Writing Report – 23 February 2018

Contrary to belief, and what Thursday said about my writing, I can be consistent with my writing, as evidenced by today. While I might not be the quickest with my writing, I do not let that stop me and for some days, it is easier to find inspiration than others. Inspiration is a difficult thing for a writer. It comes and goes so quick, you would swear you never had it, but the key is to always be ready to go when you find yourself inspired by anything.

Progress Report: Friday 23 February

Focus of Writing: The Elder Ones Part Two: Earth Splitter

Word Target: 2,500

Words Written: 2,514

Overview: The Elder Ones is a novel that I could dedicate every day I write toward instead of Friday. Earth Splitter is the second of a planned decalogy and it is one of the trickiest novels I have to write in my repertoire. Everything about the Elder Ones does not seem to want to work, but that is the beauty of the whole series. Hidden in the complexity is an intricate story.

That intricate story makes up the bones of everything that occurs in the universe of The Elder Ones. There is a myriad of seemingly unconnected stories right from the start that will all end up leading to the final encounter. I like to think of the plot of The Elder Ones as an amalgamation of Western and Eastern mythologies and folklore. I skirt the line between high and low fantasy through the chapters in an intricate weave. I consider The Elder Ones to be contemporary high fantasy, and that is how I write it.

The Elder Ones relies on a massive ensemble cast to tell the story. In Earth Splitter, there are five concurrent storylines going at the same time and while it seems like that would be hard to keep track of, the characters are the ones that drive the story.

• The main storyline centres around Gaelìn Frostborn, which is revealed in Sea Spray as a cover name for her true identity. Her storyline revolves around her journey to defeat the titular Elder Ones and uncovering more about herself. Of all the ladies in the novel, I like to think of Gaelìn as the most feminine, based on how she acts and the fact she has no weapon skills.
• The counterpart to Gaelìn is Aurelee Faustren. I paint her as one of the men and her storyline is a more complex one that focuses on discovering more about her family so she knows who she is. Aurelee, in universe, is the single greatest sword fighter in the whole world. I paint her as a badass, and it makes her seem more like that even when her feminine side shows.
• The third storyline follows Aurelee’s less capable brother, Juurynn Faustren and his demon passenger, Mercer. The two of them form a unique dynamic. The cynical Mercer, who is a magical being on the scale of demi-god level, shows Juurynn how cruel the world can be through nothing but his words. He does not share his power with his host, but he is not above sharing information.
• The storyline where the most information comes out is that of Kylnarr Auroch, who was not a focus character in Sea Spray. He claims to be the Uncle of the King and is treated as such, but the further his story progress, especially after today, the darker the light on him gets.
• The fifth story focus on Duke Aeron Stonewall and the continent of Aylaan. He knows the danger presented by the Elder Ones, and he must do whatever he can to rally his people before the overarching storyline occurs.’

Because of the multiple plots occurring at once, The Elder Ones is written in third person present tense with a limited voice. I write the storylines as though they all occur at once, which they do. It means I leave gaps in certain stories at key times, but I rely on the intelligence of the reader to discern what happened in the time skip.

What I Did Today: The focus for today was continuing progress on Chapter 11: Lords of Iron, which focuses on Kylnarr Auroch and Dané Arcensteyn. (For those unfamiliar, her last name is a nod to The Hobbit and the Arkenstone.) In what I did, the reader learns more about Kylnarr and what he is capable of, while also learning further tidbits about the world, as I do in every chapter.

 The Best Samples From Today: The absolute best samples of my writing from today introduce lore for a plot device present since Sea Spray, as well as showcasing the brutal nature of the ancient race that once dominated Terrus.

Sample #1

‘We must be close to whatever lies down here. To lock it so deep means whatever it is, it’s powerful. It reminds me of the vaults of ancient kings and queens of Kulvaan. Before Tor, these sovereigns built tombs so ostentatious and so grand they did not care about who followed their rule. To them, they were divine. Few of those tombs ever see the light of day. Some say more than half the wealth of Kulvaan lies buried in those ancient reliquaries. I believe they hide monsters long thought dead. Immortal beings of terrible power that should never see the light of day again. Have you ever known fear, Lady Arcensteyn?’ Auroch says.

While this might seem like an exposition dump, it shines some light on why being in command in this world tends to corrupt the wielder of power and the fact that there are things more evil than The Elder Ones themselves. It also helps a reader understand that Auroch is what he says he is before this, and maybe even something greater.

Sample #2

‘She found her weapon, but it required a sacrifice. She needed to satisfy my hunger. She is free to wield the weapon as she sees fit and it will make her successful. The price is high, and she was lucky to live. How long her life is, I do not know. Your weapon is already out in the world, Kylnarr Auroch. You might recognise it, for it ended your conquest of the world. The Foe Sword, some call it. Your powers give strength unequalled to the owner of it. As for what you seek, there is no blade like Fang. Only it can open Istarri’s vault. Only Fang has the power to open the walls that contain the destruction of Terrus. Istarri must not see the light of day,’ Lyssa says.

Lyssa is a new introduction to the novel, but plays a crucial role. The character represents the rage and fury of Terrus and because Earth Splitter has a focus on connecting storylines together, I now have the plot device I intended to use set in stone. Lyssa will appear throughout Earth Splitter, though not in a beneficial way, as befits the manifestation of the rage of a planet.

How Productive I Felt I Was: Today was about bringing the Lords of Iron chapter to a climax and providing the answer to the reason why the storyline it is a part of is in the novel. Most of the work lay in the relationship between the main characters of the arc and discovering more about their motivations and goals.

I met my daily quota for this week, and the whole story is progressing in a manner faster than it has in a long time. I maintain my continued improvement with how I write, now that I am focusing less on my time management.

 What I Intend To Write Next Week: For next week, I look to finish the Lords of Iron chapter and move halfway across the world of Terrus to Aylaan and the continuation of Aeron Stonewall’s plot. His is one of the more difficult plots to write, as he is the only one person plotline I have, so I cannot fall back on utilising another character to break free of a pothole. I need to rely on Aeron’s imposing personality to write his chapters.