Barbara Eberhard's Blog - Posts Tagged "trilogy"
Another Trilogy
I've started writing another fantasy trilogy. This one is based around dichotomies.
A couple of things are going to be different about this trilogy than the others I've written - and from others I've read. Because each book will be the story of one of the main characters, written about their quest. And each book will have the fulfillment of the quest in it, from the perspective of that main character. I've never read a trilogy where the final part of each book tells the same ending from different perspectives. I think it will be an interesting - and difficult - challenge.
So far, I've been writing the books in parallel - taking up the writing in a book each weekend. The first book, about Kymri, has the most chapters, at three. The second book, about Hallas, just got its first chapter today. The last book, about Tyagi, has one chapter, as well. Each of the first chapters is written in first-person narrative, to establish the character's perspective before we move onto an omniscient narrator for the remainder of the books. I like this device - it's different.
I've got the basic layout for each book. I have a map of this world, which is always an important plot device - along with the places each of the main characters will go as part of their individual quest. (The map will be included in the books, though without the overlay of each quest.)
Because the endings will have to all tie together, obviously, I'm considering continuing to write all three books in parallel. At the very least, I probably have to write the end of each book before publishing the first one. To make sure the ends of the stories work to create a cohesive end to the overall quest, albeit one from three different angles. It might behoove me to write the ending from no one's perspective, and then tailor it to each main character? That's an interesting thought, too.
In 2023, I published three books. I've never published so many books in one year before. If I do decide that I have to write all three parts of this new trilogy at the same time, in parallel, then I likely won't publish for at least a year and a half, possibly two. Generally speaking, it takes me about nine months to write and edit a book. So, three books would be 27 months - or more than two years. I'm not sure I could stand to wait that long.
But it's an interesting question. And a heck of a challenge.
Welcome 2024!
A couple of things are going to be different about this trilogy than the others I've written - and from others I've read. Because each book will be the story of one of the main characters, written about their quest. And each book will have the fulfillment of the quest in it, from the perspective of that main character. I've never read a trilogy where the final part of each book tells the same ending from different perspectives. I think it will be an interesting - and difficult - challenge.
So far, I've been writing the books in parallel - taking up the writing in a book each weekend. The first book, about Kymri, has the most chapters, at three. The second book, about Hallas, just got its first chapter today. The last book, about Tyagi, has one chapter, as well. Each of the first chapters is written in first-person narrative, to establish the character's perspective before we move onto an omniscient narrator for the remainder of the books. I like this device - it's different.
I've got the basic layout for each book. I have a map of this world, which is always an important plot device - along with the places each of the main characters will go as part of their individual quest. (The map will be included in the books, though without the overlay of each quest.)
Because the endings will have to all tie together, obviously, I'm considering continuing to write all three books in parallel. At the very least, I probably have to write the end of each book before publishing the first one. To make sure the ends of the stories work to create a cohesive end to the overall quest, albeit one from three different angles. It might behoove me to write the ending from no one's perspective, and then tailor it to each main character? That's an interesting thought, too.
In 2023, I published three books. I've never published so many books in one year before. If I do decide that I have to write all three parts of this new trilogy at the same time, in parallel, then I likely won't publish for at least a year and a half, possibly two. Generally speaking, it takes me about nine months to write and edit a book. So, three books would be 27 months - or more than two years. I'm not sure I could stand to wait that long.
But it's an interesting question. And a heck of a challenge.
Welcome 2024!
Starting with the Ending
As I noted in my previous post, I'm writing a new trilogy. Each book will be story of the quest for that character, but will include references to the other characters and some of their lessons learned along the way. So that means that each book has to end up in the same place. Regardless of how each main character gets there - and their paths will be different - they all have to get to the same place in the end, to finish the quest.
So, this weekend, I wrote the end of the trilogy from a generic perspective. How the quest will end. How magic will be restored. And how the three main characters come together to make that happen.
I'm going to take that same ending and incorporate it into each of the three novels. But change it, as well, as each of the final chapters - as with the first chapters - will be written as a first person narrative. Thus, we start and end each book inside the head of the character about whom the book is written - and whose quest is described in the book. This is a style taken from my fictional biographies, which are always written in first person.
(However, the interim chapters - however many they might be - will be written with an omniscient narrator, as I've done with all my previous fantasy novels. It think the combination is interesting - and makes the trilogy unique.)
Today, I took the generic ending I had written yesterday and tailored it for Hallas, the main character of the second of the three novels. So, now that final chapter lets us know how he was feeling during the pivotal climax. With a bit of a denouement, as well.
