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Author’s Advice Pt. 18

by Unknown's avatar

Nothing anyone does with their own two hands is EVER a waste of time.

This is especially true when it comes to writing. Too often I have heard people write out a few chapters then look up, sigh, and say that they’re wasting their time. Their story makes no sense, the characters suck, and the progression isn’t… progressing.

That’s not a waste of time, as you’ve just discovered characters, a story, and progression that don’t work together. You didn’t waste time, you tried something and it didn’t work. I honestly think that if we looked at some of our failure stories like this more often, we’d be a lot happier. Who knows, maybe you can use those characters or that plot line later. There is no rule against recycling ideas in a story. If there was… I’d have a lot of answering to do.

P.S. I apologize for the lack of posts recently, getting Damnation ready for publishing and the announcement that our second child is on the way has consumed most of my free time. I will make every effort to post whenever I can, thank you all so much for sticking it out with me!!

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!

+

+ fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Historical Fiction, literature, Reading, Writing

Character Profiles: Piero Lorenzi.

by Unknown's avatar

From Damnation
Species: Human
Rank: Ensign
Affiliation: Papal Army, Army of the Republic of Florence

Character Information: A brazen young commissioned officer in the Florentine Army during the War of the League of Cognac, Piero Lorenzi seeks to restore the name of his house, who’s honor was taken due to his father’s cowardice. He serves faithfully though his commanding officer, Captain Ferruccio has frequently noted a troublesome level of tardiness in Piero’s performance when it comes to him being on time for his duty. He loves his city and has vowed to protect it from anyone, be it Emperor Charles V, or anyone else who would dare try to breach their walls.

He is very close to the men in his unit and treats them like family. The men he fight with are his friends and would follow him into battle, regardless of risk.

Piero dreams of partaking in a fantastic adventure like those he’d read about as a child… he may soon get his wish…

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+ fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Reading, Writing

Character Profile: General Xaphan

by Unknown's avatar

As Damnation slowly begins to take form, I thought it might be a good idea to give everyone an introduction to one of the main characters and arguably one of the best characters I’ve ever created, Xaphan.

Species: Angel
Affiliations: Choirs of the Most High, Legions of Hell.
Rank: General

Character profile: Xaphan was originally created by Collin de Plancy in his book, Dictionnaire Infernal. While some of the history remained the same, Xaphan’s gender, overall personality, and appearance have been drastically altered.

Xaphan was originally a skilled tactician in the Choirs of Angels. Upon Lucifer’s uprising, she defected and became his general. For an immeasurable amount of time, Xaphan lead Lucifer’s forces against the armies of the Most High, lead by Saint Michael, fighting them to a stalemate. The war seemed to be without end until a courageous band of angels infiltrated Lucifer’s ranks and managed to capture him. Xaphan considered the act dishonorable and unfitting to the ranks of angels.
With their leader gone, Lucifer’s army fell into disarray. General Xaphan managed to organize the remaining legions into a resistance movement, but they were slowly hunted down and overwhelmed. Xaphan herself was captured and hauled before the Choirs for judgement. Her wings were cursed so that she’d never be able to fly to the Celestial World again and she was cast into the Netherworld. No one knows what became of her following her expulsion…

Unlike Lucifer, Xaphan sought neither prestige nor rank. She joined his cause after learning that the world the Most High was creating was not intended as a reward for endless servitude the angels had endured. The fact that it was being given to a child race that would not respect it, or its creator, was more than Xaphan could tolerate. She joined Lucifer in an effort to free her brethren from eternal bondage.

In addition to being a skilled tactician, General Xaphan is unmatched in single combat with the sword, she is ruthless, vicious, unapologetic, brilliant, and incredibly strong. She lives by a strict code of honor which was evident during her first attack. She successfully destroyed the Celestial Temple, but not without first warning the people within, giving them time to evacuate non-combatants. She viewed the spilling of angel blood, any angel, to be a terrible waste.

