Welcome Distractions
It happens fairly often. And I have learned to welcome the moments and just run with them. I'm talking about the disconnected thoughts that rise, unbidden, to my mind, while I am writing. In the early days when I was trying to establish momentum with my writing habits, these distractions would take me out of my groove. I'd be sitting down to work on a chapter involving the enigmatic Huntmaster Aelric and, instead, my musings about his background would spin me off in an unexpected direction. What kind of childhood did he have? What influence did his parents have upon him? What was it like to grow up as a half-elf, never feeling fully a part of either human or elf society?
Sometimes the answers to these questions just pop into my head, because I have a feeling for what the character's role will be in my stories. And what background would best explain their behavior and motivation. But sometimes the answers aren't easy. And they require a deeper dive into the character's background. So I can more completely explore the nuances of their individuality. What made them who they are. What made them act as they do.
Before I even sat down to write A Monk's Tale, I already had a very strong sense of who Cedric was. The adventures he'd had and the life he'd led before he came to Ridderzaal. So much so that the first draft took me maybe five days to write, start to finish. That said, even with Cedric--one of my more fully formed, if fairly complex, characters--the act of getting it all down in A Monk's Tale was immensely helpful in polishing book two and charting his path in book three.
The Lay of Legorel is a bit different. It's a story about Aelric's father, ostensibly. But, at its core, it is also my deepest dive into a back story on a character yet. It begins at a time before Aelric was even born. And it introduces you to his parents. It shows you a glimpse of their nature as they struggle with challenges as both individuals and as a couple. As such, it sets up the world in which Aelric is born and raised.
An added bonus for me (if not for the overly curious among you!) is that by taking this approach with Aelric's back story, it allows his inner voice and his own experiences to remain closed off from the reader. Yes, you will know more about where he came from. But you will still be left wanting more about the man himself. Every story needs a little mystery. Forgive me!
In my next newsletter (scheduled for May 14th!), look for an excerpt from my forthcoming novelette, The Lay of Legorel, to give you a taste of what I mean.
That’s all for now! Thanks for reading!