Cameron Darrow's Blog, page 11
January 29, 2021
Mechanical vs. Emotional Writing
So, through the process of writing six novels, I'm developing a theory of writing (of which this post is like pre-alpha ver .02) that I've come to call 'mechanical writing and emotional writing.' Sort of. Okay, not a name so much as a general idea, I guess.
But the book I'm writing now has really thrown into sharp contrast the two types of mindsets I need to write a fantasy romance novel. Let's take them in turn:
Fantasy: usually involves a quest of some kind. Lots of walking, searching, hunting, making camps, finding inns, horse care, things like that. Oh, and fight scenes. Most of that involves what I call 'mechanical' writing. Doing stuff. I call it mechanical not out of distaste or dispassion, but because it usually serves to accomplish a specific outcome, the same way we make machines to do. I need my characters to get from A to B, so (especially in fantasy novels) I have to show them doing that. Who's going, how are they getting there, by what method, etc. It also tends to be very linear. Tired=make camp. Treasure map=find X. Dark lord=throw ring into volcano.
Romance: involves a lot of emotions. Yearning, desire, lust, fear, hesitation, etc. Feeling stuff. It's very internal (usually), and involves a lot of thinking, with dashes of mechanical (glances, touches) mixed in. It's usually slower, and the goals much less concrete. I'm talking in terms of just the emotional side. I mean sure, sex=yes, please is pretty linear. But the vocabulary is very different when I want you, the reader, to feel something. Most of the Ashes books are made up of this type, especially Colours.
Mechanical writing can get away with a lot more telling than emotional writing. 'She got on the horse.' That's all you need to get the idea across. Throw in an 'awkwardly' or something, but it doesn't need to be terribly involved necessarily. Or, like in a fight scene, you can do more with less. Describing every single movement and foot placement is tedious and confusing, but implying movement, like 'Their swords flashed in the sun, sparks erupting from the blades with every parry.' That's all well and good.
On the other hand, 'She thought the barista was hot' is weak sauce. How boring is that? You have to put me in her head. Why is the barista hot? What about them makes them stand out from everyone else working that day? Romance, especially the early stages, requires showing, not telling. You can't just have a character say 'I felt attracted to her.' I mean, you can, but... boo?
75% of Midnight Magic takes place in a single location, and other than Vimika and Aurelai reading books, there isn't a lot of mechanical writing in it. (Okay, flying door, you got me.) But this new book has a lot of locations, and things happening in between them. There's a lot of traveling scenes AND a lot of emotional scenes. What I've noticed is that on the days I know I have to write a mechanical scene, I tend to get off to a slower start. On the big emotional days, I can't wait to dive into my characters' heads and pull out all the feels. I'm an emotional, character-driven writer. I've known that for a long time, and my stories reflect it pretty well, but for some reason this current book has really made me stop and think about it. Maybe it took this many, or maybe because it's only my second non-Ashes novel, but coming to understand and embrace the disparate needs of my writer's toolbox helps me work more efficiently, both in terms of word count and mental capacity.
Sometimes I'll do placeholders to get the general idea across for future me to fill in once my brain has had more time to chew on it, or just brute force it until my fingers cooperate. Another thing to do is throw in something emotional, like a sugar cube for my brain. Maybe she remembers something, or notices something intriguing about her companion (deepening her attraction and moving closer to the kissy bits at the same time they are physically moving toward a goal).
There's a lot more going on in my head about this topic (like using mechanical writing to give your character something to do with her hands while she's talking or feeling. Yes, hello Katya's cigarettes), but I just thought I'd put this out there for you to think about in your own writing or general process. I will probably also contradict myself in the future and decide this is all horsesh't and there's no difference, so take all of this with a grain of salt.
Or sugar. Get more work done that way afterward.
But the book I'm writing now has really thrown into sharp contrast the two types of mindsets I need to write a fantasy romance novel. Let's take them in turn:
Fantasy: usually involves a quest of some kind. Lots of walking, searching, hunting, making camps, finding inns, horse care, things like that. Oh, and fight scenes. Most of that involves what I call 'mechanical' writing. Doing stuff. I call it mechanical not out of distaste or dispassion, but because it usually serves to accomplish a specific outcome, the same way we make machines to do. I need my characters to get from A to B, so (especially in fantasy novels) I have to show them doing that. Who's going, how are they getting there, by what method, etc. It also tends to be very linear. Tired=make camp. Treasure map=find X. Dark lord=throw ring into volcano.