+

+ fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fantasy, Historical Fiction, literature, Reading, Science Fiction, Writing

Damnation Update!

by Unknown's avatar

For all you crazy cats just waiting for even the slightest tidbit of news about my latest novel… 😉

I’m happy to report that things are progressing smoothly.

We haven’t set an official release date as of yet, but the book is going through editing, everyone I needed for the cover is onboard and working on it, and we’re officially on track. I personally am excited as what I have planned for this work is… ambitious to say the least. So stay tuned everyone, Divinity’s sequel is on its way!!!

+ advice, blog, fantasy, ficiton, Science Fiction, Writing

Are Sequels Really Necessary?

by Unknown's avatar

“When did the need for series and/or sequels start, anyway? I’ve been reading Diana Wynne Jones’ REFLECTIONS ON WRITING, and she isn’t shy about sharing her thoughts on series arcs (that is, she didn’t like them). If memory serves, out of the gazillion books she wrote, only three, maybe four had sequels. Even in the Chrestomanci series, Chrestomanci himself is not always a primary character. Granted, I’m working on a series myself, and feel good about this decision. I’m just wondering how many stand-alone stories the publishing world takes on vs. sure-fire series stories. I hope that makes sense.” -jeanleesworld

So we have a two-part question here. First, when did the need for series and/or sequels start? Pretty much since writing became a serious business, but probably more so since it became a very cutthroat business. Let me explain…

For one, you can write a stand alone book if you want, but you’re going to face massive hurdles if you want it published via traditional methods. In the fiction world, you’d want to start by submitting your manuscript to agents. I can say from experience that most of them, and the publishers, won’t give your work a second look if you don’t plan to write a sequel. Don’t forget, this is a business to them and they’re looking to make money off of it. It’s not about the art to them.

Keep in mind, this isn’t a criticism, you want them thinking this way, because it’s how you’re going to make your money from your published work. Let it be about the art for you, let it be about the money for them. So that brings us to the second half of the question; how many standalone books get published… honestly it’s pretty rare at this point unless you’re going the self-publishing route.

Why is this the case? Well simply put, the more books written, the more money there is to be made. One could argue that a really good stand alone will continue to sell as some of the classic literature pieces do… but who’s going to risk their livelihoods, business, and income on a venture like that when someone else is offering 3-6 books, each of which will sell?

Is it fair? Not really… but that’s the reality of it. Unfortunately, in this day and age, your options are to bite the bullet and write a sequel, or self-publish and hope for the best.
Personally, I’d say start working on a sequel. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to do this and a sequel doesn’t necessarily have to stick to the same characters.

Hope this helps!

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!

+ advice, fantasy, Fiction, Non Fiction, Science Fiction, Writing

Character Loss vs. Reality

by Unknown's avatar

This happens to everyone at some point. Either we meet the girl of our dreams… only to find out after pouring our hearts out to that person that they’re already engaged to be married! 😡
We see some treasured item that we really want, but can’t afford it, etc.

The worst is when we find out that we could have had that something or someone had we done one or two things differently and that is a pretty serious sting. So how do we make our characters deal with it?

Well if you write fantasy, like me, that’s easy. MAGIC!!!
Seriously, magic has been a way out and it’s been used way to often. Now for those of you who have read my stories, yes I’m aware that I’m being a bit of a hypocrite right now because I’m guilty of doing the same thing, but at least when I did it, it was in furtherance of the plot. The method I chose came with severe consequences, so it balanced out.
Yes, magic solves all problems, be it bringing a loved one back from the dead with necromancy, using a Love Potion on someone… despite the famously dangerous risks that come with it, or just use creation magic to make the characters wildest dreams come true.

But what if we don’t want to do that? What if we’re suddenly faced with making a character suffer through the knowledge that they’ll never have what they want, no matter how close they get. What do we do then? How do we make a character deal with it?

