This month's update revolves around Master Greggen, the barley mage in Assassin. His plotline has been driving me nuts.
I knew what role Greggen needed to play in the story. I knew where things had to end up. But there was a plotline involving him that simply wasn't working. Every time I came back to it, something felt off.
I tried this. I tried that. I considered various possibilities. None of them quite did the trick.
And then, finally, while editing the first draft, the answer came.
This is one of the great pleasures of writing fiction. You can wrestle with a story problem for days, sometimes weeks, and then suddenly see the solution. It's so satisfying.
The rest of this edit is mostly cleaning up small things. I'm excited about how the story is coming together. And I think I'm going to take a few days off work next week to accelerate the writing.
A terrific read
In the meantime, I want to recommend a book I absolutely loved: Half a King by Joe Abercrombie.
It has all the wonder and adventure I want from a great fantasy novel. But here's the interesting thing: there's no magic or mythical creatures in it. It's not what you'd typically think of as fantasy. And yet, it still gives you that fantasy feel.
I think it's because Abercrombie transports you so completely into another world. It's a world of swords, medieval crafts, battles, and intrigue. And he brings it to life so well. I'm telling you, I was there.
There's also a wonderful little surprise about the world itself. I'm not going to say anything more because part of the pleasure is discovering it for yourself.
What really makes the book shine, though, is its terrific cast of characters. I absolutely loved the people in this motley crew, their story arcs, and the surprises along the way.
The novel is full of betrayals, desperate choices, unexpected turns, and plenty of action.
If you enjoy that kind of story, I think you'll love this book.
That's all for now. I've got a barley mage waiting for me, and I don't want him causing any more trouble than he already has.
Happy reading!
John
P.S. If you've already read Half a King, I curious about your reaction. Hit reply and tell me what you thought.
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