I'm still not sure if I'm going to write all three books concurrently. But it's sure starting to look that way.
So, this weekend, I wrote the end of the trilogy from a generic perspective. How the quest will end. How magic will be restored. And how the three main characters come together to make that happen.
I'm going to take that same ending and incorporate it into each of the three novels. But change it, as well, as each of the final chapters - as with the first chapters - will be written as a first person narrative. Thus, we start and end each book inside the head of the character about whom the book is written - and whose quest is described in the book. This is a style taken from my fictional biographies, which are always written in first person.
(However, the interim chapters - however many they might be - will be written with an omniscient narrator, as I've done with all my previous fantasy novels. It think the combination is interesting - and makes the trilogy unique.)
Today, I took the generic ending I had written yesterday and tailored it for Hallas, the main character of the second of the three novels. So, now that final chapter lets us know how he was feeling during the pivotal climax. With a bit of a denouement, as well.
I'm still not sure if I'm going to write all three books concurrently. But it's sure starting to look that way.
Making Differences
Each of the three main characters in the Dichotomy trilogy has a role to play in fulfilling the prophecy.
But more importantly, each has his or her own quest. And I wanted those quests to be quite different.
So, Kymri runs away from home, finds her mentor in magic, and ends up fighting those who oppose magic in a war across the country of Seic, so she can get to where magic will be restored. Along the way, she finds the peace in her soul she never found at home, even as she's battling evil.
Hallas leaves home, as well, a misfit for having music in his soul among the engineering-based Resani (sea people). But then he is kidnapped by yet other bad guys who also don't want to see magic restored. They try to convince him that the naga who told him he was to be a mage is wrong. They almost convince him until the naga finds him again.
Tyagi is already a mage at the beginning of her book, though she doesn't know it yet. She is half Resani and half Canian (land people), with characteristics of both - as all mages do. She also runs away, but is almost immediately found by her parents and one of her mentors, a naga. Tyagi becomes an ambassador for mages, traveling the world trying to convince Canian and Resani that the prophecy must be fulfilled, that magic must be restored. She has her own challenges with disbelief and distrust.
The three must come together at a time and place to restore magic. Of course, they have no idea how...until they do.
But more importantly, each has his or her own quest. And I wanted those quests to be quite different.
So, Kymri runs away from home, finds her mentor in magic, and ends up fighting those who oppose magic in a war across the country of Seic, so she can get to where magic will be restored. Along the way, she finds the peace in her soul she never found at home, even as she's battling evil.
Hallas leaves home, as well, a misfit for having music in his soul among the engineering-based Resani (sea people). But then he is kidnapped by yet other bad guys who also don't want to see magic restored. They try to convince him that the naga who told him he was to be a mage is wrong. They almost convince him until the naga finds him again.
Tyagi is already a mage at the beginning of her book, though she doesn't know it yet. She is half Resani and half Canian (land people), with characteristics of both - as all mages do. She also runs away, but is almost immediately found by her parents and one of her mentors, a naga. Tyagi becomes an ambassador for mages, traveling the world trying to convince Canian and Resani that the prophecy must be fulfilled, that magic must be restored. She has her own challenges with disbelief and distrust.
The three must come together at a time and place to restore magic. Of course, they have no idea how...until they do.
Three in One?
As I wrote a while back, I'm writing a new fantasy trilogy.
Usually a trilogy follows a timeline - first book covers the start, second book the middle, and third book the finale. The challenge with these kinds of trilogies is making each book also have an arch. Otherwise, the reader gets bored or frustrated, not getting a sense of completion in any of the books until the third.
But this trilogy is different. I'm writing each book from a main character's perspective, covering the same timeline in each book.
This is similar to the very first book I wrote, which had three stories in one, each the same main characters but with a different perspective. In that book, the husband of the couple dies at the beginning of the first story, and the rest of the story is about how they met and how she will get along. The second story tells the story of them living and loving until old age. The third story is much of the truth of the tale, which is loosely based on real events.
So this trilogy is similar in that it's the same story - sort of - with different perspectives.
But it's different in that each book is really the story of fulfilling the prophecy from the perspective of one of the three chosen ones. It's not until the final chapter that the three come together.
And so, as I write, the three stories are separate but intertwined. Things that happen in one book may affect what happens in the others. And since things "come up" as I write - regular readers will know this about my writing - I'm writing the three books simultaneously. That way, I can incorporate the pop-up ideas in the other two books - if appropriate.