Well to be honest, I’ve seen many potential ways and there are several to choose from that people would actually do in real life under the right set of circumstances. I’ll provide a few examples. Just choose wisely…

1. Move on: The character accepts what they’ll never have, they move on, find other people and things to fill the void and forget about the notion all together. Easier said than done, right? Well maybe, but it’s usually the one with the best outcome.

2. Slink off into the sunset, never to be seen again: I’m not going to lie, this is one way that I actually love. It’s a great way to give a character the ‘Unsung Hero’ persona. We all know the one; he’s the person who fights the most, the guy who works the hardest and is responsible for saving everyone, but in the end, does not get the girl or any reward. Instead, he stands there off to the side and watches as the people he helped cherish the end of their adventure before turning and walking quietly out of the picture.

3. Suicide: Okay, honestly, I’ve seen this one used too many times. It’s an easy way out and often, the cost of life is kind of a little extreme, but if it’s the way you want to go, maybe if the character is sacrificing themselves for a better cause, it’s one thing, but just dying from sorrow wouldn’t cut it.

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!

+

+ advice, fantasy, Fiction, Non Fiction, Reading, Science Fiction, Writing

Author’s Advice Pt. 17

by Unknown's avatar

Writers, Sequel Bait is a very dangerous move to make, especially if you’re going to end on a down note. I’ve seen many good stories that didn’t fare too well on the market end with all their loose ends untied in anticipation of a sequel. I’ve seen it in movies too.

Now, I understand that you’re confident in your writing and you want a good setup for your next book, and that’s fine… but just know that there is a lot of risk and if you’re book doesn’t do well, an open ending is not going to improve things. It’s actually going to anger many readers or make them anxious.

This is a lesson that I learned very quickly with Magnifica: Tears of the Fallen. I left the ending wide open and got a LOT of angry emails for it. Thankfully, I never intended on leaving it open for too long and by the time the angry emails started, I was already submitting my final draft of Magnifica: Gravestalker for approval, so my readers did not have to wait long to be satiated.

So I’m not saying don’t do it. If you have a strong readership, then your book should be able to survive any onslaught of reader rage, just be sure you know what you’re getting into.

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!

+ advice, Current events, Fiction, News, non-fiction, Politics, Reading, Writing

Opinion vs. Fact

by Unknown's avatar

So recently I’ve come across many blogs and other writings that are attempting to pass off their opinion as fact. Several different subjects have come up pertaining to politics, nutrition, etc.

In my writing, I feel it’s always important to distinguish between the two. If I’m sighting fact, I’ll give a source and say it’s a fact. If I’m giving an opinion, I’ll make sure that’s known (look back at some of my other posts). However I’ve seen too many times that people attempt to (either deliberately or unknowingly) pass off their own perceptions as fact. In books and stories, I’ve seen it as well.

Now, for the most part, if you point out that these people could be wrong, or just flat-out are, they’re happy to debate your points with their own. In many cases they either didn’t know, or were getting their info from a bad source, or didn’t mean to pass their opinion off as fact. So you’ll often get a polite thank you…

Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. A growing trend these days are the graduates of ‘Google University’ who are extremely partisan in their beliefs and don’t want to hear that their facts aren’t always facts. With these people, the best advice I can give is to ask for their credentials or their source of info, if all they provide you with in return is childish insults, block you, or a long misogyny-laden string of nonsense, then move along. PLEASE. Don’t give these people attention, and they’ll go away.

To those of you who write opinion pieces or factual ones, please make sure your readers know what you’re going for. Cite sources for facts whenever you can, and make sure your sources are legit (Partisan blog postings from people who get their info from other partisan sites are NOT legitimate sources. Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN are not legitimate sources… most of the time. A simple YouTube search will prove that.)

Now take what I’m saying at face value. My blog is advice on the philosophies of writing, so there are no right or wrong answers for the most part. It’s really your own style, I’m just trying to relay the secrets of what success I’ve had in the hopes that it’ll help others. If you don’t agree with me, that’s fine, but don’t take what others tell you as fact. Do the research yourself. Check government websites, actual studies from universities, etc. It will take longer, but your facts will be less likely to be attacked and you’ll actually learn something. News agencies are usually second-hand sources.

