Know the Novel Part 3: Words Written

(Rage Like the Gods character art done by Paige Coffer)

It is now December, NaNoWriMo is in the rearview mirror and authors everywhere are sighing in relief and struggling to pick up the little pieces of what is left of their sanity after it shattered... or maybe that's just me.

Either way, NaNoWriMo is over. But even though one of my favorite writing events has now ended, it shall live forever in my heart. Or at least it will live on in my heart until I am distracted by something else.

So let's relive a little bit of it, shall we? As I answer questions that are a part of Christine Smith's Know the Novel Linkup.

1. How did writing this novel go all around?

Really, really well. It took me a year and five months to write Rage Like the Gods in all its monstrously huge beauty. It's 300,000 words long and I enjoyed writing every word. Okay, maybe not every word. There were a few points especially as I was trying to wrap it all up where I was left scratching my head and wondering how I was going to manage this, but as a whole I really enjoyed writing this novel and despite its size I never really grew tired or bored of it.

2. Did it turn out like you expected or completely different? And how do you feel about the outcome?

(image via Pinterest)

On one hand Rage Like the Gods has not veered very far from my original idea, which can be found at this post when I first introduced it over a year ago.

On the other hand... while RLtG is relatively the same plot and concept-wise (which does not always happen when it comes to me being a crazy plantser), it did end up being way bigger and more complex than I had originally anticipated. It was always supposed to be a five-book series, that hasn't changed. Although writing a prequel and adding another POV was not part of the plan. Then I was like, what if I write a spinoff series about some side characters met in the series? What if... what if... what if and next thing I know I blinked and not only was RLtG 300,000 words long but there are now twenty books set in Ruskhazar (only six of them are RLtG though, the other fourteen are from different series altogether).

How do I feel about this? On one hand, I feel daunted. But on the other... just so excited. I love how everything fits together like a giant and extremely complex jigsaw puzzle. I'm also so ridiculously proud of how this world I created was able to organically create twenty books. That twenty books was what it took to fully delve into everything that happens in Ruskhazar.

3. What aspect of the story did you love writing about the most? (Characters, plot, setting, prose, etc.)

My favorite part was the characters. I would be lying if I said that anything even came close to being as enjoyable as writing these chaotic folks. Not just my main characters, who are a beloved handful. But my character's love interests and even the side characters were just so much fun to work on. Somehow, they are all so different, with various arcs and relationships all throughout the story and I'm not entirely sure how I managed to have five entirely unique characters and their love interests, and their supporting cast. But somehow... somehow, I managed to do that.

4. How about your least favorite part?

Keeping it as short as I did. I know, that's a joke considering that the finished product is 300,000 words long, but... the thing is, RLtG is that long because I have five separate stories going on. Stories that I had to make certain that I didn't get too carried away with. I kept reminding myself that this is only the origin stories, that I had five more books to help these characters develop and grow, but I'm not going to lie. With everything that happens in this story it was so hard to keep each POV from becoming a book of its own.

For instance, Eirik's POV has severe Robin Hood vibes, and I could honestly have written the whole book on just that, but I had four other stories to tell so I had to keep it from getting too long (it still ended up being 81k whoops...)

5. What do you feel like needs the most work?

The consistency. The problem of writing five separate POVs like five separate books, all over the span of a year and five months is that... a lot of facts changed as I went. Names got switched around and forgotten, some backstories got rewritten, character appearances changed. And that's going to be... yeah that's going to be fun to have to go back through and fix up.

6. How do you feel about your characters now? Who’s your favorite? Least favorite? Anyone surprise you? Give us all the details!

I LOVE my characters and there is no way I could choose a favorite. No way at all. *hugs my five chosen ones even though Dagmy hates all forms of affection*

Thyre and Dagmy are my tough ones, they're the ones who are more than capable of taking care of themselves. They're the ones who have had the roughest time. Sometimes it seems that all they do is lose and lose and lose some more.

Eirik and Meruna are my soft precious babies who must be protected at all costs. They are innocent and pure and funny and sweet.

Azern waffles between taking care of herself and needing to be protected. Poor lass suffers from a split-personality disorder.

And then the love interests? THE LOVE INTERESTS ARE JUST SO AMAZING. I adore and respect good natured Sassa. I will kill anyone who hurts my darling Vrom. Magnar is just as frustratingly stubborn as ever and I wouldn't have it any other way. Hakon always has a witty one-liner and I love me that grumpy mercenary. And Fell is just so dang attractive *fans self*.

And then there's the side cast. I don't have too many in this book what with the sheer number of people to keep up with, but Aoife is Meruna's sarcastic warrior-nun bodyguard who loves eating and I unabashedly adore her. And then there's Bjorn, Eirik's best friend, fellow bard, and partner in crime who loves cheese.

So yup, I just LOVE THEM ALL. I absolutely can't even pick favorites. Now as for least favorites, imma say anyone who has had the gall to hurt my babies in this book. Villains, faithless friends, and rude people. They all know who they are and they ought to be ashamed of themselves.

7. What’s your next plan of action with this novel?

Currently, I'm letting it sit. I like to leave any projects I finish alone for a month or two before I pick up their edits, I tend to find that I can come back to it with a clearer head after that break. And with how big RLtG was I doubt I'll pick it up till February. After that I plan on editing it like crazy and trying to get it ready to be published by November 11th 2022. As for this month, I've started writing the sequel Folly of the Gods.

8. If you could have your greatest dream realized for this novel, what would it be?

Oh, my goodness, I would be the happiest person ever if someone were to make Rage Like the Gods into a TV series.

