Origin Story Update

I’ve been working on the short pieces that I intend to share with you, kind reader, on the website. After re-reading the character origin “excerpts” for Constance Sorrow and Twilight Huntress, I fear I fractured a golden rule. It isn’t broken completely, but there’s definitely room for improvement. The Twilight on the Mountain PDF has been updated. No major changes, but I believe it has been improved.

The Rule

I write out extensive background details. It’s a requirement for me in order to be able to create the living world stories that I want to write. What I forgot in the first iteration of Twilight on the Mountain, was very important…

If the details so lovingly established and integrated don’t materially improve or push the story forward, then the reader probably isn’t all that interested. More succinctly: just because I spent time on it doesn’t mean it advances the story. Even more succinctly: less can mean more.

So, I trimmed out most of the preliminary material in the short. I left enough to provide context and not presume the reader has seen Orchids Ablaze and met Twilight Huntress previously.

The whole process provided that “ah ha” moment to remind me that more words do not a better story make. Even if I do dearly love them, the intricate details are more appropriate for a sourcebook than a story.

See what you think.

DDW