Characters at large—New Directions for Azelle

My writing has always been very organic, morphing and changing as I evolve and grow. The stories I wrote ten years ago don’t even begin to resemble the stories that are currently being published, for example. I wrote nine stories at one point, all of which are utterly irrelevant now, not even story seeds, except in very broad, general ways, as the story has moved into totally new realms of exploration.  

I’ve had quite a few conversations lately, though, about where these stories are going. Azelle has always been a complex, multilayered world with complicated history and mythology and I myself am learning about it as I go. That makes it difficult to map out a path. Even though I do have a strong idea of what I am doing on a larger level, the individual story level is infinite and varied. But as I have been working on Book 3 of The Azellian Affairs, I realize that the character I have chosen to focus on, Tamara, has a limited perspective and a specific arc. Although she will continue to be a part of the larger stories going forward, I am excited to explore Azelle more directly, not filtered through her perspective. 

Perhaps this will involve a spin-off series? Or a different series, with a different feel? Perhaps another character who sees things differently? Questions have been presenting themselves to me: Who is Greg? What is his history? What about Justern? How have his experiences affected him? And then there’s Merran. He’s got more story on the way, too, as he explores the limits of perspective and awareness. Tamara’s sister Andreya is presenting herself, too, and I’m just now figuring out who she is. 

I’m not sure yet what is coming, but we are going to have some fun finding out!