The journey of an author is rife with self-doubt, insecurity, and fear. Writing a novel is one thing, but taking on a massive project like an accessory companion guide is a whole other. I’ve made a significant decision to take a “break” between books two and three and instead build the very FIRST Fourth Land product—a reference guide for an important city involved in global geopolitics. More pointedly, it covers the span of 900 years before part two of book one starts, with a seamless transition in content to set up the novel.
But why now? Simple. The vision is becoming more real and realized—manifesting, if you will. It started with two novels, both of which I never thought I’d actually write since I was so engrossed in worldbuilding. As my better half said, “stop worldbuilding and write the damn book.” Wrote the damn book I did, and then another one. Now, I’m shifting gears and continuing on that path by writing the companion guide, which will inform so much more of the world the novels are set in. Yes, book two is still slated for late August publishing/release.
The interesting part is the extensive and detailed timeline tells its own story of people, places, events, relics, and other interactions between different factions, from nobles to dragonriders. New races are introduced that would otherwise not get much page time, which might occur later in the novel series. It really is a look behind the curtain of what the Fourth Land is ultimately about. It’s a world rich in history, culture, and never a shortage of drama and geopolitics. There’s something for everyone.
To give you an idea of how there is a bit of narrative in the timeline content, here is a quote from the dwarven king of Dek’Strondor:
“Our people keep to the cold embrace of the stone and shadow, not out of fear, but for prosperity of our kind. The creatures of the sun and light war among each other and seek conquest and power. It is not the way of our kingdom to spoil the earth from which we came. Should the time come for us to defend the sanctity of our lands, know that hearth and home are the crucible through with our enemies must pass, and pass they shall not lest they meet the blades of the Strondor bloodline.”
This quote speaks much to what is happening on the surface of which they don’t participate in and will not if they can help it. Should there be quotes in timelines? Absolutely not. But why stick to convention? This is an opportunity to go beyond the status quo of what is offered in conventional Dungeons & Dragons products, and those adjacent in the form of tabletop RPGs and their companion guides. Will some things be similar? Yes. But they will have the distinct flavor of the Fourth Land.
I’m looking forward to creating and publishing the reference guide. I’m proud of what’s been accomplished, and this will highlight yet just another facet of what I and those who contribute to the effort bring to the table in our respective areas of expertise.
Interestingly enough, while I was in college, I took the professional writing track of the English degree. Creative writing was an entirely separate degree. I took one class tied to that, but just one (I think. Maybe have been two. Don’t really remember). I learned how to write more polished business documentation and that’s pretty much it.
Everything I’ve learned from app and software design to writing a fantasy novel I learned on my own. I had to learn new software to prototype software just like I must relearn Adobe InDesign to format and layout the reference guide. More I’m teaching myself how to do, because quite frankly, depending on your major and more specifically your interests, you won’t learn what you need to in college. You’ll learn the foundational fundamentals, but what you build after that is entirely up to you and where you decide the foundation is set.