I drafted the final scene of the final book of the Forgotten King trilogy today.
It feels strange. Do you know that listless, bittersweet feeling you have when you finish reading a great book? You’ve invested so much emotionally into the characters and their lives, it’s hard to say goodbye. Finishing writing a book, especially the last book in a series, is much like that.
When I finished drafting the first two books, it wasn’t the end of the story. I would return to these characters and their lives again, showing their growth and how they face the new challenges I threw at them. With the third book, though, their quest is completed. There are no more problems to solve.
These characters have been with me, living in my mind, for nearly twenty years. From seeing a mental image of a man and a woman walking through a field to the final resolution, I have devoted so much thought and energy to creating and discovering the people of Camelora. They became a part of me.
Of course, I’m not completely done with these characters. Books two and three are not ready for public consumption yet. There are still revisions and edits to be done. The characters and their stories will still grow and develop throughout these processes. But there are no more books to develop from scratch. I’m satisfied with the direction the story took and I will now be building on the framework of this draft. From here, the sapling of the story has nothing to do but grow and bloom.
And then, new stories can form.
Yay! I’m so glad you finished the 2nd two books. Let me know when I can get them.
Love you