Romance: involves a lot of emotions. Yearning, desire, lust, fear, hesitation, etc. Feeling stuff. It's very internal (usually), and involves a lot of thinking, with dashes of mechanical (glances, touches) mixed in. It's usually slower, and the goals much less concrete. I'm talking in terms of just the emotional side. I mean sure, sex=yes, please is pretty linear. But the vocabulary is very different when I want you, the reader, to feel something. Most of the Ashes books are made up of this type, especially Colours.
Mechanical writing can get away with a lot more telling than emotional writing. 'She got on the horse.' That's all you need to get the idea across. Throw in an 'awkwardly' or something, but it doesn't need to be terribly involved necessarily. Or, like in a fight scene, you can do more with less. Describing every single movement and foot placement is tedious and confusing, but implying movement, like 'Their swords flashed in the sun, sparks erupting from the blades with every parry.' That's all well and good.
On the other hand, 'She thought the barista was hot' is weak sauce. How boring is that? You have to put me in her head. Why is the barista hot? What about them makes them stand out from everyone else working that day? Romance, especially the early stages, requires showing, not telling. You can't just have a character say 'I felt attracted to her.' I mean, you can, but... boo?
75% of Midnight Magic takes place in a single location, and other than Vimika and Aurelai reading books, there isn't a lot of mechanical writing in it. (Okay, flying door, you got me.) But this new book has a lot of locations, and things happening in between them. There's a lot of traveling scenes AND a lot of emotional scenes. What I've noticed is that on the days I know I have to write a mechanical scene, I tend to get off to a slower start. On the big emotional days, I can't wait to dive into my characters' heads and pull out all the feels. I'm an emotional, character-driven writer. I've known that for a long time, and my stories reflect it pretty well, but for some reason this current book has really made me stop and think about it. Maybe it took this many, or maybe because it's only my second non-Ashes novel, but coming to understand and embrace the disparate needs of my writer's toolbox helps me work more efficiently, both in terms of word count and mental capacity.
Sometimes I'll do placeholders to get the general idea across for future me to fill in once my brain has had more time to chew on it, or just brute force it until my fingers cooperate. Another thing to do is throw in something emotional, like a sugar cube for my brain. Maybe she remembers something, or notices something intriguing about her companion (deepening her attraction and moving closer to the kissy bits at the same time they are physically moving toward a goal).
There's a lot more going on in my head about this topic (like using mechanical writing to give your character something to do with her hands while she's talking or feeling. Yes, hello Katya's cigarettes), but I just thought I'd put this out there for you to think about in your own writing or general process. I will probably also contradict myself in the future and decide this is all horsesh't and there's no difference, so take all of this with a grain of salt.
Or sugar. Get more work done that way afterward.
January 22, 2021
When Does a Story Become a Story?
There comes a point in the writing of every book where something clicks and it becomes a story. Before that there's a lot of outlining, thinking and whatnot, but whatever it is I have in mind is still a bunch of disparate pieces.
Even after I've started writing, the first parts are all setup and world-building, and many of those pieces go on the table. In many cases, I'm figuring out what it is still, getting a feel for the characters and their voices, the way I'm actually conveying things to you.
Then there comes a moment where I go 'Oh, sh*t, I think I know what I'm doing.'
That sounds flippant, but not all of writing is... fun. There's a lot of stuff you have to do, sort of like eating your vegetables. No matter how much I outline, it doesn't always fit together in my head, and it very rarely feels real. It's like I'm flailing around trying to find something, except I only have a vague idea of what it's supposed to look like. Like I have a jigsaw puzzle of, I don't know, Iron Man. I know what Iron Man looks like, but I don't know what this particular Iron Man looks like. I have the pieces in front of me, so I can begin to guess-- then, piece by piece...
