Introduction
I don’t think I’ve put these thoughts onto paper before, but I’ve been considering the principles baked into my writing. I’ve learned so much since beginning this authoring journey, and it’s really honing my writing style. In my group of fantasy writing friends on Facebook, we’re discussing narrative design this month. It focuses a good deal on plot and story arcs.
Immersive Reading (#1)
One of the first things I consider when writing a new story is my intention for the writing style. I want it to be immersive. “What do I mean by that?” you might ask. Well, read on…
The Muse of Wynter
A review I received recently on Goodreads for The Muse of Wynter depicts this best. This line in particular: “As I read, I found myself asking serious life questions (to myself of course), as Wynter continued to grow into her own person.”
In this short story, I used archetypes rather than well-fleshed out characters and I wrote the story in a way that (I hoped) provided feeling rather than telling the reader how the specific characters felt about a situation. It worked for some, while others want it to be more spelled-out.
The Serpentine Throne
Call of the Storm Sorcerer
In The Serpentine Throne series, the narrative is more classic of epic fantasy with due time given to fleshing out the characters and establishing the customs of the world. There is a wide cast of characters, and (again, I hope) I introduce them at a slower pace so that people can get accustomed to them before we move into the arc for the entire series.
There are other things I did with this story that are strictly intended for immersion. The language used in dialogue and the narrative is more complex, for example. It’s not an attempt at purple prose, it’s merely the main character’s voice.
This review on Goodreads by Jason highlights that: “I suddenly found the writing genuinely beautiful and it fit so well with the first person pov. ON TOP OF THAT the voice of the main character felt really unique and it was SO atmospheric in the sense i absolutely loved reading from her perspective.”
I had to swallow the lower than 4* review, but it’s well-voiced and recognizes the intent of the work. So thank you, Jason. The review is longer than could be pictured here, so head on over to read the full text at the link above.
Final Thoughts (for now)
I’ll close this point with a final thought. Jumping into epic fantasy and a new world can be confusing. Many genre fiction readers or low fantasy readers struggle with this, and I have to remind myself that they are not my target reader. I hope you’re with me in enjoying a read that’s going to drag you into a world, keep you there for a while, and make you sad when you have to leave.
Stay tuned for my second principle in my writing: Character First.