As a result, I don't think I'll publish until all three books are completed. So, instead of publishing every 9 months, as has been my norm, it might be a couple of years.
That's scary for me. I don't know that I have an audience waiting for my books. But it's still a long time between new books.
So we'll see. I may try to focus on one of the three and publish sooner than that.
Usually a trilogy follows a timeline - first book covers the start, second book the middle, and third book the finale. The challenge with these kinds of trilogies is making each book also have an arch. Otherwise, the reader gets bored or frustrated, not getting a sense of completion in any of the books until the third.
But this trilogy is different. I'm writing each book from a main character's perspective, covering the same timeline in each book.
This is similar to the very first book I wrote, which had three stories in one, each the same main characters but with a different perspective. In that book, the husband of the couple dies at the beginning of the first story, and the rest of the story is about how they met and how she will get along. The second story tells the story of them living and loving until old age. The third story is much of the truth of the tale, which is loosely based on real events.
So this trilogy is similar in that it's the same story - sort of - with different perspectives.
But it's different in that each book is really the story of fulfilling the prophecy from the perspective of one of the three chosen ones. It's not until the final chapter that the three come together.
And so, as I write, the three stories are separate but intertwined. Things that happen in one book may affect what happens in the others. And since things "come up" as I write - regular readers will know this about my writing - I'm writing the three books simultaneously. That way, I can incorporate the pop-up ideas in the other two books - if appropriate.
As a result, I don't think I'll publish until all three books are completed. So, instead of publishing every 9 months, as has been my norm, it might be a couple of years.
That's scary for me. I don't know that I have an audience waiting for my books. But it's still a long time between new books.
So we'll see. I may try to focus on one of the three and publish sooner than that.
Breadcrumbs and Plot Points
Usually, I write most weekends, several hours on both Saturday and Sunday. It's how I've managed to write and publish 15 books in 14 years (two nonfiction, seven fantasy, and six women's fiction). A question many people ask me is how I have written so many books, since I'm also still working full time. The answer is I write from 10-4 Saturday and Sunday, with very few breaks. My husband can attest to this.
Because I write most weekends, if I'm writing a single book, I generally remember most of what I've written recently. I have 3x5 cards with the overall plot points outlined. I usually have another card for each of the main characters and perhaps some characteristics of each - hair color, eye color, tall, short, etc. I use these cards as I write to ensure continuity among the characters' physical attributes, and to move the plot along.
With the current trilogy, I've not only written 3x5 cards of each book's major plot points, but I've also put them into the book, with tentative chapter titles, as well. Think of it as a meta-outline. Because my overall process includes flexibility in the plot details, this meta-outline serves as guardrails, within which I can play. They also help me know where I am relative to where I want to be, both in place and time.
Because the other thing I have is an overall timeline file - where each character should be and when. This is critical because each character - each book - happens in in parallel. But certain things that happen in one book are mentioned in the others or affect the plot of the others. As I've written before, I generally don't have a lot of description in my books about place and time. I like this flexibility too. I don't really know, for example, how long it takes to get from one of my fictional towns to another. It's a fictional world after all. So, all I've done in my timelines file is try to be similar in all the books about how long it takes the characters to get from one place to another, when the two places are about the same distance apart on the map of the world included at the front of each book. I don't know that anyone will ever take the books apart to such a level. But if they do, I'd like the distances and times to be reasonably aligned.
Anyway, all this to say that while the meta-outline means I know where I'm going eventually, the books also have breadcrumbs - hints of things to come. Sometimes these breadcrumbs relate to the main plot points, and therefore to the meta-outline. Sometimes these breadcrumbs are characteristics of the characters - decisions I've made about how characters will behave or stories of their lives before the time of the book.
When I'm writing a single book, I generally remember all those things from weekend to weekend. I remember the meta-outline. I remember the timeline - mostly. I often have that file open as I write. I remember - mostly - the characteristics of the major characters, to be repeated again and again for the readers. And I remember most of the breadcrumbs I've laid along the way.
One of the things I do when I edit a book is make a 3x5 card of breadcrumbs, which I then cross off as they are resolved along the way. In that way, I know I've left no breadcrumb without a resolution. And of course, my meta-outline and timeline files means there's continuity in those aspects as well.
All of these things are SO MUCH HARDER when writing three books at once. I find myself having to spend half of my Saturday writing time - when I'm returning to a different book than the previous weekend - just "catching up" on what I've already written. While this is good in that it also means I'm editing along the way, it means I'm less productive on Saturday than I would normally be.
