman of Delucha. I’ll probably make the novella free to newsletter subscribers once it’s written. It’s going to be a bit of a departure from my usual epic fantasy laced with magic and battles. Don’t get me wrong, it is still fantasy, but…this particular work is going to be more along the lines of fantasy romance. That’s another reason why I’ll probably make it free – it’s a departure from my usual brand.
Since the two characters involved so kindly took the time to relate their life stories to me in the wee hours of the morning, it’s the least I can do to oblige them, and write down their tale. Writers like to joke about the voices in their head, but it’s a real phenomenon. Sometimes those voices are relentless, like Andrew, and other times, they are surprisingly clear, like the pair in question.
I’ll provide more details about The Ballad of Alchemy and Steel after The Moon’s Eye reaches publication, but for now, I don’t want to give any spoilers. The title alone might give away something to my beta readers, but I’ll let them wonder a bit… For now, it’s something to look forward to.
And speaking of my newsletter, September 25’s will include the cover artwork reveal for The Moon’s Eye. You can subscribe here. (Yes, the newsletter subscription is separate from the blog. Sorry! But in consolation, it’s only once a month.)
