Good day, readers! I thought I would share a bit of my novel’s background today.
I started writing The Shattered Queen in 2017. It took me about 9 months to write it and years to edit it. After writing The Shattered Queen, I followed it up with a prequel called The Great Deceiver in 2019. Then, at 40 years old, I found out I was unexpectedly pregnant.
When I set out to write The Shattered Queen, there were specific goals I was trying to achieve with this book.
- I knew I wanted the book to include a love story, not a lust story. Sexuality is everywhere in our culture. I wanted to write something that was a reminder of what true love actually looks like.
- I knew the main theme was going to be true love requires sacrifice, and the theme would be most strongly embodied in the relationship between siblings, Saoirse and Riordan.
- I wanted to write a female lead who was strong but soft and feminine. My goal was to create a character who had strength and leadership ability but could also be vulnerable.
After having my daughter in 2020, I didn’t sleep for two years and certainly didn’t have the mental capacity to write another 90,000+ word novel. So I took a break and started learning about the craft of writing and oh boy, did I have a lot to learn.
I did a complete overhaul of both novels. At times, it felt like starting over. As discouraging as it was, I persevered because I knew I had something special. I learned to show, not tell; started my books in media res; worked to be more concise; expanded the magic; and added more types of mythical creatures.
It took a long time, complex rewrites, and significantly more of Saoirse’s internal dialogue but by the response I have received from my beta readers, I believe that I have finally achieved each of the above stated goals.
If you want to learn more about the craft of writing, there are tons of resources available. I recommend following authors Jerry B. Jenkins and K.M. Weiland. They offer sound advice.
There are many books on the craft of writing available as well. I see Save the Cat! Writes a Novel recommended quite often. It’s helpful if you struggle with plotting and pacing.
Another resource I use to get my creative juices flowing is Valerie Howard’s 1,000 Strong Verbs and 1,000 Character Reactions. If I am stuck for ideas, not sure how exactly I want a scene to play out, or just need a few good action beats, these reference books do the trick.
Drop a comment, ask questions, and suggest topics. Thanks for visiting, and have a great day!
I am not paid for any promotions; I am simply sharing my experiences.
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