In around six months’ time I will release my first book, the first of three parts of the story A Place I Have Never Been. It’s stressful but exciting at the same time because, well, given my tendency towards both regular and melodrama, this story is the work of a lifetime. Mine, at least.
Telgora as a concept has existed in some form since my time in middle school, which, let’s face it, is about the time we actually develop some semblance of consciousness. I drew the original map for this fantasy land in seventh grade, and the final design remains similar to that drawing. Both the story and myself have grown and changed a lot in this time. I don’t know if I could have predicted where it would go from the first time that I put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard, and set out to tell a very different story then. I think the first draft written all those years ago was something to do with a dragon school, to be honest, and it was a grand twenty pages. My father was proud. But then, he always is.
Writing has always been a pleasure, hobby, and an escape for me. I’ve taken writing classes in high school and college ranging from fiction to nonfiction to creative nonfiction to food. Yes, I delved into fanfiction hard in middle school (and I still owe a promise to finish one of my grand stories then). My greatest pride there was that one of my fanfictions is featured on the TV Tropes website. No, really. I won’t tell you which one.
But if I’m being frank, I think I hate my writing sometimes. There’s going to be a lot of cliched lines in this blog post but bear with me. I feel the need at once to justify the existence of my writing while at the same time finding the courage to stand beside it. There are things I think I am good at, and things that I’m not and together I both judge myself for not being able to tell things as effectively as I’d like, and judged by my characters for not being able to tell their stories as effectively as they’d like sometimes.
Sure, I’m one of those writer people who winds up having long imaginary conversations with my characters, sue me. They’re all mad at me now anyway, so I’ve that to deal with. No spoilers, though, for why.
But it’s amazing to watch a world you’ve in a sense lived in for as long as I have come to life for other people. There are a select few I’ve sent copies of my story to early for feedback and editing, and getting that kind of feedback is helpful and incredible.
When you sit as long with the same story over and over no matter how much you may hate or love your own writing, I think you’re always going to wind up thinking it’s boring because you know what’s happening. It’s like acting in a play. You know the lines, you know the blocking, you know the twist and why a certain character needs to do a certain thing or why something is happening and how it will change what comes next.
But the reader, the audience, has no idea. It’s their first time and when you realize that, and you are able to see and hear how they respond when your line hits that perfect note you meant it to, there might not be a better feeling. It’s certainly one of the better ones I’ve experienced. It’s one of the reasons I write.
It’s not the only reason, mind you. Writing is freeing and it’s captivating, it’s creative and maddening, it’s stressful and relaxing, it’s thrilling and it’s boring all at the same time. It’s fun and it’s work. It’s creation, and like with winemaking and like with cooking that kind of creation is the closest we as humans get to being gods.
Writers create worlds and living things to populate them. Then we get to share them. That’s beautiful to me.
The official release date for Part I of A Place I Have Never Been is December 6th, 2019.
The Prologue, Iron Heart, is available for free on this website now, however. Feel free to give it a look and get excited for the official release!
Thanks to everyone who’s supported me on this journey, and for the interest in my story.