Backstage - Wingswept: The Dragon & the Dove
An early behind-the-scenes
Welcome behind the scenes for the first time!
First off, this is my first serial. It’s an interesting process because, unlike the other novels I’m posting/will be posting to substack, I can’t go back and edit much regarding the storyline. I haven’t been stockpiling chapters for weeks, like I have been for those; I haven’t been writing it for years, either.
If I forget about world-building details I already established and focus only on what’s happening in the chapter, technically I could go back and edit it, but I haven’t been doing that.
On the other hand, with the fact that my brain is only memorizing the spelling I didn’t choose for Enara’s name, constantly typing Erana instead, I keep having to go back through after publishing, usually several days after, and correct it. I’ll probably have it memorized by the time I finish the last chapter!
As mentioned, I can’t change the storyline - which has proved a problem, as we shall see.
Not to mention, the official title and all the chapter names are usually the very last thing before I send it in. I used to never name the chapters, until my publisher asked me for a list for a table of contents (which makes sense because a table of contents doesn’t make as much sense if it’s just a list of numbers). I also normally stick to a one-word method that describes something about the chapter but without revealing anything particular. With Wingswept, since I originally wrote it in parts, having somewhat punny titles was something I liked.
Inspiration
I don’t want to get into a lot of detail about the inspiration, because there’s a personal thread woven throughout. However, my intention with Alandis is to show her traveling, quite literally per the names of the provinces, from a state of grace and peace into fear, despair, and isolation. The amber is a literal representation of both her physical and spiritual life - if it breaks, she breaks. I may share a few more insights after the tale has been wrapt up here on Substack, as I don’t want to spoil too much.