A Light In The Dark Series – Six Month Update

I am a quiet but very creative person from music to art to writing. I have been a lifelong reader with a passion for fantasy books. A thirst for knowledge lead me to post-secondary school twice where I attended the Nova Scotia Community College. I studied and obtained Diplomas in Web Development and Business Administration. My enthusiasm for reading led me down the path to start writing and creating a series of books. It took a few years to lay everything out and produce my first book: The Crowned Rose.

The most enjoyable thing for me was creating the world in which my series takes place. I really enjoy describing scenes and being able to create something so cool from my own imagination. The least enjoyable would have to be the editing process, combing through page after page trying to fix all the errors. Grammar has always been the biggest struggle for me when writing but I feel like I am getting better the more I write.

Well I did most of my writing outside of my home. I wrote most of my book by hand using pencil and paper before I transferred it to computer. I did a lot of writing while waiting for school to start or between classes. After graduating I would write while on the bus commuting or go find somewhere peaceful under a tree where I could sit and write for a while. I really enjoy writing outside where I can sit and listen to music while I write. Many times, when I have been stuck on a chapter I found just sitting and watching the clouds helped to clear my head and bring new ideas to me.

There’s a few things I hope to get out of my book series. Money is always good, it would be nice to be able to write full time and have enough money to be stable but that’s not the main reason I am writing this series. What I really want to do is reach people who love delving into an epic journey in a far away land. I want people to take time to enjoy reading something that excites them and touches their life a little.

I would like to say it is for anyone 16+ that enjoys reading fantasy. When writing I try to be very descriptive so as to paint a picture in the readers mind. I didn’t want to PG-13 scenes that involve nudity or death so it may not be suitable for everyone.

Yes, I am actively writing the second book. I still have lots of work ahead before it will be finished and published but I am very happy with the direction I’m heading. There will be much more detail and depth added into the second book. The first book really introduces a lot of the world and the characters that I wanted my audience to get to know while still furthering the plot and keeping it interesting. For the second book I am really trying to build upon what the first book introduced and really pull the reader into the epic adventure that is unfolding.

There’s a lot of work to be done yet. The last book over two years to write and another year to edit and publish. I am trying to set the same timeline for my second book however at this point I don’t want to put a specific date on it. On the bright side I have decided upon a name and the cover for my next book but, I won’t be releasing those details just yet.

Yes, I do have a big picture for the series however, it’s more like a living creature rather than something set in stone. I know the big events that I want to have happen, but they don’t always turn out the way I have it outlined. I want the characters I create to be able to make choices that suit their personality so this will change pieces of my outline as I go. The outline took a long time to really sit down and figure out. The main ideas for this series date years before I even put the first words on paper and back then it was just a grand idea and a couple of characters.
Putting everything in its place was a big task on its own. No, really, I had blank paper running the length of my wall which I plotted everything on. This included when characters were introduced, when events happened, and where things would be left off for the next book in line. It really helped me to physically put everything in its place and get to know where I wanted things to be.

I chose to introduce only Founders Island in book one because that was the main focal point for the book. There are in fact Three Kingdoms which are really three different islands: Founders, Cold Stone, Prosperity which make up the world. There is in fact more than three rulers spread out over the Three Kingdoms. Founders and Cold Stone Island are smaller, so they only have one Ruler but, Prosperity is largely populated and is broken down into different regions.