Introducing Anyone’s Crazy Aunt – Available Now!

When I first introduced the Everyone’s Child project on my blog, I mentioned that I first started writing it in college. I’ve made no secret of the fact that I used to take two notebooks with me to every class, even back in high school. One was for taking class notes and the other was for working on whatever story was in my head at the time.

In retrospect, I’m pretty sure most of my teachers knew what I was doing. But I never got in trouble so I never stopped. Everyone’s Child was one of many abandoned attempts at a NaNoWriMo project. I only got a handful of scenes finished before I abandoned it. But I did write down a bunch of potential chapter titles, which made picking up the project interesting.

I wish I could say more about my original attempt to write this story. The truth is, I didn’t have much of a plan. When I first started writing, I was often interested in writing a story that had no point when it started. The goal was simply to write and see what eventually happened.

I have no idea what I would have done if I ever actually finished one of these meandering messes. Back then, I had no real concept of editing. So I assume the answer is sob softly into a pillow when I realized how much trouble I made for myself.

I’ve learned a lot about the writing process in general since that time. Especially that even when you’re totally pantsing a novel, the plot should probably have a goal to achieve if you ever want it to go anywhere.

Still, I sometimes wonder what this story would have looked like if I had finished it the first time.

The First Attempt

Stories almost never end up the way you want them to when the concept first pops into your head. I often think about my original plans for many of my stories, and I’m always forced to admit that my execution is nowhere near what I was aiming for. In some cases, the original concept was way more complicated than I ever could have achieved. In other cases, the final product is leaps and bounds better than what I originally came up with. So it all balances out in the end.

But I often wonder what my stories would look like if I stuck to those original concepts and tried to make them work. The worlds and even the people I create would look vastly different to those that occupy my current library. Sometimes I feel sad about what might have been. But most of the time I’m very glad I allowed my work to grow and evolve into where it ended up. Especially when I get comments from readers about how much they loved or enjoyed certain aspects.

It’s also sobering to realize that some of the plans I had for my early projects just weren’t really viable. Once I planned an entire novel that was meant to be a prologue for a bigger story. (The hero was going to be born in the last chapter.) It sounded really cool and fun. Until I ended up consuming similar types of stories and realized it’s kind of boring to wait around for the main story to start. Live and learn!

Since I’ve brought this up during a release blog, you’re probably wondering how much Everyone’s Child changed between its first inception and its final execution. The answer is: quite a lot!

Elayith and Seri

The biggest change between the first draft of Everyone’s Child and the final publication is Seri. I originally conceived of her as much older and far more refined. As far as zealots go, they don’t look much different after they reach a certain stage. But I realized quickly during my new outlining stage that in order for the reader to learn the secrets of the Watchers slowly, it would make more sense for Seri to be a lower level initiate, and there for younger and less experienced.

As Seri’s story progressed, I leaned into her youth. At first it simply felt right. But eventually I realized this is a coming of age story. And in many ways, Seri and Elayith’s stories mirror each other. Elayith wants to break free of the chains that have bound her to a specific course since her youth. Seri, on the other hand, wants to be tied to something bigger than herself. She longs for the destiny that Elayith rejects.

As Elayith and Seri continue on their journeys, each is forced to look inward and confront questions about themselves. This is where Seri’s youth becomes critical. As an adult, she would have to be set in her ways with a developed perspective of her situation. But as someone on the brink of adulthood, her mind remains malleable which makes it easier for her to learn from what she glimpses in the dark mirror held up in front of her.

In some ways, Elayith and Seri’s narrative are about the mistakes we make in our youth and how we mature and overcome them. (Or, in some cases, don’t.) One of the most interesting notes I left for myself is: both Seri and Elayith are on paths of self-destruction; but only one of them can see it.

Jaolyn and the Knights

What else changed between story versions? There are probably too many things to list in one blog post but Jaolyn’s shadow, the knights and the other primordials probably constitute the largest changes.

In the original draft, Jaolyn was more of a thief and less of an archeologist. His reasons for pursuing Elayith were far more selfish and his intentions toward her far more sinister. But since the plan was always for there to be a romantic subplot between the two characters, his initial characterization would have been problematic. (I’ve learned a lot about that over the years too!)

The primordials weren’t included in the original draft. Nor did Jaolyn have his shadow passenger. That was a concept I came up with during the new planning stages and kept because it made the character far more interesting. I’m pretty sure the sleeping knights were originally going to be dwarves frozen in stone. But I never got around to deciding why. If I ever had an idea, it’s long since vanished to the mists of time.

I conceived of the knights during the revival stage as angelic beings in the biblical sense, with rows of eyes and flaming rings of fire. Again, the concept was so much more interesting than what I started with that I dove headfirst into developing it and, eventually, they became demi-gods of a sort. The caretakers of an age after the gods but before the more mundane races came around. And as a result of the space they occupied in the development of this world, they also became integral parts of its magic system.

To see the full glory of all the changes, though, you have to read the books!

Anyone’s Crazy Aunt is Available Now!

The world hovers on the brink of change.

With word of the creator goddess’s return spreading like wildfire, every faction on the content gathers to determine who will guide the world’s future. At their head stands Drannor Urilar, the leader of the church and self-proclaimed chosen of the goddess. He brims with ambition and possesses of the tongue of a snake – and he intends to have his way, even if it means twisting Elayith’s message to suit his purpose.

The only faction that can hope to oppose him is the mages, led by Rynwan Samdel. But they have their own desires, including an independent nation that will provide them with self-governance. And they are willing to go to war to win their freedom, if that’s what it takes.

Unbeknownst to the others, a third faction lurks in the shadows. They’ve spent generations observing, but the Watcher order now contemplates stepping into the light to reveal and initiate their ultimate goal. Seri still moves among them – but she must decide if she will at last join the legendary goddess avatar or maintain her stubborn opposition to the goddess’s truth.

The only person with the power to calm and direct this political cascade is Elayith, only daughter of the goddess of creation. For all her life, she’s believed that following the path of her mother’s prophecy would lead to nothing – save the freedom she’s always craved. But now she stands at the end of her journey with more questions than answers and the chilling realization that her pilgrimage was only the beginning.

Because in the midst of all the rest, she must still find a way to fulfill the divine quest her mother set to her!

Grab your copy now!