The more people realize this and start doing the footwork themselves, the better off everyone is.

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!

+

+ advice, fantasy, Fiction, Non Fiction, Philosophy, Reading, Romance, Writing

The Tragic Romance

by Unknown's avatar

What is it about stories that don’t have a happy ending that we love so much?

Bad enough is the shock of a story that has an unexpected sad ending, but what of the ones that we already know aren’t going to end well? We know it’s going to be upsetting and even heartbreaking, so why do we bother to go see those movies or read those books?

Well to answer that, if you met someone absolutely amazing that you really connected with and then down the line found out that this particular person had a significant;y reduced life due to illness or other affliction… or you’re some kind of freaky seer that knows this person is going to meet an early end, what would you do?
Would you tell that person that it’s more than you can handle and walk away, or would you stick with them, make the most of what little time you have with that person and make their lives happy… as well as your own better for just knowing such an incredible person.

The initial knee jerk response would be of course the latter, though not everyone would. Many don’t want to endure that level of pain and do the best they can to prevent it. Thus walking away isn’t always something you can avoid, and if this is you, no problem. It’s a situation that no one should ever be thrust into. Though I would point out that you may regret such a decision later on, but it is what it is. I don’t judge.
That said, you probably wouldn’t understand the people who like the tragic romance.

However, if you are one of the people who would say yes, then you already know why people like the tragic romance. Think about it, you’re sticking with said person because, while the end will be painful, the road that leads there will (hopefully) be full of joy, adventure, and excitement, or at the very least, happiness. It’s that happiness and that road that will easily eclipse the tragedy at the end. Will it hurt? Oh yes, it’ll hurt, but not forever. Eventually the pain dulls and you’re left with the fond memories that you can always look back on and smile about. In the end, as time goes by, you’ve become better for knowing that person.

Well, to a much lesser extend, it’s the same with the tragic romance story or movie. Too often, the best stories are the ones that don’t end well. You may not be able to experience them more than once and no one could blame you for that, but what a ride that one experience was, huh? I think most people would say that, in the end, the trip was more than worth the ending.

One other point on the tragic romance, it also gives closure to many. In stories that end this way, there will almost always never be a sequel… unless you’re a superhero comic in which case you kill off a character to bring them back some point down the line. But I digress, often in those stories, this closure is needed, otherwise you could wind up with a sequel where the characters split up somewhere in between (Jurassic Park… lookin at you!!!)

When there is no happily ever after, there is no happily ever after to ruin. So honestly, those of us that enjoy the tragic romance, do so i think, because we’d like to believe that we’d be the second person in the question. We’re willing to make that trade, heartbreak at the end for a ride to remember along the way and I wouldn’t say that it’s a bad thing.

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!

+ advice, fantasy, Fiction, literature, Opinion, Reading, Science Fiction, Writing

Character Redemption

by Unknown's avatar

What does redemption mean in literature?

Well… for starters, what does redemption mean, period? The dictionary has two definitions:

re·demp·tion
rəˈdem(p)SH(ə)n/
noun
  1. 1.
    the action of saving or being saved from sin, error, or evil.
    “God’s plans for the redemption of his world”
    synonyms: saving, freeing from sin, absolution

    “God’s redemption of his people”
  2. 2.
    the action of regaining or gaining possession of something in exchange for payment, or clearing a debt.
    synonyms: retrieval, recovery, reclamation, repossession, returnMore

So what does this mean for the characters that we write? Is redemption turning good and working to undo the damage they’ve done? For an evil character to truly be redeemed, must they completely repair the damage that they’ve done? What if the character’s crime is too extreme for them to ever pay it back?

So to answer our original question, we must then also satisfy the question of whether or redemption is possible.