That 'Oh sh*t' moment is absolute magic. It's my story of course, but now I get it. Whether it's a character interaction, or a theme emerging that you didn't even know was there, or some other bit of ephemera that takes you off guard, I suddenly know what I'm writing about.
This time, it was getting the two main characters alone together for the first time. Their interactions just... happened. I knew exactly how each of them was going to act around the other, how they felt, what they were going to say, and what they wanted and needed from each other. Everything.
This is the big advantage of a romance, and also the hardest part. Everything that makes these characters attracted to one another (and what makes them hesitate) has to feel real. You can't fake it, or the whole story implodes. There's an intangible kind of alchemy that has to happen for it to work, and sometimes you can only find it by sticking them in a room together and watching what they do.
I love this part, and is one of the big reasons I write romances. And fantasy romances at that! I guess I'm always looking for magic.
And I think I found it.
Even after I've started writing, the first parts are all setup and world-building, and many of those pieces go on the table. In many cases, I'm figuring out what it is still, getting a feel for the characters and their voices, the way I'm actually conveying things to you.
Then there comes a moment where I go 'Oh, sh*t, I think I know what I'm doing.'
That sounds flippant, but not all of writing is... fun. There's a lot of stuff you have to do, sort of like eating your vegetables. No matter how much I outline, it doesn't always fit together in my head, and it very rarely feels real. It's like I'm flailing around trying to find something, except I only have a vague idea of what it's supposed to look like. Like I have a jigsaw puzzle of, I don't know, Iron Man. I know what Iron Man looks like, but I don't know what this particular Iron Man looks like. I have the pieces in front of me, so I can begin to guess-- then, piece by piece...
That 'Oh sh*t' moment is absolute magic. It's my story of course, but now I get it. Whether it's a character interaction, or a theme emerging that you didn't even know was there, or some other bit of ephemera that takes you off guard, I suddenly know what I'm writing about.
This time, it was getting the two main characters alone together for the first time. Their interactions just... happened. I knew exactly how each of them was going to act around the other, how they felt, what they were going to say, and what they wanted and needed from each other. Everything.
This is the big advantage of a romance, and also the hardest part. Everything that makes these characters attracted to one another (and what makes them hesitate) has to feel real. You can't fake it, or the whole story implodes. There's an intangible kind of alchemy that has to happen for it to work, and sometimes you can only find it by sticking them in a room together and watching what they do.
I love this part, and is one of the big reasons I write romances. And fantasy romances at that! I guess I'm always looking for magic.
And I think I found it.
January 15, 2021
The State of the Ashes of Victory
So Colours of Dawn has been out for about two months (already!), and as it's the start of a new year, I thought I would give a little window into what's happening with the series.
First off, I do plan on having Book V out this year (If you don't know what the title is, you haven't read all the way to the end of Colours!), likely towards the end, like last year. Right now that is the plan for all the Ashes books going forward. They will be my year-capping releases, likely the biggest books I write any given year, and the most emotionally taxing. Taking December off to recharge and plan the year ahead worked really well for me, and I need time away after an Ashes release anyway. I'm happy with how the (writing part) of (the end of) last year went, and see no reason to not try again!
So, how many books is 'all the books going forward? Right now? Six. It's genuinely unfathomable to me to be able to even speculate out loud that the fall of 2022 might see the release of the final From the Ashes of Victory book. I'm getting a tad emotional even typing it, but, that's what it looks like right now.
I know how the series ends, there are seeds of it already planted, and it could very well be that they only need two more books worth of water and sunlight for the flower to bloom. Maybe more, but we'll have to see.
Some wonderful reviewer referred to Colours as 'the calm before the storm', and they were right. But the thing with storms is, once they blow themselves out, there isn't much left to write about. Another thing about storms though, is that they can be really fun to watch, and the biggest ones get remembered and talked about for a long time. I hope that's true of mine.
For right now though, Victoria, Katya and Millie are on a much-needed holiday, but they'll be back sooner than you know it.
