Finishing a Trilogy — Secrets of Yden

The third book in my Yden trilogy has just been published and I have a feeling of closure. It’s kind of funny, but I remember where I was during each stage of development. The books literally went from coast to coast. I began Book One in a Los Angeles writers’ workshop–North Hollywood to be exact.  I put it aside for a long time for lack of a publisher, but when we moved from California to Asheville, North Carolina I pulled it out and began to beat it into shape. I was on an airplane when I drew a map of Dragon Isle, and devised the obstacle course the apprentices had to run for Book Two. I made a list of the original thirteen clans of Yden in our Savannah rental house, and another “tree” all of Quixoran’s apprentices, where they were from, and what Clan they belonged to. Book Three was edited in our new Savannah house, in my second story office overlooking a lagoon. All three books were originally written in First Person, and had to be re-written to Third Person to satisfy the publisher. As grueling as that sounds (and it WAS grueling), the process forced me to dig deep as a writer and make the narrative as clear as possible.

How do you write a trilogy, particularly when the action takes place both on Earth and an alternate universe? Maps, charts, notes, sweat, blood, and tears. And an overwhelming love for the characters and a need to see them grow and develop as people.  I truly care about these characters, and revel in their talents, challenges, and imperfections. Sometimes I daydream about Jon and visualize what his life will be like going forward.  It may seem as if I’m obsessed, but that sort of passion is what it takes to stick with a series of books over a period of years.  To paraphrase a famous song, if writing while obsessed is wrong, I don’t want to be right. ~ S.G. Rogers