On a normal Saturday - when I'm not writing three books at once - I would write at least one chapter, possibly two. Same for Sunday. Three or four chapters of writing in a weekend makes a whole book come together pretty quickly.
Keeping track of the breadcrumbs and plot points in each book, across all three books, is not something I'm capable of storing in my brain week to week. So, I have to review. And remember.
Thus, the writing is definitely slower.
Today, I wrote again in Kymri. And only wrote a small chapter. Because mostly, I read her story again. And noted the breadcrumbs and plot points. For tomorrow's writing.
Because I write most weekends, if I'm writing a single book, I generally remember most of what I've written recently. I have 3x5 cards with the overall plot points outlined. I usually have another card for each of the main characters and perhaps some characteristics of each - hair color, eye color, tall, short, etc. I use these cards as I write to ensure continuity among the characters' physical attributes, and to move the plot along.
With the current trilogy, I've not only written 3x5 cards of each book's major plot points, but I've also put them into the book, with tentative chapter titles, as well. Think of it as a meta-outline. Because my overall process includes flexibility in the plot details, this meta-outline serves as guardrails, within which I can play. They also help me know where I am relative to where I want to be, both in place and time.
Because the other thing I have is an overall timeline file - where each character should be and when. This is critical because each character - each book - happens in in parallel. But certain things that happen in one book are mentioned in the others or affect the plot of the others. As I've written before, I generally don't have a lot of description in my books about place and time. I like this flexibility too. I don't really know, for example, how long it takes to get from one of my fictional towns to another. It's a fictional world after all. So, all I've done in my timelines file is try to be similar in all the books about how long it takes the characters to get from one place to another, when the two places are about the same distance apart on the map of the world included at the front of each book. I don't know that anyone will ever take the books apart to such a level. But if they do, I'd like the distances and times to be reasonably aligned.
Anyway, all this to say that while the meta-outline means I know where I'm going eventually, the books also have breadcrumbs - hints of things to come. Sometimes these breadcrumbs relate to the main plot points, and therefore to the meta-outline. Sometimes these breadcrumbs are characteristics of the characters - decisions I've made about how characters will behave or stories of their lives before the time of the book.
When I'm writing a single book, I generally remember all those things from weekend to weekend. I remember the meta-outline. I remember the timeline - mostly. I often have that file open as I write. I remember - mostly - the characteristics of the major characters, to be repeated again and again for the readers. And I remember most of the breadcrumbs I've laid along the way.
One of the things I do when I edit a book is make a 3x5 card of breadcrumbs, which I then cross off as they are resolved along the way. In that way, I know I've left no breadcrumb without a resolution. And of course, my meta-outline and timeline files means there's continuity in those aspects as well.
All of these things are SO MUCH HARDER when writing three books at once. I find myself having to spend half of my Saturday writing time - when I'm returning to a different book than the previous weekend - just "catching up" on what I've already written. While this is good in that it also means I'm editing along the way, it means I'm less productive on Saturday than I would normally be.
On a normal Saturday - when I'm not writing three books at once - I would write at least one chapter, possibly two. Same for Sunday. Three or four chapters of writing in a weekend makes a whole book come together pretty quickly.
Keeping track of the breadcrumbs and plot points in each book, across all three books, is not something I'm capable of storing in my brain week to week. So, I have to review. And remember.
Thus, the writing is definitely slower.
Today, I wrote again in Kymri. And only wrote a small chapter. Because mostly, I read her story again. And noted the breadcrumbs and plot points. For tomorrow's writing.
The Question of Money
Every author, particularly those writing fantasy and science fiction, has to deal with questions of money.
Most fantasy novels involve a quest of some kind. And some band of people and creatures trying to fulfill it.
And doing so involves travel - horses, inns, etc. So the question is - how do the questors pay for their travels? And other incidental costs that might arise.
Authors have taken different approaches to this. One series I've read has the main sorcerer find a gold mine early in his life. He's been using that money for a long time. Another series involves dragons' gold - gold the dragons make when they are born by burning their shells. Then there's Star Trek, where the Federation has eliminated the need for money. Except other cultures still use it.
In my world, in this trilogy, the nagas have been saving for the chosen ones, knowing they would need to move around in the world. How the nagas get the money in the first place? I leave that unexplained.
Most fantasy novels involve a quest of some kind. And some band of people and creatures trying to fulfill it.
And doing so involves travel - horses, inns, etc. So the question is - how do the questors pay for their travels? And other incidental costs that might arise.
