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.
