Fallen Warriors was a real learning experience for me. I intended the plot to go in one direction, but wasn’t totally sure how that would look. In the end, by allowing my characters to direct the story, I ended up pretty close to where I’d wanted to, but had followed them all through some unexpected journeys.
I now have a situation – as I set out to write the sequel – where none of my character journeys are complete, where each of them still has some internal demons to battle.
Unlike with Season One, I don’t yet have a definitive ending I’m heading for. Well, that might not be totally true…
I’ve been jotting down plot ideas for months and I need to revisit those. I think that at one point I did think I had an overall aim for both Season Two and Season Three, but it may have been quite vague.
I’m intending to start this writing journey by storyboarding the overall plot:
- One main story arc to link all three books.
- Two major story arcs for books two and three.
- Minor story arcs for each character that may stretch over both books, or may end and then spark a new arc.
For this I’ll draw on resources like the Three Act Structure for Novelists (by Fiona Veitch Smith.)
I’m extremely nervous about tying it all together!
But, I know I can, because I’ve already done it once.
All of that sounds very analytical yet I believe people are enjoying Fallen Warriors because it is ultimately a story about real people, facing real struggles, and in the end, overcoming them… Or not!
I enjoy writing stories for much the same reasons people enjoy reading them. I get an emotional rush as I place my characters in situations that tear them apart, break them down and then give them hope. Over the summer it’s all going to be about the story!
