For starters, my main characters were going to be powerful people. None of this “farmboy saves the world” stuff. And I didn’t want the fabled “old mentor that dies to teach the hero” thing, either, so I definitely avoided that.
In the first draft, I also killed off most of the cast. I had this thought in my head that I wanted the book to be more realistic and less fantasy, and to keep the readers guessing by not letting them think their precious characters were safe. That was a trope I thankfully backed off from in later revisions. Turns out, I don’t like it so much when all the main characters die off. So many of them were later spared.
And that’s not the only place where this book has changed from the original draft. In the original draft, Lange Du Mort was a passing villain, and the threads that tied the main characters together didn’t happen until much later, into what is now book two of the trilogy.
Of course, it wasn’t even originally a trilogy. I’d set out to write a standalone novel. But once I’d gotten pretty far into it and realized the word count wasn’t going to be anywhere near 100k (the target for first time fantasy authors 25 years ago), I split the book into two. That split later became a three-way split on the next revision, when I started adding in a ton of details and making the world a richer place.
What happened next on this book’s journey out into the world? Not much, really. I sent it out to several agents and got a few hits, but none of them went anywhere. Then I found the love of my life, got married, and started having kids. In between kids and a job, I didn’t have time anymore to write.
Fast forward to a couple years ago, and my wife tells me I should finally do something with those books I’d had sitting on my hard drive all these years. I agree she has a point, so I sat down to go back through them and see what I could salvage.
Let me tell you, if you’ve ever wondered how much your writing style can change in 20+ years, it’s a lot. I hated most of the prose, and decided a full re-write was the only answer. Thankfully, that re-write was for the better, and the novel that you just read is the result of that effort. Pretty awesome, huh?
Anyway, if you liked this book, please leave a review. It means the world to me. Just ask my wife, my kids, or any of my friends. I rave about every single one. They’re each like a little present. A gift of gratitude for me to cherish.
Plus, a bunch of good reviews might just help that next book come out that much faster. (Maybe. It certainly wouldn’t hurt anything lol.)
Loved the book a lot? Give me a follow on social media, too at: www.facebook.com/authorpeterglenn OR join my mailing list: www.peterjglenn.com/email. Better yet, do both! The more the merrier! I also have giveaways (like signed copies of my books) and exclusive behind the scenes info for my mailing list subscribers, so join up!
I’d love to get a shout out from you in either spot and hear about what you’d like to see in an upcoming novel or short story. After all, I’ve got plenty of ideas running through my head for other adventures.
Who knows? Maybe I’ll even name a future character after you (if you want. I’d never do it without permission). I know as an avid reader and fan, I would be over the moon if one of my favorite authors did that. Well, it could happen to you. Just ask!
Thank you again for joining me on this journey and sticking with it until the very end, and I do hope you’ll join with me again in future books.
Auf Wiedersehen.
OTHER BOOKS FROM PETER GLENN
The Guardians of Kallor
The Fhyrrstorm (1)
The Dark One’s Reign (Coming Soon)
The Light’s Last Hope (Coming Soon)
The Sariah Chronicles
Resistance to Magic (1)
Betrayal of Magic (2)
Survival by Magic (3)
Triumph through Magic (4)
CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR
Peter Glenn Social
Website: www.peterjglenn.com
Email: www.peterjglenn.com/email
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorpeterglenn
