SONG OF THE ADOËL Kevin King

SONG OF THE ADOËL

Kevin King 

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GENRE:  YA Fantasy Adventure 

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BLURB: 

Raendel is one of the Adoël, the cursed people. Passed on to each generation, the curse drains his body of colour, leaving his skin and hair a ghostly white. To protect himself from the commoners who fear what they don't understand, all of the Adoël live as servants to the royal family, using their unique skill with illusion magic to entertain bored nobility. Raendel is bound by traditions, but also by his own lack of self-confidence. Prince Kenan is the younger of two princes, frustrated by his gilded cage and the combat tutoring that feels pointless in a secure and peaceful kingdom. He dreams of adventure, of making a name for himself with heroic deeds. An unexpected assault from an ancient enemy sets the two on a quest that begins as the pursuit of vengeance but soon leads them into a struggle for survival that will teach them both that they are small pieces of a long, dark history. But even the smallest actions can change the fate of a kingdom.  

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EXCERPT 

Raendel wove through the room with practised ease, gliding between isolated clumps of noblemen scattered across the room, passing the time with idle gossip as they waited for the guest of honour to arrive. His gaze flicked along the way in front of him, choosing the path that would keep him farthest away from the guests. Most of them wore enough perfume to give him a headache from five yards away. The enhanced sense of smell shared by Adoël only added to Raendel’s trepidation. All the nobles stank of pride. The smell of fear drifted in clouds, especially near visitors who had never seen one of the Adoël before. Raendel spent most of his day inside the castle, serving Prince Kenan.

His distinctive features would have drawn stares even without the stories. The name Adoël had been used to frighten children for generations.  Mothers would clutch their children as they passed in the street. Don’t go outside at night or the Adoël will get you. Don’t wander into the woods, the Adoël will catch you and suck the life out of you. Each passing generation believed the stories a bit more than their parents. To encounter an Adoël in person resurrected the terrors planted in the hearts of children now grown. 

Whispers swirled in his wake. Ghost-child. Cursed. Tainted. Touched by the Necromancer. Raendel had heard them all before, but he still flinched with every sting. 

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Order and Chaos – The advantages and disadvantages of structured versus discovery writing.

You may be familiar with the terms ‘pantser’ and ‘plotter.’ You’re probably familiar with the concepts, at least.

Some authors plan everything before they begin to write. They research, chart, they outline. Everything is structured and orderly. Others just start writing and go with the flow.

I’ve had this discussion with other authors in my circles, and we all have different levels of each. We also all agree that you should do it in whichever way works best for you. The truth is, every author is a little bit of both. The difference is in the proportions, and sometimes in which details they plan and which they let happen naturally.

In all my discussions, only once or twice has the topic come up of the strengths and weaknesses of each method. It’s an interesting study, and possibly helpful in figuring out your own preferred balance.

Discovery writing, or ‘Pantsing’, has the advantage of resulting in a natural story flow and rich, believable characters. Often stories written this way end up being character-driven, as if the characters themselves are writing the story. Rather than forcing the characters to do what needs to be done for the next plot point, discovery writing allows the characters to make whatever decisions seem best to them at the moment. They feel real, which makes them easier for the reader to connect with. The danger is that discovery writing tends to meander, and can easily lose momentum. The pacing might feel off, as the characters kind of muddle around in the middle trying to figure out what to do next. The ending may tend to fizzle out, or feel incomplete, as random plot threads are left without resolution and all the pieces don’t quite fit together.

Structured writing, or ‘Plotting’, has the advantage of resulting in a well-developed and efficient storyline. Things happen as they are supposed to, and problems arise at just the right time to maintain good tension throughout the book. It allows for complex plot threads that all merge together in a satisfying conclusion, leaving nothing to chance. The world feels real, allowing the reader to be immersed in the story without distracting inconsistencies. The danger is that structured writing tends to produce wooden or robotic characters, as they are forced to make decisions that fit the assigned plotline whether that character would naturally make that decision or not. The plot might feel predictable, as each point leads inevitably to the next in purely logical succession.

The trick is to intentionally lean on the strengths of each method as much as possible. I like to start with a bit of structure – I want to know what the major conflict is, how it will be resolved, and possibly a few major events along the way. Then I think about what kind of characters would naturally exist in this world I’ve created and would tend to do the things that would move the plot toward the goal I’ve set for it. Then I write, discovering the details of the characters along the way, letting them have some freedom to make their own choices and perhaps change some plot points as they go. Then I go back again and impose order on the chaos, smoothing out plotholes and trimming out loose story threads.

I’ve viewed an online writing class where the teacher described all the different methods as tools in your toolbox, each one with a specific purpose. The more tools you have in your toolbox, the more projects you’ll be able to do well. So by all means, figure out whether you naturally tend to be a Plotter or a Pantser, and use the method that works for you. But understand why it works, and how it works, and be aware that every now and then you might want to pull the other method out of your toolbox and use it.

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AUTHOR BIO: 

Kevin works as a software developer in the Seattle area by day, and an author by night. He enjoys Renaissance Fairs, bookstores, fencing, and daydreaming. He has been reading fantasy from age six, and writing from age twenty-two. He loves exploring fantasy worlds, especially exploring human nature through fiction. Fantasy is his first love, but he also dabbles in sci-fi, creepy horror, and devastatingly sad dramas. He posts regular flash fiction stories on his Instagram account and website.

Website: www.kevinkingauthor.com

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