Howdy folks!
Still alive, still kicking. It’s been kind of a rough month as far as having time to do things goes so this check-in is probably going to look similar to last month’s update. I have been doing a bit of writing, but it’s mostly background work and worldbuilding (yes I know – I’m trying to avoid worldbuilder’s disease but there are some things I need to get a handle on sooner rather than later) which I will link to in the appropriate locations.
What Am I Working On?
Hostage – Manuscript is still with the other Lowell and I’ve gotten an okay on the cover, but because of aforementioned roughness I had to take a detour for my own sanity. So! Instead of the cover I’ve been working on a topographic map of Sudenlan, the continent upon which Hostage takes place. (It’s south of Korlay for those familiar with the other Lowell’s Tanyth Fairport trilogy – which, yes, is one of my favorites and the other reason Esper’s last name is Ravenwood – I truly didn’t expect to be sitting at the same table as my own father at writing cons, let alone doing a collaboration!)
Music – I added a new tab to the Table of Contents, which I don’t think I mentioned in my last update, and will be adding to it as I make compilations. I’ve been working on an OST for a campaign run by my friend David, and he’s given me permission to put the suite on YouTube, so that should be up soon!
The Dawnbreakers’ Saga – I’ve been picking away at what needs to happen next since I’m officially in terra nova as far as planning goes. I know the next Big Thing and what that will entail but I’ve got kind of a chill and possibly boring period between then and now and there may be more cinematic episodes in my future. Before I start doing the next phase though, I also have a recap to compile and new card art to finish. There’s a lot of work that needs to get done before the end of August.
The Dragon King’s Council – This is in the worldbuilding and initial noodling phase. It’s got a little over 200 pages of comic/graphic novel script which is really intimidating and I probably shouldn’t have gone whole hog with this thing, but I want to give it a shot anyway. I’ve also been considering ways to change the beginning and write it for novel so that less comic-inclined people can also enjoy the story. This is the story that I’ve been incessantly worldbuilding, and am in the process of compiling a World Anvil codex for it, so if you want to see what kind of weirdness is brewing, go check that out. I’m staying pretty far away from any story-related information, so it’s very spoiler-free thus far. My immediate next step will be working out the differences between cultural groups so that I know what it actually means to say, “Cason MacRaed is a second-generation Iznili immigrant to Wynecrag.” I’m very excited about this project, but at the same time trying not to burn myself out on it. It’s very much being written by the seat of my pants along a meandering trail where I know the major events that need to happen and where it’s going roughly, but the between bits are a mystery until they land on the page.
Other – Charge and anything Five Realms related have officially been shelved, and I’m considering taking the series number off the cover of Oisinson. I do want to look back at Charge and see if there’s anything in it I could use in the next Asgard book, which I think I know a good premise for, but it still needs noodles and the state of the world is not helping me think about writing modern fantasy. Things I do know: there will be more Loki, there might be more Rig, we may actually interact with Thor a bit more, potentially see some interaction with folks from other pantheons entirely, and I’m considering Vanaheim. We’ll see. I definitely want to go to Vanaheim sometime in the future but I don’t know when. The Asgard series has the potential to be nicely episodic, but I’m aware of the risk of going a bit too formulaic with each book, especially since I tend to think in patterns. I may have to re-read All’s Well and see if there are any threads I left hanging in the breeze.
That’s all from me this month. My brain feels like it’s gone through a blender but we’re still trucking along. I think I’m also going to be a little less rigid about when I post updates going forward, as long as I post them once a month. With that said, hopefully I’ll see you next month! Stay safe out there.