Katie Runyon

Time for my weekly blog entry. Yet again, this is just a normal entry. No special prize inside. But I still hope that it will be a bit insightful divulging some of the inner workings while I’m going through this strange process of writing/editing my novels. First, if you haven’t noticed, I added a new chapter to The Dark Within, which is chapter three. That novel is going at a nice speed; let’s just hope it stays that way. Chapter two wasn’t my favorite. It seemed a little boring for a moment I built up for. So I will have to remedy that in the editing process. Chapter three I was really excited to write. It was the big bang where it all really started. I just hope I was able to convey it well enough. My excitement might have clouded my mind a bit. Either way, I will make everything better later on.

Right now I’m working on chapter four. The story seems to be trying to take me in directions that I hadn’t planned on. I had originally planned Granger’s big reveal for chapter two, but it just didn’t seem the right time. I felt like he would be a little more hesitant. I’m not even sure if having the reveal in chapter three was the right choice. It might be better to leave it until even later. Especially since another secret is about to come out in the next chapter or two. But I think it will stay, at least for now.

I am not trying to toot my own horn or anything, but I am falling in love with my new villain. I just have so much worked out for him, that to me he is such a deep character. Sadly, he is even better created than Kari. But when I began writing Kari, I didn’t think too much on her and she’s just grown into who she wants to be. But Onispela, I have chunks of background and motivation and personality and I can’t wait to write his scenes.

As for my editing, it’s getting there. As I write the second book, there are things that I need to change about the first one to make it all work out. Some things with Medwin were some important ones that I had to change. They are just subtle things, but if I didn’t change them, then the story with him would seem inconsistent. I also just went back and changed all the dialogue from either of the two horses that spoke to Kari. I finally decided to make that a bit more realistic and have their vocabulary and speech be a bit less advanced. I kept Sylvain the same. If I had to change him, that would be a whole lot of work. But Sylvain is special. He grew up with Kari and learned from her. A normal wild creature does not have the need to speak in such a way. But Sylvain was brought up by humans and learned from them. He may still be a bird, but he is also so much more than that.

Besides those, little things are changing all the time. I don’t know what the final product will be like yet. I don’t think any of the major parts will change, but I’m sure some tweaking will be in order. I’m excited to think of it finally being finished. It has been years in the making and I’m getting closer everyday. Not only that, but part of me can’t wait to finish these three books so I can stretch my legs and my mind a bit further. I want to create a fresh set of characters and plots. I’ve been trying my best to keep it at bay, but it’s bursting to come out. I guess it’s just in a writer’s nature to want to create. While I love this series, it’s in a sense my first born, I have learned so much since then. I want to take those new and improved skills and knowledge and put them to good use by creating an even better series. But until I’m at least in the process of writing my third book, I don’t think I can even begin to think about it. I do know that it will be set in the same world. When it will be set, I’m not sure. I want to keep the option of going back to the other series open if the inspiration ever strikes. But this is all farther in the future than I need to worry about right now. I have only two concerns right now. Foreseen and The Dark Within.