9. Share some of your favorite snippets!

Currently, I'm terrified of my first draft and how much work it needs, but very well. If you must have some snippets... then snippets you shall have.

Thyre:

"Lebedev has some nice dungeons. Smooth stone walls with curved arches, it’s some fine architecture. Everything is quite clean, the whole area is well lit. One wouldn’t even think of it as a dungeon if not for the bars separating a portion of the room from the stairwell I am led down.

Still, it is definitely the nicest dungeon I have been in. Far better than the government run prison I woke up in the other day where I could barely even see my hand in front of my face, and the whole place stank of sewage and rot."

~*~*~*~

“It’s a very drastic thing to, uh…” he glances around, leaning forward and dropping his voice even though the streets are almost empty right now. “To kill someone.”

“Believe me, it isn’t a drastic enough punishment for the godsforsaken man.” 

~*~*~*~

Meruna:

“A kraken?” I cry, breaking the silence. “But krakens don’t exist!”

I don’t suppose anyone was really waiting with bated breath for my opinion of the matter.

~*~*~*~

“Hang on one god’s blessed second,” Aoife says, which sort of surprises me since that is toeing a fine line of almost blasphemy and she is supposed to be the priestess in training here. “Hasn’t Antonov been dead for hundreds—”

“One thousand, one hundred and fifty-six years,” I murmur.

“What she said,” Aoife says pointing to me. “The point I’m getting at is this fellow is dead, has been for quite some time. And dead men don’t need brides.”

~*~*~*~

“To blazes with this. I was going to tell you, I had a speech rehearsed and everything, but you seemed so against the idea of… well, you know. So I decided that maybe it would be best if I didn’t speak up. I didn’t want to ruin everything between us by saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, but now you’re going around thinking you aren’t even loved and I am over here at an utter loss of words on how to tell you just how utterly wrong you are.”

I shake my head. “What are you even talking about?”

“What a jetting idiot I am apparently.”

“Whatever you are trying to say, just say it already,” I grumble. I’m having the worst day of my life and Fell is over here acting absolutely ridiculous. Getting mad at me for having a rotten lot and now just blathering.

Fell shoots me a look that is half a grimace. “I forgot my speech.”

~*~*~*~

Eirik

I have to admit, I was wondering the reception I would get entering the inn. As an escaped prisoner and such. Although I prefer the term, survivor of a shipwreck. However, no one mentions anything and then I realize that they don’t even know who I am.

I must not have been such a high profile prisoner after all. Pity, I suppose I didn’t have such a good time last night after all.

Also I want to know what right in Skyhold those men had to try to ship me off to the spice mines for a crime that wasn’t even worthy of tavern gossip.

~*~*~*~

I can explore a castle and court Sassa at the same time. I’m good at multitasking like that. For one I can woo a woman and save a village, sing a song and rob my patron blind. I can do bad things, for a good reason. And good things for a bad reason.

I’m the masked wolf.

I’m Eirik the bard.

And somewhere buried deep down, I’m a farmer’s son but I don’t like to talk about that.

~*~*~*~

“I assure you, my lady, you had not needed to go through such extents to get some time alone with me. You only had to ask nicely.”

“I’m not here to play games, I’m here to bring you to justice.”

I shake my head tsking. “Now what did I do to deserve you throwing around such a weighty word before supper?”

“You broke the law,” she grinds out. I can tell I’m reaching the end of her patience or maybe I’m already there. I must admit, I’m a little curious. I’ve never seen this side of her before. My uncle always said that you never knew a girl until you have had her mad at you.

“Barely,” I say holding my finger and thumb only slightly apart.

“Your days of terrorizing are up,” she says crossing her arms.

“Now I know terrorizing is definitely too strong a word to describe my little organization.” I rest a hand on my chest. “I mean look at me! Do you think that I’ve instilled terror in anyone anytime recently?”

~*~*~*~

Dagmy:

“Oh and I suppose that the deserts are so much better than here. I mean with the exception of it being warmer. Although I am still uncertain if escaping this godsawful cold is enough to warrant going somewhere where you could boil alive every odd day.”

I lift my chin. “Perhaps my home is a land of bloodshed and turmoil, where even the simplest herder must be trained to defend himself if a rival clan should attack. But in the very least you know who the enemy is. There you have your brothers and sisters in your own clan to watch your back. And enemies were not forced to live together under false harmony. This land is like a poorly stitched tear in a fine fabric. Sooner or later it will rend leaving a larger hole than there had been before.”

Hakon holds up a finger. “Ooh I like that. I’m going to use that someday.”

~*~*~*~

Azern:

“The undead?” Magnar asks arching a brow.

“Read up on your prophecies man, the end of the world is being brought about by necromancers.”

“Sorcerers threaten the fate of all humanity,” he mutters. “Why am I not surprised?”

“Not all sorcerers. Necromancers. I will have you know that I have never reanimated a corpse.”

“Well, that’s reassuring,” he says although he doesn’t sound reassured at all.

~*~*~*~

Poor Popov, I think of him sometimes and how he tried to have me killed.

~*~*~*~

10. Did you glean any new writing and/or life lessons from writing this novel?

Um...probably? Problem is whatever those lessons were I have already so naturally grafted them into my life that I can't currently think of anything specific. But I can't imagine that I didn't learn something over the past year it took me to write this 300k word long book—apart from proving my hypothesis that my books will always be longer than I first anticipate—it's just that I can't currently think of anything off of the top of my head.