Sovereign is a brand new series I’m working on. The story involves a group of New Adults from another world. While humans exist in their world, they are not the superior species. That title belongs to Sprites, Ethereals and Runics.
I first got the idea of the book by watching Yellowstone, and reading plenty of fantasy books of recent. At first I was toying with the idea of starting the book where a bunch of new adults finish graduating as Sovereigns. They have already graduated from their training and they come across a beastly creature, but I figured a good background story won’t give this kind of book justice.
Sometimes with a great story, we can’t just start from the centre and hope it makes sense. One needs to find that beginning, the moment of exciting bliss, where your fingers itch, and heart soars as your brain becomes lost in the words, the story. So I had to leave the project alone.
So I left the book alone for a while, as is the best way when one can not see the beginning, why chase for the end?
But recently I found my fascination elsewhere, stuck on a painting of a bird, that has taken residence on my wall for the last 3 years, and not once have I actually taken a moment to stare at it. But a month ago I did. I was cutting my nails (Yes, it’s normal) when I looked up and it was like something staring me in the face. I couldn’t look away. I was engrossed in something that was meant to be ingrained in my brain. And that led me to revisit the book idea again.
It was that same night I had a dream, and in my dream there was an entire new world, new species and they were fighting each other for power. The Runics thought the Ethereals were horrid people, and the Runics and Ethereals hated the Sprites, because they were so untamed compared to the others. The dream also had another, called Mallots and the Mallots were mixed breeds, not welcome by any of the three. They ended up raised by humans or thrown to live with the Sprites unless they were Sovereign.
So that is how the story began. A little flutter and a forgotten bird.
Once it began it couldn’t, and wouldn’t be ignored, so I began. Because at some part in all of this, three things should happen.
The first, is getting the story started, whether you end up deleting it or not, one must start so the characters can come to life. Here is a small piece I wrote.
To be born with the mark of a sovereign is to be born with the title of Valor. No last name shall be given to those who bear the markings, for only ones name and breed is important.
The Devine shall reign superior in rank of the Sovereign.
I purse my lips at the scripture on the top of the 14 metre tall warded mirror as hundreds of Sovereigns enter the Citadel.
The breed part didn’t make my kind feel so welcome, especially since we’ve had tiff with the Ethereals’ since the moon phase 752 AZ (After Zodayra). Well as much of it as we can without it causing a full out war. Neither wanted that. The humans were just caught in the middle since then. Twenty three years is a long time to hold a grudge with another kind. Ask me, it was annoying as shit.
The Ethereal’s didn’t make for easy living, or an amicable one either.
The issue wasn’t the humans, it was us, the Runics. Unlike the Ethereals, who possessed wings and a group of Ancient immortals with exceptional dangerous abilities known as Devines. The Runics magic was bound to our spirit phase, Gravity, Nature, Water, Heat and the rarest of our kind, Sensors.
The sensors were born on the blue blooded moon, and could manipulate all the elements as well as ones senses, smell, taste, touch and sight. It is a given they are born Sovereign.
I look at the blue sparkling crackles on my cheekbones as it fades to a barely noticeable imprint. If only I could get the mark of Sovereign to fade away from my ear, I wouldn’t have to attend this place. But being born a twin made sure that ship became impenetrable. If one twin was born sovereign, so shall the other. It’s a given. My brother is three hours a head of me due to complications but we still managed to bare the sovereign mark.
“Hurry up. I don’t want to get stuck in the back row. The 3rd Valors always pick on the 1st who stand at the back.” My brother keeps his head to the front of him, no doubt looking at potential allies.
Once the story has begun, there is two things I believe is a must with world building. The first is the most important thing and I call it the illegal planner and notebook. The notebook I make can never be sold, the pictures I add on them have copyrights to them and belong to other people. But most importantly, what I put in the illegal planner and notebook is my closest picture of what I would need to build a world, from the inside to the outside of a building, to the looks of the characters, to their personalities, habits, powers, weaknesses, what makes them great, what makes them not.
Once I start with this, it will take weeks to put together all the notes and begin to build the world.
Next week we will go a lot deeper, and get a head start in the book, but for now, please take a moment to sign up to my blog, newsletter and share with your firends.
The links to the podcast will be up hopefully by next week.
Author Shan R.K 
You must be logged in to post a comment.