First off, I do plan on having Book V out this year (If you don't know what the title is, you haven't read all the way to the end of Colours!), likely towards the end, like last year. Right now that is the plan for all the Ashes books going forward. They will be my year-capping releases, likely the biggest books I write any given year, and the most emotionally taxing. Taking December off to recharge and plan the year ahead worked really well for me, and I need time away after an Ashes release anyway. I'm happy with how the (writing part) of (the end of) last year went, and see no reason to not try again!
So, how many books is 'all the books going forward? Right now? Six. It's genuinely unfathomable to me to be able to even speculate out loud that the fall of 2022 might see the release of the final From the Ashes of Victory book. I'm getting a tad emotional even typing it, but, that's what it looks like right now.
I know how the series ends, there are seeds of it already planted, and it could very well be that they only need two more books worth of water and sunlight for the flower to bloom. Maybe more, but we'll have to see.
Some wonderful reviewer referred to Colours as 'the calm before the storm', and they were right. But the thing with storms is, once they blow themselves out, there isn't much left to write about. Another thing about storms though, is that they can be really fun to watch, and the biggest ones get remembered and talked about for a long time. I hope that's true of mine.
For right now though, Victoria, Katya and Millie are on a much-needed holiday, but they'll be back sooner than you know it.
January 7, 2021
What is Writing Time?
I am a regular listener to K.M. Weiland's 'Helping Writers Become Authors' podcast, and in her 'Writing Lessons in 2020' episode she said something that I've long believed, but felt lazy saying. But since she's super successful as both a fiction writer and a 'how-to' writer, I feel a lot better echoing it: writing time isn't always spent writing.
'Writing time' does not equal 'typing time'.
I spend a lot of time thinking about my stories and my characters before I sit down to write them. Outlining, backstory, character motivations/characteristics, etc., a lot of table-setting has to happen before I can sit down and actually write anything out in prose. I'm working the story, asking questions, interrogating my choices (and the characters'), solving problems before I make them... that's all part of the process of writing. Just because I don't do it at the keyboard while I'm in the process of actually typing doesn't change that.
I'm not writing this to be defensive or to justify myself, (I don't have to, I'm happy with my process), but to let you know that if you struggle with time management or flagellate yourself for not banging your head against the keyboard during your dedicated 'writing time', that it's okay! As long as you are making progress, and working on the story, it's writing. So is editing and proofreading. Likewise, taking steps to improving your craft (how-to books, podcasts, writer interviews, all that stuff that help you improve) is not wasted time, either. I don't think that I would count it towards 'writing time', but it is still taking active steps towards the goal of finishing your book. Daydreaming about what you're going to spend your royalties on or whatever is absolutely not.
I won't get into the ancillary stuff like marketing, cover design, etc, that's a separate kettle of monkeys, and requires different thinking.
But as long as you're thinking about your characters or your story, and making choices, solving problems (saving yourself work down the line), you're writing. You're engaging your writer's brain and doing the things you need to do to help get your story told! If you do that while walking the dog or washing dishes or whatever, you're still getting it done! I've gotten as much done on long walks as I have sitting at my desk, it all counts.
So if you struggle with self-flagellation or feeling like you're not doing 'what you should be doing,' it's okay. As long as your story is moving forward, in better shape and closer to done than it was before, you're writing. Now, you still have to sit down and get the words out, you know, tell the story. Thinking and planning is not going to get your work in front of readers, but that doesn't mean you need to be hard on yourself if you don't sit down and type every second of every day.
Outline, plan, interview your characters, listen to them, look at things from as many angles as you can... it's all part of the process, and you have to allow yourself the grace to find your own. Just remember: your story will never get told if you aren't the one to tell it.
'Writing time' does not equal 'typing time'.
I spend a lot of time thinking about my stories and my characters before I sit down to write them. Outlining, backstory, character motivations/characteristics, etc., a lot of table-setting has to happen before I can sit down and actually write anything out in prose. I'm working the story, asking questions, interrogating my choices (and the characters'), solving problems before I make them... that's all part of the process of writing. Just because I don't do it at the keyboard while I'm in the process of actually typing doesn't change that.
