Today I'm more upbeat. I could delete the prior blog, but it's a good reminder that from time to time doubts creep into these ventures. I can sometimes be my own worst critic. While there's no doubt my writing could use some improvement, the majority of readers made no comment in that regard and still enjoyed the story. And that's really my goal. Read...enjoy!
Ok, in regards to a couple of comments. At times I'm not descriptive enough, yet at times my world is too complex. The complexity is sort of my way of adding description. I've always wanted to create an immersive world filled with all the dynamics of our real world. Some writers will give you flowing paragraphs of beautiful prose that will paint every inch of the canvas. I tend to give you a sketch, paint the areas of focus and let the reader fill in the background. That may bother some people, but it allows me more time to add more nuanced detail to the world and keep the narrative flowing. At least that's the goal. I was never more cognizant of this than when I finished my last review of Volume 3: Heroes of Bardoom. I've read the ending of the first major arc at least ten times and I can still feel it start to race towards a finish line. I'm afraid more description would just slow that down.
Well, at the end of the day the reader is right. If you love it, then it was written just the way you like it. If you hated it, then it obviously needed some work. I wrote this for myself and I love it. I just hope my tastes are not all that different from others. We'll see. Enough on that topic.
My world is complex. I've had the advantage of several documents to aid me when writing. I've thought about capturing some of them and putting them in the books, but I just couldn't get my scanner to work. So I'm going to give you what I can. To that end, here are 3 ways to help you enjoy the Chronicles of Verdan.
1. The Book 1 page includes a map of civilized Verdan. It's crude, but I think it gives you a good idea of the world I'm playing in. Just click on the thumbnail there.
;)
2. The Book 1 page includes a glossary of names by location with which they are associated. The format still needs to be cleaned up, but I will also start to add a similar list for each book. Yes, I have created a lot of names. A lot of people live in this world.
3. Into each "Book" tab I'm going to attach a 2-3 page document that discusses the entire story. It will be filled with spoilers and if you read it before the book, it will give everything away, including the ending. But I also want to record what each book really means...what I was trying to accomplish. I will give a synopisis of the major plot points and often discuss why I resolved them the way I did. I really only recommend you read this either after you finish the book for more insight or if you can't make up your mind on whether you'll like the story.
#1 and #2 are there for Book 1 now. Enjoy.
Oh, and why did I label the blog Summer of 2015. It's Memorial Day and besides celebrating the sacrifices of our veterans, my writing usually goes on hiatus over the summer. I'll be attending three conventions this summer. If you run into me, please feel free to say "Hi". I'll be at San Diego Comic Con starting July 8th. I'll be at Gen Con starting July 30th and I'll be at Wizard World Chicago starting August 20th. And if you're at Gen Con, also don't hesitate to stop by Amy Nagi's booth and let her know what an awesome job she's doing on the covers. I expect she'll have some initial sketches of the cover for Volume 3 for me to look at in the near future.
As for when you might see Volume 3: Heroes of Bardoom available for purchase, I'm hoping no later than October. The book is ready to go now. I just need a cover and then I need to find enough funds to publish it. Oh the joy of self-publishing. I hope anyone reading this has an awesome summer. Oh, and if you're looking for a good book to read, might I suggest the Verdan Chronicles? :-)