Author Journey: November 5, 2021

 I can't believe 2021 is nearing its end. Can y'all? I'd ask how that happened, but the answer is so obvious...the same way it happens every year. XD With another November comes NaNoWriMo and though I've told myself I'm tired of participating, I haven't stopped yet. Read on to find out more about my current project and what I've been pondering about the World of Y'Dahnndrya.

NaNoWriMo 2021 Update

As you can see, I accumulated a decent bit of words on days one and four, enough so that being short on days two and three didn't set me below the line. I feel pretty good about the word count, though the quality of the writing was getting me down.  I wasn't sure...am still not very sure...about where my story is heading and that kind of thing doesn't sit well with me. 

I've written seven chapters so far, and they are indeed an acceptable length for what I usually put in a chapter. I like the action. I'm just not sure I want to write a die-hard romance story and it seems that's where these characters are taking me. I'll never label it that way as the main genre, though, because even if they end up with an HEA, I really don't want the focus of any of my stories to be a romance between two characters. I'd rather see a story of growth in a character's life (or in multiple characters' lives.)

So Where is All This Going?

I've been stressing over the fact that I've been referring to Children of Y'Dahnndrya as a series and then trying to figure out how all my stories are going to merge. Fact is, they're not. It hit me today that even from the beginning, what I really wanted to do was create a world and populate it with a variety of characters with a variety of stories. The only thing that really links the books I have right now is Y'Dahnndrya and the fact that my MCs are mainly worshiping a single Creator deity. Books one and two have a stronger link because the MCs of each of the books are related, but even their stories don't have a greater link than that. 

I'll tell you, it was freeing to remind myself I was shooting for a more "Forgotten Realms" type of thing where you have a collection of stories -- some very closely related, others not related at all. If you know anything about Forgotten Realms, then you know what I mean and you also probably know that world is linked with the Dungeons and Dragons RP game. 

So while I hope that doesn't put off too many people, at the same time, it opens me up to far more writing ideas which can freely flow without me feeling confined to a certain timeline, a small band of characters, and a set plot style. I really just want to have fun with my book world. It was become The Most Unfun and that needed to change if I was going to keep writing. 

It's funny how when I prayed a few days ago, I never realized finding the answer would mean thinking all the way back to the beginning of my writing days in 2016. God answers prayers in strange ways sometimes and it's not always the same for one person as it is for the next. :) 

What Happened to Outh'n?

Outh'n's still there. Waiting, probably impatiently and glaring at me with his pale golden-brown eyes. *sigh* So far, this is where the cover is sitting. I'm not happy with it, though. I'm wondering if gold lettering would stand out better. But can I tell you a bit of trivia? I'm not a fan of gold lettering. I also feel silver would just get washed out. Of the five options I've created so far, this one is my favorite and it's just not there. 

And so Outh'n will have to get over it and just keep waiting. It's going to happen, though, as soon as I can get it all together. 

Wow! A sizable post today! I'm pretty shocked. I hope you'll get as much enjoyment out of reading it as writing of it encouraged me. I need to get back to Ikhel'dur, Skorpa Island and see what my MCs are up to today. 

Until next time...