I'm not writing this to be defensive or to justify myself, (I don't have to, I'm happy with my process), but to let you know that if you struggle with time management or flagellate yourself for not banging your head against the keyboard during your dedicated 'writing time', that it's okay! As long as you are making progress, and working on the story, it's writing. So is editing and proofreading. Likewise, taking steps to improving your craft (how-to books, podcasts, writer interviews, all that stuff that help you improve) is not wasted time, either. I don't think that I would count it towards 'writing time', but it is still taking active steps towards the goal of finishing your book. Daydreaming about what you're going to spend your royalties on or whatever is absolutely not.
I won't get into the ancillary stuff like marketing, cover design, etc, that's a separate kettle of monkeys, and requires different thinking.
But as long as you're thinking about your characters or your story, and making choices, solving problems (saving yourself work down the line), you're writing. You're engaging your writer's brain and doing the things you need to do to help get your story told! If you do that while walking the dog or washing dishes or whatever, you're still getting it done! I've gotten as much done on long walks as I have sitting at my desk, it all counts.
So if you struggle with self-flagellation or feeling like you're not doing 'what you should be doing,' it's okay. As long as your story is moving forward, in better shape and closer to done than it was before, you're writing. Now, you still have to sit down and get the words out, you know, tell the story. Thinking and planning is not going to get your work in front of readers, but that doesn't mean you need to be hard on yourself if you don't sit down and type every second of every day.
Outline, plan, interview your characters, listen to them, look at things from as many angles as you can... it's all part of the process, and you have to allow yourself the grace to find your own. Just remember: your story will never get told if you aren't the one to tell it.
January 5, 2021
2021
We did it. We made it out of 2020.
My December break was hugely beneficial, and I am beyond ready to get back to work. I have been champing at the bit for days to dive back into the work I had to pause in order to recharge, but I'm very glad I took the time to do so.
As is tradition, I am super optimistic about what a new year can mean, but it's tempered with the nightmare that was 2020. I had big goals this time last year, and... I kind of did it?
This year, I will be keeping my resolution from last year not to talk about works in progress until they are nearly finished and I have something concrete to say about them (also to keep my motivation bottled up and percolating by not leaking bits too soon).
Something else I've learned is not to set goals that I don't have any real control over. It's nice to aim high, but saying something like 'this is the year I break out' is sort of foolish; I have no control over something like that. So what can I control? The work I do every day. I am going to do what I need to do every day, and eventually that will add up to entire novels. Then I put it out, take a deep breath, and start the next one.
That's it. I hope it will add up to a bigger number of books than I've ever gotten out in one year (2), but last year taught me that there could be plenty of reasons I can't. But as long as I have control over my productivity (and there's no meteor bearing down on us as I speak or something), my goal is simple: to be consistently productive, and satisfied with what I get done by the time I go to bed every day.
What I will say about what's in store for you is this: I have five books in varying stages of germination in my head right now. Five. One is Ashes Book V, the rest I will keep secret. So know that I don't lack for ideas, only time!
I will have a post about the status of the Ashes books specifically later on down the line, but for now I have plenty to do, and full batteries with which to do it.
I wish you all the happiest of New Years, and look forward to sharing new worlds, new extraordinary women and new stories with you.
Stay safe, and be excellent to each other.
My December break was hugely beneficial, and I am beyond ready to get back to work. I have been champing at the bit for days to dive back into the work I had to pause in order to recharge, but I'm very glad I took the time to do so.
As is tradition, I am super optimistic about what a new year can mean, but it's tempered with the nightmare that was 2020. I had big goals this time last year, and... I kind of did it?
This year, I will be keeping my resolution from last year not to talk about works in progress until they are nearly finished and I have something concrete to say about them (also to keep my motivation bottled up and percolating by not leaking bits too soon).
Something else I've learned is not to set goals that I don't have any real control over. It's nice to aim high, but saying something like 'this is the year I break out' is sort of foolish; I have no control over something like that. So what can I control? The work I do every day. I am going to do what I need to do every day, and eventually that will add up to entire novels. Then I put it out, take a deep breath, and start the next one.
That's it. I hope it will add up to a bigger number of books than I've ever gotten out in one year (2), but last year taught me that there could be plenty of reasons I can't. But as long as I have control over my productivity (and there's no meteor bearing down on us as I speak or something), my goal is simple: to be consistently productive, and satisfied with what I get done by the time I go to bed every day.
