Writing Update | Vol. VI | Draft 2.9

…And I’m back! This will be short, so let’s dive right in.

As mentioned in the previous blog, this go-around, I’m tackling the main character of the series—if I were to have one. With twelve chapters and an epilogue, she’s got a heft chunk of the book. Since she’s exploring different aspects of her journey, and answers are being revealed, I had to make sure I spent an appropriate amount of words for her story. It’s not necessarily the word count that matters, but what those words reveal. That being said, I’m not done yet. I’ve got three more chapters to get through and an epilogue.

One thing I’ve enjoyed about this part of the story—besides answering nagging questions that might’ve started in book one—is delving into a different culture, primarily the language. Since she’s in another part of the planet, in a place that doesn’t necessarily like Rallocans, she has to remain hidden. So, one way to explore this place is through language. Anyone who’s ever tried to create their own language knows how hard it is. Words, and even language rules, are often taken for granted, until you’ve got to make up your own. Even if you mirror your primary language, it’s still a pain.

There was another story I’ve written a few years ago, a prequel to an offshoot character that’s mentioned in volume IV & VI. She, too, spends a significant portion of her story on the same side of the world, just a different continent. The common thread between the two is the language, and while I fleshed out Brodacci (pronounced Bro-dah-chee) for her story, I find it lacking for the context in which this story unfolds. So, here I am, making up more words for a language that readers will probably squint their eyes at and wonder what the hell I’m trying to say. Be that as it may, it helps with the immersiveness of the story, and that’s what I strive for.

For an example, I’ll give you words for brimstone, an essential part of the story: “Rohg’heras.” Rohg is the word for ‘god’ in their language. Heras by itself means ‘stone.’ Since they don’t have a direct translation to brimstone, they say god-stone. Since I’m mirroring the English language with rules and the like, my apostrophe acts as a hyphen. Another series of words that has no literal translation is: “Xol’rohg dul en heras.” Xol means ‘master,’ but coupled with rohg, it means master-god. Dul translates to ‘under’, en is ‘the’, and we already know heras. So, the ‘master-god below the stone’ is how Lord of the Underworld translates to Brodacci. Well, this is what happens when writers delve too deep to play in the worlds they create.

I’ve prattled on enough, and you might be glassy-eyed by now. I’ve got to get back to work. Here’s the latest update….

Prologue: 1 / 1Chapters: 48 / 58Epilogues: 4 / 7Total Words: 245,101 / 286,941Percentage Done: 85.41%1st Draft: 265,607

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