New Publication ~ The Schimmering

I wrote a piece on substack a while back – Game of Groans: Navigating the Endless Editing of a Fantasy Epic. Subtitled, ‘Can I stop now please?’

The Endless Task of Writing and Editing a Fantasy Novel

Writing and editing a fantasy novel is a journey that can feel like an endless quest itself. Much like the heroes in the story, I embarked on an adventure that was both thrilling and painstaking. The dream of creating an immersive world, filled with magic, myth, and mystery, often clashed with the reality of long hours spent alone in front of a screen, wrestling with words and ideas. For those who dare to write fantasy, the task is far from simple; it’s a continuous cycle of creation, destruction, and reinvention.

At the heart of any fantasy novel lies world-building—the cornerstone of the genre. We craft complex universes, sometimes with intricate systems of magic, detailed histories, and cultures as rich as the characters who inhabit them. It’s easy to get lost in this part of the process, as the world feels limitless. The problem is, the more I built, the more questions arose. Does the magic system hold up logically? Are the cultures consistent? Can the geography of the world support the plot?

This constant need for expansion and refinement means that no matter how far I progressed, the world always demanded further exploration… and there was always the nagging feeling that something wasn’t quite right—whether a plot inconsistency or a character’s motivation left unexplained.

But that was only the beginning. Once the first, second and third drafts were written, the real work began: the editing process.

As anyone who follows me here, or on Substack, knows – I despise editing. I despise it with a passion. I often found myself deleting whole chapters, changing entire story arcs, and rewriting major character motivations. Editing is supposed to be where the magic of the story comes to life, or where it dies. But in fantasy, there’s an added complexity: the rules of the world must be adhered to, which means every edit must be examined through a different lens. If I tweaked a character’s power, for example, did it unbalance the system? If I changed the stakes of the plot, do they still resonate within the universe I created?

This balancing act can feel like a never-ending cycle. There are always new ways to improve a character’s depth, tighten a plot thread, or add layers to the setting. It’s a battle between perfection and completion. When I posted on Substack, someone responded – ‘hit print’! I had my Beta readers, of course, and it wasn’t until one in particular had given it the green light, that I felt confident to do so.

The toughest part of the fantasy writing and editing process, however, is the emotional toll it takes. Fantasy novels are, for me, deeply personal creations. I am that character when I write his or her scene. I put them through the mill, or so I hope. I ran the gamut of emotions they felt.

I wrote the first draft three years ago and put it aside until last year. I took it apart and tried to create three books – there’s enough material. It didn’t work. I reassembled and added a better ending. It expanded like the dreadful pudding in a children’s story I read decades ago. It felt like a battle to create a finished book. But I did it. I finished this behemoth. The finished book is 218,726 words, 669 pages long. It will be released on Amazon soon.

In the end, writing and editing a fantasy novel is not a race but a marathon—one that requires patience, perseverance, and a love for the craft. Though the task may never truly feel finished, there’s beauty in the process itself. After all, every page written is a small victory in the ongoing adventure of creation.

https://alexandrapeel.substack.com/