What I will say about what's in store for you is this: I have five books in varying stages of germination in my head right now. Five. One is Ashes Book V, the rest I will keep secret. So know that I don't lack for ideas, only time!
I will have a post about the status of the Ashes books specifically later on down the line, but for now I have plenty to do, and full batteries with which to do it.
I wish you all the happiest of New Years, and look forward to sharing new worlds, new extraordinary women and new stories with you.
Stay safe, and be excellent to each other.
December 3, 2020
2020
It might seem a little early for a year-end wrapup post, but to be perfectly honest with you, I need a break.
2020 has been... well, I don't need to say, do I? We live it every day. Everyone has their own particular version of just why this year has been awful, so I won't burden you with my own. But suffice to say, it's been... hard.
It's also been by far my most successful as an author! Midnight Magic has exceeded all of my expectations and is easily my most widely-read book, so thank you to all of you who have read it, and an extra thanks to those who took the time to leave a review. I cannot tell you how much it means to me. I also launched my first box set, my first Ashes short story and the fourth book in the series. All in the second half of the year! Between June to November I published two novels and a short story, the most productive I have ever been. It was immensely gratifying to get that much work done in so short a time, and to know I can do it. Midnight and Colours are wildly different, and being able to shift gears between them so quickly was a challenge, but one I was able to rise to. I've learned a lot, grown a lot, and am proud of what I've accomplished in so short a time.
But it came at a cost. I have my next book outlined, the characters alive in my head, but when I sat down to get started on writing it, I just... couldn't. The emotions necessary wouldn't come. Maybe it's the events of the year, or being so intensely focused in so short a time span, but I'm emotionally exhausted. Creatively, I have tons of ideas that I'm writing down all the time, but right now I just can't sit down and be someone else all day every day. Romances are inherently emotional, and they have to be honest emotions to work, and I just can't get there at the moment.
So what does that mean? One, this is the last post for this year. I need to be away from social media and all the external ephemera of publishing. Two, I'm going to catch up on a bunch of books I didn't read because I was writing so much. Three, just... charge my batteries. I worked my butt off the last few months and I need to recoup. Part of being your own boss is telling yourself to rest as well as work.
I have big goals for next year (some of which were immediately derailed this year), and I want to hit the ground running as soon as the calendar flips over to 2021. I always feel sketchy saying "I'm gonna do this" instead of just doing it, so... I won't. But just know that I have a lot in mind, and I will need all the energy I can get!
So this is good-bye for now, but I will be back. More books, more stories, more amazing women that I hope you will love as much as the ones you've already experienced.
Thank you for reading my books and your support; doing this in a vacuum would be nigh-impossible. Knowing that there are complete strangers out there that not only have read my work but enjoy it and are looking forward to the next one is both surreal and immensely gratifying.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
See you in 2021.
2020 has been... well, I don't need to say, do I? We live it every day. Everyone has their own particular version of just why this year has been awful, so I won't burden you with my own. But suffice to say, it's been... hard.
It's also been by far my most successful as an author! Midnight Magic has exceeded all of my expectations and is easily my most widely-read book, so thank you to all of you who have read it, and an extra thanks to those who took the time to leave a review. I cannot tell you how much it means to me. I also launched my first box set, my first Ashes short story and the fourth book in the series. All in the second half of the year! Between June to November I published two novels and a short story, the most productive I have ever been. It was immensely gratifying to get that much work done in so short a time, and to know I can do it. Midnight and Colours are wildly different, and being able to shift gears between them so quickly was a challenge, but one I was able to rise to. I've learned a lot, grown a lot, and am proud of what I've accomplished in so short a time.
But it came at a cost. I have my next book outlined, the characters alive in my head, but when I sat down to get started on writing it, I just... couldn't. The emotions necessary wouldn't come. Maybe it's the events of the year, or being so intensely focused in so short a time span, but I'm emotionally exhausted. Creatively, I have tons of ideas that I'm writing down all the time, but right now I just can't sit down and be someone else all day every day. Romances are inherently emotional, and they have to be honest emotions to work, and I just can't get there at the moment.
