Order of Thanatos, a journey into first-person

This is just a quick update from last week. My previous post revealed that I am working on a new project, the Order of Thanatos. You can read more about that here. I am now on chapter 3 and will hit 10k words by the end of the weekend. So far, it flows onto the page like Dawn of the Lightbearer did, which is fantastic. I’m writing more than a thousand words daily, and it just flies by. This is a treat for a writer, much like a runner’s high. At this rate, I could be done by the summer and still have time to finish Destiny of the Daystar by the end of the year. It’s ambitious, but idleness is where the Devil plays.

I’ve tried something different in this book and chose to write in the first person as a memoir. I have never done this before. I know there is some criticism of this point of view out there, but I don’t care. I wanted something different, and this story lends itself to that lens. There have also been plenty of famous fiction works that use the first-person perspective (The Martian, The Hungar Games, The Catcher in the Rye, etc.). It has its own unique set of challenges, but it also allows a very close examination of the main character’s thoughts, motives, and feelings. I’m taking more of a horror angle on this fantasy, and being able to express what the main character is feeling, from terror to awe, is vital. Also, in my world, my MC will become famous for both good and bad reasons, so a memoir in the form of a forbidden tell-all fits nicely.

Last week, the Order of Thanatos was very green at 2,500 words, but it is starting to solidify, especially my main character, Mishal of Gaven Hill. The book will follow his path from the slums of Newpost through his journey to Thanatos, becoming a brother of the order, and finally, a pivotal moment at Highwater. I want to keep this book at a tight 100-120k word count, and it may end up being a trilogy, but we’ll see where the story goes.

In my struggle querying for Koen, I’ve realized that it may just be too long for anyone to take the risk. It is 139,000 words, which is still within the reasonable fantasy length, which maxes out at about 150,000 for most of us (G.R.R. Martin’s books average at 350,000 each. But for an untested author, that is a lot of pages to sell, and I get that. Also, being from a demographic that is not underrepresented and writing in a very competitive genre, I have some cards stacked against me. That is not complaining or any kind of commentary. It is just the reality of the current market. I’ve not given up, but I should also be honest with myself. Sure, it’s a bummer, especially facing rejection every single day, but I still have nine months of trying before going the self-publishing route again.

The main takeaway is that I am not giving up. I’m applying what I learn on this journey by shifting strategies. Arnold Schwarzenegger has said the most crucial thing in life is to have a goal. His was body-building and making movies. Mine is becoming a traditionally published author. Far too many people don’t even have a goal in life. So, I’m lucky to know where I need to reach. With a bit of hard work, I’ll get there.

Cheers!