Authors have taken different approaches to this. One series I've read has the main sorcerer find a gold mine early in his life. He's been using that money for a long time. Another series involves dragons' gold - gold the dragons make when they are born by burning their shells. Then there's Star Trek, where the Federation has eliminated the need for money. Except other cultures still use it.
In my world, in this trilogy, the nagas have been saving for the chosen ones, knowing they would need to move around in the world. How the nagas get the money in the first place? I leave that unexplained.
Late-Night Revelations
Most nights, as I'm falling asleep, I review where I am in my books to distract myself from whatever work things might have happened. Work things tend to give me insomnia. Book ideas do not.
But what thinking about my writing does do, often, is prompt thoughts of things that need changing or updating. And so, as I'm falling asleep, I sometimes wake up enough to send myself an email to remind myself of the revelations I had.
For example, last evening, I realized that I had described how the nagas had learned of the prophecy in Kymri Knows Her Peace. While I don't want to repeat exactly the same text in the other two books of the trilogy, the same information should appear in both Hallas Finds His Voice and Tyagi Uncovers Her Light. This morning, I copied the text as a comment into the other two books, to be used in some fashion later.
Naming conventions are another staple of fantasy novels. For example, I've created the Kels and the Res - those are the countries of this world of Dichotomies. And the once-paired cities have names that are parallel, such as Lincan and Linres. "Can" is the Canian - or land people - name for city. Res is the Resani - or sea people - name for city.
Part of last night's decisions was that female nagas will have names that end in "i'. Most of them already did, but I needed to change a few others to match that convention. The male nagas all have short names - and will continue to do so.
Updates made this morning. This evening might bring new revelations.
But what thinking about my writing does do, often, is prompt thoughts of things that need changing or updating. And so, as I'm falling asleep, I sometimes wake up enough to send myself an email to remind myself of the revelations I had.
For example, last evening, I realized that I had described how the nagas had learned of the prophecy in Kymri Knows Her Peace. While I don't want to repeat exactly the same text in the other two books of the trilogy, the same information should appear in both Hallas Finds His Voice and Tyagi Uncovers Her Light. This morning, I copied the text as a comment into the other two books, to be used in some fashion later.
Naming conventions are another staple of fantasy novels. For example, I've created the Kels and the Res - those are the countries of this world of Dichotomies. And the once-paired cities have names that are parallel, such as Lincan and Linres. "Can" is the Canian - or land people - name for city. Res is the Resani - or sea people - name for city.
Part of last night's decisions was that female nagas will have names that end in "i'. Most of them already did, but I needed to change a few others to match that convention. The male nagas all have short names - and will continue to do so.
Updates made this morning. This evening might bring new revelations.
I've Written a Book!
Well, I've now written the equivalent of one book across the three books of my new trilogy Dichotomies. A total of almost 300 pages.
Tyagi Uncovers Her Light is the furthest along, at 130 pages. Because her book happens first in the timeline, it became necessary to write it first. It's meant to the last of the trilogy though. Maybe that will change as I write. But that was the original plan.
Kymri Knows Her Peace is the next most complete at 100 pages. This is intended to be the first book in the series, and it's the one I started first. I'll probably work on it tomorrow, after the two chapters in Tyagi today.
Hallas Finds His Voice is only 77 pages. It's had the hardest scene to write so far. Not because it was hard to know what to write, but because there is violence - and I'm not good at having violence in my books. Bad things happen, of course. But not usually involving a death.
As I've written before, I probably won't publish any of this trilogy until all three books are finished. There's too much overlap since the stories are happening in parallel, each with its own main character and each with its own quest.
So, only 600 more pages to go!
Tyagi Uncovers Her Light is the furthest along, at 130 pages. Because her book happens first in the timeline, it became necessary to write it first. It's meant to the last of the trilogy though. Maybe that will change as I write. But that was the original plan.
Kymri Knows Her Peace is the next most complete at 100 pages. This is intended to be the first book in the series, and it's the one I started first. I'll probably work on it tomorrow, after the two chapters in Tyagi today.
Hallas Finds His Voice is only 77 pages. It's had the hardest scene to write so far. Not because it was hard to know what to write, but because there is violence - and I'm not good at having violence in my books. Bad things happen, of course. But not usually involving a death.
As I've written before, I probably won't publish any of this trilogy until all three books are finished. There's too much overlap since the stories are happening in parallel, each with its own main character and each with its own quest.
So, only 600 more pages to go!