So what does that mean? One, this is the last post for this year. I need to be away from social media and all the external ephemera of publishing. Two, I'm going to catch up on a bunch of books I didn't read because I was writing so much. Three, just... charge my batteries. I worked my butt off the last few months and I need to recoup. Part of being your own boss is telling yourself to rest as well as work.
I have big goals for next year (some of which were immediately derailed this year), and I want to hit the ground running as soon as the calendar flips over to 2021. I always feel sketchy saying "I'm gonna do this" instead of just doing it, so... I won't. But just know that I have a lot in mind, and I will need all the energy I can get!
So this is good-bye for now, but I will be back. More books, more stories, more amazing women that I hope you will love as much as the ones you've already experienced.
Thank you for reading my books and your support; doing this in a vacuum would be nigh-impossible. Knowing that there are complete strangers out there that not only have read my work but enjoy it and are looking forward to the next one is both surreal and immensely gratifying.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
See you in 2021.
November 26, 2020
What is Colours of Dawn About? (Why Did It Take So Long?)
New beginnings. It's a time of change at EVE as it splits off from the Longs into the EVE Witchcraft Conservatory with the goal of shaping a new generation of witches in the open.
It picks up 10 years after the end of Hall of Mirrors; Victoria has finished school and returns to EVE as Doctor Ravenwood, while Millie returns changed from an entirely different experience. Yet both of them wind up asking the same questions: what do I do now? Was it all worth it?
Colours is in many ways the smallest, most personal book in the series so far, and (at least to me), the most emotional. It's also what I consider to be the middle book of the series, which is one of the reasons it was so hard to write. Middle books are often the most challenging, and that fact, combined with the time jump, made it particularly tricky to get right. I hope I did.
Being the middle book, it's the hinge point for the entire series, and had to bridge the first three and set the trajectory for the rest to come, while still being satisfying on its own. It took a long time to get that balance right. With the time jump, it also had to play catch-up over the time we missed without being boring exposition or characters being like "Hey, remember that time we did the thing the reader didn't see?" The characters had to remain familiar, but different enough that it felt like time had passed. This was something I failed at in early versions and took a lot of hammering away at before I figured out.
Also, you may notice that Pretoria is no longer a PoV character. That was one of the hard choices I had to make before this book could become what it needed to be. Ironically, she is a better character for the choice, and the story is much tighter and more satisfying. It was not an easy decision, and took ages to commit to. Though it pains me to say it, I'm glad I did.
I learned a lot writing this book, lessons I hope I never have to re-learn! Though it is my fifth(!) novel, it was by far the hardest to write. For myriad reasons, some I cover in the Afterword section, some that I can't discuss until the series is finished (spoilers), and some I will never talk about because they're too personal. So no matter how many books you write, there is always something to learn, new ways to fail, and new ways to succeed!
If you're reading this, thank you so much for your patience and understanding. The From the Ashes of Victory books are very special to me, and I hope to you, so it's more important to get them done right than fast.
All that said, I sincerely hope you enjoy Colours of Dawn.
It picks up 10 years after the end of Hall of Mirrors; Victoria has finished school and returns to EVE as Doctor Ravenwood, while Millie returns changed from an entirely different experience. Yet both of them wind up asking the same questions: what do I do now? Was it all worth it?
Colours is in many ways the smallest, most personal book in the series so far, and (at least to me), the most emotional. It's also what I consider to be the middle book of the series, which is one of the reasons it was so hard to write. Middle books are often the most challenging, and that fact, combined with the time jump, made it particularly tricky to get right. I hope I did.
Being the middle book, it's the hinge point for the entire series, and had to bridge the first three and set the trajectory for the rest to come, while still being satisfying on its own. It took a long time to get that balance right. With the time jump, it also had to play catch-up over the time we missed without being boring exposition or characters being like "Hey, remember that time we did the thing the reader didn't see?" The characters had to remain familiar, but different enough that it felt like time had passed. This was something I failed at in early versions and took a lot of hammering away at before I figured out.
