Kingdomfall: May Update

“You’re all the same. You think the world owes you a debt. You think the way should be paved with gold and people should sing your praises just because you are who you are. But it takes people like me to show you the real world. All your gold turns to shit, and the people who sing your praises mock you behind your back. The world will turn. You will die. And you will be forgotten.”

That little speech is from later on in the book. Can you guess which one?

Kingdomfall has come a long way and so have the heroes and villains of the story. But this installment is heading towards the end of the first draft. I’ve already identified a few chapters that either need to be completely cut or rewritten. I have yet to place the clues as to where the story is heading, the little bits that make it that much more interesting.

As far as writing goes, I’m on chapter 40. In the last novel I finished at chapter 50, which in theory gives me ten chapters before it comes to a crescendo. Things are taking a turn and I can’t wait for you to read it. I know I’ve been taking my time with the second book, but I assure you, it’s worth the wait.

Recently I’ve been reading Tower Lord by Anthony Ryan, a wonderful piece of writing and the second in the series Raven’s Shadow. I’m truly captivated by the setting and the characters. I’ve also recently picked up Malice by John Gwynne, along with his second book, Valor. Once I’ve finished Tower Lord it’s on to them.

Do you have any recommendations for future reading? Leave suggestions below. You can even let me know how excited you are for the next book in The Kingmaker Saga, I’d be happy to hear it.

Reddit, a hub of information.

I’ve been spending a lot of time lately on Reddit. Most if not all of you will have heard of it. The Internet’s message board with an endless amount of sub-reddits ranging from history to Photoshop Battles. The amount of people exchanging and engaging on the website is incredible, and as a writer, an invaluable source for getting advice on your current work or ideas. For me, I use the Fantasy Writers sub-Reddit. It holds questions and discussions from all sorts of people looking for help with their work, whether it’s just a critique or possibly a discussion on something they’re thinking of doing in their book. Where else would be better to speak to like-minded people about your fantasy works?

Then there’s the World Building sub-Reddit. This place is for you if you like going in-depth about the way your world works and want some advice on where to take things. Some people post maps on there for others to help with geography and layout, some ask for help developing a currency. There’s even help developing magic systems if it’s something you need.

And finally there’s the Fantasy sub-Reddit. A place for lovers of fantasy in all its forms. Whether it be in books, video games, films, etc. It’s a great place to let people know about your book, but don’t just put it on there. Get involved! It’s a community and people won’t like it if you come in and dump your book on them without building some rapport. If you actively engage they will appreciate it and are more likely to take a look at your work.

Those are the three that I visit the most but I’d recommend visiting the site yourself if you haven’t been. There’s a wealth of knowledge there.

Fantasy Writers

World Building

Fantasy

Inspiration: Mythology

It’s no secret that I love history. It’s one of my favourite things. I grew up in a family that practiced Karate and found myself immersed in the culture of the Japanese and their warriors, soaking up their mythology, their practices and beliefs. The way their warrior code worked. I was fascinated by it all. After doing some searching through the family tree it came upon me that I can trace my ancestors back to Nordic bloodlines. That’s right, my family are technically Viking settlers. This all only came to light recently as I delved into the Nordic mythology, Odin, Thor, Freya, Loki, their tales were epic. So epic they were taken down as poems called sagas, spanning generations.

In school I learned about Egyptian mythology and Greek mythology. One thing I found similar was that they all celebrated more than one god, known as polytheism. The gods were all similar in their own ways, Odin as to Zeus, Thor as to Ares and so on. But their warriors and the codes they lived by were all different, having completely different cultures altogether.

I use a lot of Norse inspiration taking words from their language and Old High German and blending them to suit my needs. It’s the source from which my world was born and I’m pleased with the way it’s turned out: life in Vikinsa is hard and often without justice. Much like life for the Norsemen of old, some things are simply given. Everything else must be taken.

So this is one of my inspirations: Mythology. It inspired nations, and it inspires my books.