Andrey Istomin's Blog: Between Words & Worlds

From Trilogy to Tales: Writing with Structure, Not Burnout

Starting to write and simultaneously translate the second volume of my trilogy turned out to be a brilliant decision. It helped me stay focused, energized, and creatively aligned.

Now, with only the final proofreading and grammar polish left, I can calmly shift my attention to finishing the short story collection "The Tale of Kototoro".

These stories are deeply personal — a blend of myth, solitude, and tenderness. I’ll also begin translating them, alongside my game design guide, which explores structure and creativity in interactive storytelling.

I truly hope that even my return to Ukraine won’t disrupt the systematic approach I’ve built toward my creative work — not just as a writer, but as a worldbuilder.

Structure isn’t limitation — it’s liberation.

The Art of Literary Murder: Why Killing Off a Main Character is Harder Than Writing a Trilogy

Two weeks. Three thousand characters. One corpse.

I’ve finally done it—I’ve committed the act I’d been meticulously planning since the first book: I killed off the main character. Yes, it sounds like something out of a serial killer’s diary, but in reality, it’s just the confession of a dystopian author who got a little too attached to her own fictional world.

You’d think that after spending years crafting a character—giving them depth, flaws, and a journey that readers (hopefully) care about—ending their story would be cathartic. And it is! For about five minutes. Then reality hits: the editing, the localisation, the second round of editing, the packaging, the marketing, and the eternal quest to find a community of readers who will understand why this death wasn’t just necessary, but perfect.

And let’s not forget the fun part: explaining to marketers that no, this isn’t a mistake. It’s not a plot hole. It’s not even a tragedy. It’s a feature. A brutal, heart-wrenching, narratively satisfying feature.

If you’ve ever wondered what writers actually do, let me tell you: we don’t just sit around sipping tea and waiting for inspiration to strike. (Though, full disclosure, there is a lot of tea.) We plot, we scheme, we agonise over every word, and sometimes—when the story demands it—we become literary executioners. And then we panic about deadlines, because of course the moment you finish writing is the moment you realise how much work is still left.

So, to anyone who thinks writing a book is just about ‘making things up’: come talk to me. I’ll introduce you to the fine art of literary murder—where the stakes are high, the guilt is real, and the satisfaction is fleeting.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a corpse to edit. And a third book to outline.

Fun fact: Killing off a character you’ve spent two books with is harder than you’d think. It’s like breaking up with someone you’ve known for years—except you’re the one holding the knife. And the red pen. And the marketing plan.

<spoiler>P.S. To my future readers: Yes, I had to do it. No, I won’t bring them back. (Probably.)</spoiler>

<spoiler>P.P.S. If you’re curious about the first two books, check them out here and here. And yes, the third one is coming. Eventually.</spoiler>

Why I Start Plotting My Protagonist’s Demise by Book Two (And Why That’s Totally Fine)

At some point when you’re deep into writing a trilogy, you catch yourself staring at your main character and thinking: “What if I just killed them off?” Not because you hate them, but because your brain is starving for something fresh.

By the end of book two, the finish line of book three is already in sight, and suddenly the straight path ahead feels less like storytelling and more like trudging through mud in heavy boots. Exhausting, right?

Here’s the thing: when you’re truly in the middle of a trilogy, you start realizing all the things you can’t do. The juicy descriptions you’re forced to cut. The cool mysteries you can’t fully solve. The wild story branches you have to chop down because no one wants to be lost in a narrative jungle without a map.

You want depth, sure, but you also want your reader to reach the ending without needing a survival kit.

That’s when the dangerous ideas creep in. A shocking twist. A sudden exit. Maybe even your protagonist’s death. Anything that keeps you from falling asleep at the keyboard. Because if you’re not excited, how can your readers possibly be?

By this point, you’ve spent more time with your characters than with some real-life friends. You know their flaws, their habits, and their annoying refusal to follow your outline. Of course you want to shake things up.

And maybe that’s why I’m so tempted to dive into one of my LitRPG projects. A new world means new rules, more freedom, and stories that sprawl in ways a novel editor would probably cry about.

In games, players expect detours. They love side quests and lore dumps. In novels? Not so much.

But here’s what I’ve learned. If you’re feeling restless like this, you’re probably doing something right. It means you care enough to want the story to surprise you, not just your audience.

And if that means entertaining some dark thoughts about your protagonist’s survival, well, that’s the price of keeping things interesting.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a very important decision to make about chapter fifteen. And maybe a life insurance policy to draft for one unlucky character.

In Search of the Perfect World: Why Utopia Might Be Our Worst Nightmare

Imagine a world where every flaw has been corrected, every problem solved, every imperfection eliminated. Sounds like paradise? What if it turned out to be the most sophisticated prison ever conceived?

In my new novel "World Without Flaws", I invite readers on a journey through a world that has achieved what humanity has dreamed of for millennia—absolute perfection. But as the masters knew, the devil is in the details.

When Perfection Becomes a Curse

This book isn't just another dystopian tale about totalitarian regimes. It's a philosophical experiment wrapped in intellectual science fiction. There are no evil dictators or oppressive systems in the conventional sense. There's something more subtle and therefore more terrifying—a world that has perfected itself into stagnation.

For those who appreciate the depth of the Strugatsky Brothers, the logic of Isaac Asimov, and the prophetic power of George Orwell, this book presents an intellectual challenge. It doesn't offer ready-made answers but forces you to ask the right questions.

An Allegory for Our Time

I deliberately chose not to address contemporary problems directly. Instead, I created a mirror in which every reader can see a reflection of our world—distorted, but recognizable. Allegory works more subtly than direct criticism and penetrates deeper into consciousness.

"The most dangerous ideas are not those that challenge the system, but those that make the system seem perfect."

An Invitation to Think

Questions the book raises:

- What happens to human nature when obstacles to growth disappear?

- Can a society be too perfect for humanity?

- Where's the line between improvement and losing our very essence?

This is a book for those who aren't afraid of complex questions and are ready to follow logic wherever it leads—even if it's to an uncomfortable place.

Seeking Fellow Travelers

I'm looking for readers who love books not just for plot, but for ideas. Those who want to discuss, debate, and contemplate after reading. If you're someone who rereads Roadside Picnic and finds new layers of meaning, if Foundation makes you think about humanity's future, if 1984 seems not just dystopian but prophetic—this book is for you.

I especially welcome responses from readers who disagree with my conclusions. The best books aren't those you agree with, but those that force you to reconsider your beliefs.

A Challenge to Reviewers

To my fellow Goodreads reviewers: I'm curious to see how this world I've created will resonate with minds that have wrestled with Ursula K. Le Guin's moral complexities, Stanisław Lem's philosophical puzzles, and Philip K. Dick's reality-bending questions. Will you find familiar echoes, or will this world surprise you?

Warning: This book may leave you questioning things you thought you were certain about. Consider yourself warned... and invited.

Are you ready to peer into a world without flaws and understand why perfection might be the greatest flaw of all?

What do you think? Does the concept intrigue you, or does it sound like another dystopian rehash? I'd love to hear your thoughts—especially if you think I'm completely wrong about something.

World Without Flaws: Perfection Has a Price

A Promise from an Invisible Author

I will finish my trilogy. The only thing that could stop me is the fact that we are all mortal. But as long as I breathe, I will write.

My debut dystopian novel is out, the second volume is 90% complete. I have countless books planned, but without support from people I simply don't know, they remain invisible. Just like me.

Have you ever seen an invisible person? That's me.

I have no one and nothing. The only way I can communicate with the world is through books, art, and games. Through them I exist, through them I speak to you.

Every review, every rating—it's not just support for a book. It's proof that I exist. That my words reached someone. That an invisible person can still be seen.

So I keep writing. Because as long as there's at least one reader, I won't disappear completely.

Why My Debut Novel Had to Be a Dystopia

When I first started writing, I didn’t intend to lead with a dystopian novel. In fact, I’m currently working on four books across completely different genres — from fantasy to realism. But it was Flawless World, my dystopian story, that claimed the right to be first.

Dystopia gave me the language to ask uncomfortable questions without sugarcoating them. It’s a genre where masks fall off, where exaggeration becomes truth, and fiction turns into a mirror for reality.

Flawless World was born from a desire to explore the limits of control, the pressure of perfection, and what happens when freedom is repackaged as safety. It’s about choice, identity, and the cost of belonging to a world that insists it has no flaws.

Yes, I have other worlds in my writing — more magical, more intimate, lighter in tone. But this was the story that refused to wait. This was the one that needed to be heard first.

So, here’s to dystopias: for letting us speak truths dressed as fiction. And to debut novels that choose to be bold.

Origin Story of an Imperfect World

World Without Flaws was born not as a dream, but as a test.

A prompt in a trial task for a narrative design role. Unpaid. Disposable. Meant to be forgotten.


But I don’t forget the things that resonate.

And I don’t give away ideas born from me for free.


They passed on me.

I chose to keep the world.


Now it’s more than a synopsis. It’s the first crack in a polished facade.

A story I couldn’t abandon — because it wouldn’t abandon me.


This is where the rebellion started.