Also, you may notice that Pretoria is no longer a PoV character. That was one of the hard choices I had to make before this book could become what it needed to be. Ironically, she is a better character for the choice, and the story is much tighter and more satisfying. It was not an easy decision, and took ages to commit to. Though it pains me to say it, I'm glad I did.
I learned a lot writing this book, lessons I hope I never have to re-learn! Though it is my fifth(!) novel, it was by far the hardest to write. For myriad reasons, some I cover in the Afterword section, some that I can't discuss until the series is finished (spoilers), and some I will never talk about because they're too personal. So no matter how many books you write, there is always something to learn, new ways to fail, and new ways to succeed!
If you're reading this, thank you so much for your patience and understanding. The From the Ashes of Victory books are very special to me, and I hope to you, so it's more important to get them done right than fast.
All that said, I sincerely hope you enjoy Colours of Dawn.
November 19, 2020
Colours of Dawn Available Now!
Thank you all for your patience and understanding through the trials and travails of getting this book to you. It needed the time, and so did I, but I am very proud of the final result, and I hope you enjoy it.
Pre-orders and whatnot have never done anything for me, so I decided to put it out as soon as it was finished. Really. I uploaded it 10 minutes after the last edit. Which, for the record, was making sure I spelled the word 'blonde' consistently.
As usual, it is available for purchase and through Kindle Unlimited for you to read over the weekend!
I will be back later for the usual 'What's it about?' post, but right now I have some sleep to catch up on.
US Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08...
Pre-orders and whatnot have never done anything for me, so I decided to put it out as soon as it was finished. Really. I uploaded it 10 minutes after the last edit. Which, for the record, was making sure I spelled the word 'blonde' consistently.
As usual, it is available for purchase and through Kindle Unlimited for you to read over the weekend!
I will be back later for the usual 'What's it about?' post, but right now I have some sleep to catch up on.
US Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08...
November 18, 2020
New covers!
Ha, secret bit from last week revealed! In the run-up to the release of Colours of Dawn, the first three books needed some TLC too, so they now all have new covers! Thanks to Vila Design at https://www.viladesign.net!
November 12, 2020
Status of Colours of Dawn
Colours of Dawn, Book IV in the From the Ashes of Victory series, is only a few steps away from being ready to release. There are some final edits to do, typos to stamp out, that kind of thing, plus one other secret bit.
It's close enough that I felt comfortable telling you the title, but not so close that I have a release date for you. It'll be soon, though, so if you need to catch up on the first three, start now! If you already own them, thank you so much, if not, I put together a box set of them, complete with a new short story, which you can find here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08.... It's also readable on Kindle Unlimited as well!
This book has been a true labor of love, but has not had an easy gestation. I'm truly sorry it has taken this long to get to you, but the story was never right until now. Colours is a hinge point for the series, bridging the first three books and setting the trajectory for the rest to come. In many ways it's the middle book, which is always the hardest, and this one was no exception.
When I have a release date to announce, I will do it here, plus my usual 'What's the book about?' post, and a little more as to why it took so long. Meanwhile, the first three have been updated with new formatting and tables of contents, so from now on every book in the series (including the box set) will be more uniform inside. They were pretty outdated!
Very excited to share with you, I hope you're looking forward to the continuing story of the witches of EVE!
It's close enough that I felt comfortable telling you the title, but not so close that I have a release date for you. It'll be soon, though, so if you need to catch up on the first three, start now! If you already own them, thank you so much, if not, I put together a box set of them, complete with a new short story, which you can find here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08.... It's also readable on Kindle Unlimited as well!
This book has been a true labor of love, but has not had an easy gestation. I'm truly sorry it has taken this long to get to you, but the story was never right until now. Colours is a hinge point for the series, bridging the first three books and setting the trajectory for the rest to come. In many ways it's the middle book, which is always the hardest, and this one was no exception.
When I have a release date to announce, I will do it here, plus my usual 'What's the book about?' post, and a little more as to why it took so long. Meanwhile, the first three have been updated with new formatting and tables of contents, so from now on every book in the series (including the box set) will be more uniform inside. They were pretty outdated!
Very excited to share with you, I hope you're looking forward to the continuing story of the witches of EVE!
