Things to Come

The entirety of my second short(ish) story, entitled Blood and Gold is now available here. This has been a joy to write and share, and the feedback has been great, as it was with Watcher of the West which remains available here. It was interesting to share an entirely different  story to Watcher of the West, told from an alternative viewpoint in much far-removed circumstances from those the young Sir Hugh was in. My next short(ish) story, though, is again a departure from both Watcher of the West and Blood and Gold. It is also one I'm incredibly excited to share.

Of Fire and Shadow, the next short story I shall be releasing in a few weeks' time, is a piece written for a friend of mine (who shall remain anonymous, though anyone who knows me personally will probably be able to figure it out). The two of us have known each other a number of years and are both big fans of creative writing, literature, and all things fantasy. The premise, plot, and certain characters that will appear in Of Fire and Shadow are all products of various conversations held between myself and my friend. As a result, I don't think I've ever been quite so happy with how a group of characters have turned out. To me, the writer, they feel vivid and developed on a level I've never been able to achieve before, and I really cannot wait to share the story with you. Before then, though, I shall be releasing one or two lore posts to add a little background and definition to a few of the institutions and ideas that are drawn upon in Of Fire and Shadow.

The characters it concerns are not lords. They aren't knights, mages, or wizards. They aren't even bandits, ruffians, or brigands. One is a priest, and the other is a young scholar - perhaps not the usual choice of characters for a story set in a dangerous fantasy world. Of Fire and Shadow follows these two young, intrepid men on their quest for knowledge into the imperial province of Maedar. Situated to the west of the Imperial Heartlands Maedar has enjoyed several decades of peace, yet things are not as they seem on the surface, and the two characters suddenly find themselves thrust into a world they are not even slightly prepared for.

You may noticed, however, that I have not referred to Of Fire and Shadow as a 'short(ish) story'. This is because, frankly, it isn't. Double the length of Watcher of the West and Blood and Gold, Of Fire and Shadow is nearly 30,000 words in length - not exactly what most would consider 'short'. It shall, however, be shared in its entirety here in four parts over the next few weeks - a break from the pattern of three I've tried to establish through the other stories. You can expect to see the first one of these on Wednesday the 6th of July.

So things are beginning to really get moving, which is great. Plenty of things are still in the works as well, so there is more to come! Things are going to slow on the production end towards the tail-end of summer, as I have other plans and want to spend some time focusing on my second piece of extended fictional writing, which is currently at 150,000 words and is halfway through a first draft. I do, however, plan to have enough content produced before then to be able to keep up with regular posting here. But that's a way off yet. For now, though, I'm signing off.


Take care!

Rob.