There are varying opinions on this. Some would say that a dark character, depending on the level of crime cannot be redeemed. Others might say that yes a character can be redeemed, but it would require a major act of goodness which usually means self-sacrifice to save another. Then there’s a small group that would argue that the self-sacrifice, while noble, would not solve the problem, nor would it redeem the character because it wouldn’t give them a chance to undo any of the damage they’ve done.

So is it possible for a character to redeem themselves. Well the answer is, simply put, that depends. Most people would say that a character who is responsible for the genocide of innocent people would be completely beyond redemption… that said, many of those same people would argue that characters like Darth Vader, responsible for the deaths many Jedi, including younglings, and the Dark Phoenix, who destroyed a solar system, rendering an entire species extinct, are able to be redeemed.
Think about it, those of us who read comics, how many of us were hoping the the X-Men would defeat the Shi’ar in defense of the Phoenix?

So perhaps in the end, you only have one or two answers:

1. If you have done enough to redeem yourself in the eyes of God (which I’m not saintly enough to speak to his requirements)

or (in most cases, if you don’t believe in God)

2. If you have done enough to redeem yourself in the eyes of the people you’ve hurt.

In these cases, redemption is in the eye of the beholder. So there is no really clear cut answer. In the end, it depends on you, the writer. Blasphemous as it might be, when it comes to the world you are creating, YOU are God and only you can decide if a character has, or can, do enough to redeem themselves.

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!

+ advice, fantasy, Fiction, Help, homeless, Urban Fantasy, Writing

Heartbreaking…

by Unknown's avatar

So I recently saw a video online that shot me right through the heart, both as a parent and as someone who used to work with children like this…

When we see so many people homeless in the city, it’s easy to walk on by and do nothing. I myself have been guilty of it countless times. It wears on me because I know that I can’t help everyone. I donate what time and money I can, but even that is not enough.

I remember when I was younger though, I knew a woman who would have given the shirt off of her back for the asking. We were hanging out in Boston one day when she saw a homeless man on the street corner. It moved me so much that I eventually added it as part of one of my books. So I’ll share this excerpt with you all now as a reminder to remember those less fortunate and in serious need.

(From Magnifica: Tears of the Fallen, Chapter III)
974374_534668136633277_415762542_n
Lia’na smiled as they turned left out of Cheers. Toby and Lia’na walked up Beacon Street past several old brown stone buildings. They crossed River Street a moment later and were ready cross Beacon Street to get to the bike when Lia’na’s ears picked up a sad sound.

A decrepit old man was sitting in his own squalor on the corner. His clothes were tattered and filthy and it looked like the only thing of value he owned was his cane. Dirt covered his face, but Lia’na could still make out the pain in his eyes.

The man raised his hand and pleaded his case every time someone passed by, “Spare change for the homeless, please help us get something to eat?”

Lia’na stared at him for a moment. A look of sadness came over her and a tear formed in her right eye. Most of the people who walked by just ignored the man like they didn’t see him. Others crossed the street at another point to avoid dealing with him or even acknowledging that he existed. It was more than Lia’na could bear and it broke her heart.

Toby put his hand gently on her shoulder, “Come on, we should go.”

“No.” Lia’na replied in a stern voice, pushing his hand off.

Her eyes darted up and down the street for a moment. Toby wasn’t certain what she was looking for until her eyes caught a black and gold sign across Charles Street from where they were standing. It was a Starbucks and they appeared to be open.

Lia’na waited for the light to turn red and darted across the street before Toby could say anything. She disappeared inside the coffee house for a moment before reappearing with a wrapped sandwich and a bottle of juice. What is she doing? Toby thought to himself.

She came back across to the corner of Beacon and Charles Street and knelt down next to the old man, “Sir, piele take these.”

The man looked at the food for a moment before grabbing them from Lia’na’s hands. He tore open the sandwich and greedily began eating. Between bites he looked up at Lia’na, “Bless you child!”

