What Inspired Me to Write the Reign of the North Forest Series?

I keep getting asked this very important question, so I'm going to do my best to answer but without giving up spoilers!

I've always enjoyed writing but it's not something I had stuck with through the years. I'm sad to say that like many people, as other aspects of my life took off, this hobby took a backseat.

I've always kept a creative stream going through different art forms, though, and I always wanted to write a novel. As an introvert, I enjoy art as a form of expression. I just couldn’t figure out what I wanted to write about.

In fact, my first writing attempt was in the mystery genre but I didn’t get far. I used to read more mysteries when I was younger and I generally enjoy crime shows. However, writing mystery didn’t hold interest for me. Ultimately, I decided to go with what I know and the Reign of the North Forest series is a culmination of that. I feel like each page is a reflection of my values, observations, study, and experiences to a certain extent.

Contrary to what some people may think, the concept for Reign of the North Forest wasn't inspired by the COVID-19 global pandemic. I initially came up with the idea well before then.

I would read about catastrophic and horrific world events and I would look at the governments of the world and think to myself, "Can no one get this right? Can no one stand against the injustices of the world and protect its people?" It wasn't one particular event, government, or leader that inspired my book.  Instead, I focused on the commonalities in these situations and on human behaviour, which drives politics.

The other thing that inspired me was thinking about what it meant if someone's life was at a standstill. I don't even fully know how this came about but I started to become fascinated with the challenges associated with becoming stuck at a certain age. Immortality is not an original concept in science fiction and fantasy, but an entire society of Antisenent children opened up an entire world of possibilities and directions in which I could take the story.

My first draft was admittedly mediocre, like first drafts usually are. Having not kept up the habit of creative writing, I had to transition from business language to creative language. It seems silly, but I rediscovered verbiage that I had almost forgotten existed. I read, sure, and it's crucial to developing the craft, but writing and writing voice are different than reading.

Second and more importantly, my first draft was telling the wrong story and was starting at the wrong point in time. It was still in the same world but I couldn’t figure out why I was struggling with my author voice. There was one passage in particular I had written that kept drawing my attention (which I can't reveal—spoilers, sorry!), and I started a fresh draft that honed in on Sergen's story. Once I focused on him, the writing became almost seamless and the characters came to life on the page. They evolved in a way that they became near and dear to my heart. They became like family, and I can't imagine my life without them.

I hope they do the same with you.