I’ve been spending this last week rereading Foreordained to get me ready for writing the second draft of Purged.
It’s been over six years since Foreordained hit the marketplace. Overall, it’s been very positively received, aside from two or three disgruntled readers on Goodreads. It was my first book, and even as I read it now, I noticed that I did a lot of good with it. I always kept enough going on to bait readers into reading just one more chapter. The characters are great. I established the urgency of the conflict from the get-go. Nezmyth feels like a kingdom ruled under tyranny. It’s solid work, even though I was only 22 when it was done.
But just like anyone else who hones a craft for years, looking back on some of your earliest work is a little cringy. I’ve noticed so many things that I would change. The descriptions are a little melodramatic at times. Some sentences, internal monologue, and dialogue feel unnecessary. The story and events still work well, but I’ve just been my own worst critic for the last week.
For that reason, I’ve decided to publish a third edition of Foreordained. I’m currently looking for someone who could sketch up a map of Nezmyth City and that will be added to the manuscript, along with loads of fixes that I mentioned above. Nothing integral about the story will change–just supporting material that will make the world feel more alive and make the writing easier to read.
In Black & White Show
This week I also got to guest on the In Black & White Show with my friends Cody and Lenny! These guys asked me about how my faith ties into my writing and I got to share a lot of really cool experiences, such as transferring to UVU halfway through college and not sending Foreordained to a publisher when I was eighteen years old.
Give it a listen right here, or anywhere Podcasts are streamed!
What I’m Currently Reading
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams – Not gonna lie, I was a little disappointed by this one. It started off really strong. The prologue was brilliantly written and immediately established what the book was going to feel like. It was witty and ridiculous and made me laugh out loud… but then the zaniness overstayed its welcome. By the time I was fifty pages from the end, I just wanted to get the book over with. At least I can say I’ve read it now.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins – Did you guys know that a fourth Hunger Games book just came out?! I had no idea up until a few weeks ago! I’m always a little leery of spinoffs from wildly successful franchises because they’re never as good as the original (I’m looking at you, Fantastic Beasts), but when I read the synopsis of Ballad I was instantly intrigued. And after reading the first chapter, I’m hooked. I can’t wait to see how this one plays out. If it’s as well paced and intense as the Hunger Games trilogy, I’m in for a treat.
What do you think?