Toby stood there watching for a few moments before fishing through his pockets until he wrapped his fingers around a five dollar bill. He pulled it out and knelt down next to Lia’na, “There are a couple of nearby shelters, use this to get to one of them and find yourself a warm place to sleep.”

The man looked at Toby for a moment before accepting the money, “I will, thank you.”

The man horded what little was left of the sandwich into his pocket and stood up. He didn’t speak another word as he took off down the street as fast as his legs would carry him. Lia’na watched for a few moments until the city engulfed him and he was no longer visible.

Toby put his hand on Lia’na’s shoulder once again. She turned to him, smiled, and nodded, “Lien ni, I know you went against your better judgment in doing that for me, but I’m glad you did.”

Toby nodded, “Well by the time I figured out what you were doing, I thought I might as well play along.”

Lia’na looked at Toby apologetically, “I’m sorry. I just couldn’t stand seeing that. Watching someone suffer like that… hurts, but we can go now.”

Toby nodded and led Lia’na across the street to the bike. The look of sadness on her face had been replaced with content. Toby really didn’t want to ruin that for her as he knew her intentions were good, but she needed to know what could have happened, “Lia’na, I know you meant well by what you did, but you may have put yourself in danger by helping that man. You don’t know if he was right in the head or armed. Also, what do you think he’s going to do with the $5 I gave him? Most likely he’ll go buy a nip of booze with it.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Lia’na replied, “it was the right thing to do, and I can tell from your eyes that you agree with me.”

Toby shrugged, “Maybe…”

Lia’na smiled at Toby as they continued walking, “You know the city a lot better than I do, Toby, and maybe I can be a little naive, but I can’t stand seeing someone suffer like that. The sound of suffering and pain resonates like the sound of the forest, but unlike the forest, that sound is agonizing. If the price of doing the right thing is being deceived now and then… well then call me a fool.”

Toby smiled at her, “That’s why I love you. You have a kind heart, but next time will you tell me what you’re doing beforehand?”

Lia’na nodded, “It’s a deal, ta arshana.”

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!

+

+ fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Religion, Science Fiction

Damnation Q&A

by Unknown's avatar

So I know that this may be a little premature given that Damnation is beginning the process of editing, but given the level of interest, I thought I’d provide everyone a little bit of info as to exactly what Divinity’s sequel will entail.

Spoiler Alert for those who have not finished Divinity, read no further!!!

Q: What can we expect from Giovanni and Adalyn in the next adventure.

A: Not much. Their story is over. This story is set in the same reality, during the same time period and many of the plot points from Divinity will directly affect what happens in Damnation, but this is almost a totally new cast with new character development and new obstacles to overcome.

Q: What!? So you’re cutting out your main characters!?

A: Not cutting them out, some of them will make appearances, but it will only be one or two scenes in the story to help further the plot. They’ll pretty much be restricted to cameos.

Q: Your first story was named Divinity, and this one is Damnation… is that any indication of what the tone of the story will be?

A:  Pretty much. I intended for this story to be far darker than the original. This story is going to take you places the first one did not and it will definitely be outside of what people got used to with Divinity. I don’t want to give too much away, but many might not consider the ending a happy one. It will be left open to interpretation.

Q: Will you be using the same cover artist?

A: I hope so. I haven’t officially asked him yet because I don’t want him to start working until I can pay him, but when the time comes, I really would like to see what he comes up with.

Q: Can you give us anything on your main characters?

A: I really don’t want to give too much away, but here’s what I can say.
Main characters:
Piero is a Florentine Soldier during the War of the League of Cognac.
Xaphan was a soldier in the army of the Most High who defected to Lucifer’s forces. She became Lucifer’s general and led his armies against the Most High, fighting a stalemate war of attrition for countless ages.

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Q: Divinity featured historical characters, can we expect the same here?

A: To a significantly lesser extent, yes. It takes a lot to research the characters to try to ‘get them right.’ However, you will see appearances by Emperor Charles V, the Pope, and Captain Francesco Ferruccio. How and will remain secret for now though.

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