The ending of Hank’s stories always come as a surprise. Scratch that—the endings of all my novel-length works seem to surprise me. That may sound like so much crazy nonsense, but it is absolute truth. When I wrote fiction two and three decades ago, I worked from an outline (or at least a narrative structure) and always knew where I was in the story and how much was yet to come. I don’t write that way any longer, and I have to say the new way I write is much, much more fun.
How do I write, you ask? I start with only a broad idea for the book. For instance, I started this book knowing that Hank and company had to end up inside the Rooms of Ruin and that Haymtatlr would be there to “help” them. That’s it.
As I prepare to write a novel, I begin talking to myself—in the shower, while I’m driving, while I’m walking, wherever, really. I start telling myself the story. Those beginnings don’t always make it into the book—they have to be good enough that I will jot down a note or two, and I have an entire digital notebook dedicated to random book ideas, beginnings, names, titles, etc. to contain them. Equipped with the best of the beginnings and a general idea of what has to happen, I sit down and let the story take over.
Glancing back at my notebook entries for this novel, I see: the first line from Chapter Four (it was too good to abandon, even though the story wanted to start another way), a one-paragraph description of John’s imprisonment in Helhaym and the scene Hank dreams about, and this, which was the first idea I had for the book:
Big army guarding RoR at Pilrust. “Can’t fight through that,” says Hank. “Not a chance,” says Mothi. Meuhlnir scoffs, “A little group like that?”
It didn’t happen quite that way, as you no doubt already know, but I had no idea that ravens were going to play such an important role. Yeah, that’s dishonest…the truth is, I hadn’t even thought of the ravens yet.
I’m starting the third book in the Blood of the Isir series tomorrow, and while it will be the last book from the series for a bit, it will not be the last book, I promise. I already have the beginning and the title for book four, so by my twisted logic, that book is already ninety percent done. Additionally, Hank whispered in my ear the other day, and his story goes much farther than the events I’ve already planned.
I can’t wait.