Timelines and Travel
When the world you're writing in is one you also created, knowing how far it is from Point A to Point B is challenging. You can't just look it up on a map someone else created; the map is yours. Likewise, knowing how long it takes to get from Point A to Point B is difficult for many of the same reasons.
What I've tried to do is just to be consistent. I look at the distance between two places, and I think that's about the same distance as two points in the real world - some amount of miles (because I'm American, so I think in miles). And so I think it will take X amount of time to get to the second place. This not knowing is compounded by mode of transportation. In this world of fantasy, people generally get around by foot or by horse. Sometimes I have to look up how long it takes to travel a certain distance by walking or on horseback.
In my current trilogy, half the world is on the water. So to add to the fun, I have to know how long it takes to sail (the Resani are sailors, not rowers) from one place to another. Or take an educated guess.
Again, my working theory is that, as long as I'm consistent in approximate measurements and approximate timelines, then that as good as I can do.
Just for fun, there's also magic. And using spells, the mages can "bend" distance. It doesn't make travel instantaneous - that feel like cheating - but it does make the distances faster to travel.
At the beginning of the process of writing the Dichotomies trilogy, I made a timelines document. Each main character, where they would go on their journey - which I crafted using the map of the world - and then approximately how long it took to get from place to place. And how long each would be in each place.
Because Kymri, Tyagi, and Hallas have to come together at the end of each book to fulfill the prophecy and bring magic back to humans, those timelines had to end up in the same place at the same time.
Fun!
What I've tried to do is just to be consistent. I look at the distance between two places, and I think that's about the same distance as two points in the real world - some amount of miles (because I'm American, so I think in miles). And so I think it will take X amount of time to get to the second place. This not knowing is compounded by mode of transportation. In this world of fantasy, people generally get around by foot or by horse. Sometimes I have to look up how long it takes to travel a certain distance by walking or on horseback.
In my current trilogy, half the world is on the water. So to add to the fun, I have to know how long it takes to sail (the Resani are sailors, not rowers) from one place to another. Or take an educated guess.
Again, my working theory is that, as long as I'm consistent in approximate measurements and approximate timelines, then that as good as I can do.
Just for fun, there's also magic. And using spells, the mages can "bend" distance. It doesn't make travel instantaneous - that feel like cheating - but it does make the distances faster to travel.
At the beginning of the process of writing the Dichotomies trilogy, I made a timelines document. Each main character, where they would go on their journey - which I crafted using the map of the world - and then approximately how long it took to get from place to place. And how long each would be in each place.
Because Kymri, Tyagi, and Hallas have to come together at the end of each book to fulfill the prophecy and bring magic back to humans, those timelines had to end up in the same place at the same time.
Fun!
Music Finds a Way
In Hallas Finds His Voice, Hallas' musical ability is taken away by the nagas, as part of the consequences for what his wild magic wrought. The nagas are trying to prevent the fulfillment of the prophecy, in which Hallas is the singer who find his voice. They take his music and his memory, rather than his life.
But Hallas is a musician at his core. It's part of what has set him at odds with the rest of the Resani, who don't value the arts. They are engineers and fishermen. They find no virtue in painting, dance, or music.
So, when the nagas decide to take away Hallas' gift of music, he's almost not sorry. After all, he did do bad things when his wild magic created chaos on the Moc. And he's always been an outsider, with songs in his mind. Maybe he'll fit into Resani society better without his singing.
But in my experience, as a sometime singer myself, you can't really get away from music if it's part of who you are. I can't imagine a day without song.
And so, despite the magic that took his gift away, eventually Hallas' music returns. And with it, the rest of who he is.
But even having his voice back is not enough to fulfill the prophecy. The prophecy demands more. And Hallas isn't sure he can deliver.
But Hallas is a musician at his core. It's part of what has set him at odds with the rest of the Resani, who don't value the arts. They are engineers and fishermen. They find no virtue in painting, dance, or music.
So, when the nagas decide to take away Hallas' gift of music, he's almost not sorry. After all, he did do bad things when his wild magic created chaos on the Moc. And he's always been an outsider, with songs in his mind. Maybe he'll fit into Resani society better without his singing.
But in my experience, as a sometime singer myself, you can't really get away from music if it's part of who you are. I can't imagine a day without song.
And so, despite the magic that took his gift away, eventually Hallas' music returns. And with it, the rest of who he is.
But even having his voice back is not enough to fulfill the prophecy. The prophecy demands more. And Hallas isn't sure he can deliver.
