Joseph Hare

It was August of 2022 when I began planning my first serious fantasy novel. It had a simple plot: the protagonist, Emeric, lived peacefully with his best friend Aldemar in the forest of Erosaw. But after a tragic event, Emeric was forced on a wild journey to find his friend and locate a secret base filled with magical fighters, with nothing but the help of an Ariad named Amira. (An Ariad is a person who can use magic in this world.) In this particular story, I can’t remember by what means Emeric was special, but it was his responsibility to take down the evil emperor of the land.

It’s not a bad premise. But it’s certainly different from the story I’m working on now.

Here’s the synopsis for the book I’m currently drafting: In a world plagued by the ruins of war and the dreaded Quakes, magic has been outlawed, dragons have been killed, and the combined races have been scattered, now hostages of their own land. A fraud and killer wears the Blood Jewel Crown, governing a quarreling nation with cruel hands—the South, North, West, and East fight against their oppressor, and against one another.

Evander, a young boy brought to the Eastern kingdom of Wis’lore after the tragic death of his mother, obediently serves as a lowly scribe beneath Lord Sigurd, the current ruler of the Eastern Kingdom. However, whispers of a living dragon echo across the land, and it’s not long before they reach the ears of tyrants. It is during the wedding that Evander realizes what could happen if a dragon fell into the wrong hands, and thus his decision is made: confused and terrified, but fueled with compassion, he rescues the dragon.

***

Freya had found comfort in the home of the elves for many years, thinking that she was safe from the attention of the Wraiths – the twins of cruelty that had afflicted her mind for so long. But she’d been wrong. After a savage advance on her homeland, Freya knows that she must run, that she must use her magic and find help; both to free her from the Wraiths, and maybe even set her people – and the other races – free from an evil sorcerer’s affliction.

Now renegades in their own country, Evander, the dragon Emerald, and Freya must travel the war-laden country of Femdürin. Could the Quakes be tied to Evander, Emerald, and Freya’s plights? Can these fugitives put an end to the world’s misery and discover what, or who, is behind such chaos?

***

Well, there you have it! The storyline for the current novel I’m writing. And here’s the mind-blowing part: Both premises, the old and the new, are the same story. Yes, you heard that right. Emeric is Evander, and Amira is Freya. Emerald sadly isn’t in story number one, but she makes up for her lack of presence with her fierce majesty!

All this is to say, don’t give up on your story (or whatever project you may be working on), no matter how long it’s taking to flourish. Think of it as a river running over stone – erosion is smoothing the rock. It’s the same process. Yahweh is using time and wisdom to form your story. He has a plan for your project, even if it is taking a while. But at the same time, even if your story is taking less time to form, don’t fret that it isn’t “eroded” or “smooth” enough. Some stones erode faster than others, and God will pull your stone from the water when He knows it’s ready.

So I will end on this note: don’t lose hope, don’t lose faith. Trust in Yahweh’s timing, and keep going.

– Joseph