How not to write a fantasy series

I do things, as a writer, that are not in my best interest.

When you write a series, there should be a clear progression, an arc that bends toward a final conflict in the story's world, without much deviation. When you write a first person point of view series, you should never stray from that point of view, that character. These are not complicated guidelines, nor are they arbitrary. So of course I ignore them.

Is it stubbornness? Contrariness? Self-sabotage? There may be some element of each of these things, but primarily, my answer is no. I'll tell you a secret about the Amra Thetys series: It is at least as much about the eightfold goddess as it is about Amra. This shouldn't be much of a secret to those who've been paying attention, honestly. But in Amra's world, there are very few straight-up villains. She Who Casts Eight Shadows may very well be the ultimate antagonist of the series, but she is no cartoon villain, twirling Her metaphorical mustache just off-stage. She is the prime mover of the entire story, while Amra is the primary lens through which we view it. There is a balance to be struck, in order to tell the story completely. That balance demands certain deviations from your standard fantasy series arc.

I suppose this is a caution to readers – the series I'm writing may not always be the series you are expecting. But I know where it is going, and I know how it will end.

I do things, as a writer, that are not in my best interest. But I do not do things that are not in the best interest of the story. Or, ultimately, the reader.