The War of Memory Project

Writing Goals 2024 (and more BG3…shhhh)

Posted on January 1, 2024 by H. Anthe Davis

Well hello there! Yes, I still exist!

I mean, if you’re my friend on Steam, you’ve seen me exist…in Baldur’s Gate 3…for the past six months.

But shhhh, we’re not talking about that yet.

As per last year, I’m setting a 2024 writing goal that I think I can hit. Nay — that I insist I must hit, dramatic fist to the sky! I need to get my butt back in gear, but I’ve finally come down off my last run of — no don’t talk about it yet! *cough cough* Suffice to say that I’m back in the headspace I need to be to actually work on my own stuff.

So!

Writing Goals 2024:

Read through all three Tzimayat books (The Godbone Blade, The Fading Saint, The Goddess Revenant) for continuity purposes in descriptions, nomenclature and events. Tweak all books as needed.
Complete Book 2: The Fading Saint main draft.
Complete Book 3: The Goddess Revenant parallel draft.
Complete Book 3: The Goddess Revenant main draft.
Extra credit: Complete Book 0: Curseworks rough draft.
Extra extra credit: PITCH!

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Posted in Review, Writing | Tagged writing | 2 Comments

Writing Update — October — Book 3 (and BG3)!

Posted on October 18, 2023 by H. Anthe Davis

Well hello there! It’s been a while!

My own fault, of course. In part because I had nothing to post about, particularly — but also because, from a few weeks of Early Access prior to its August release and then for OVER 750 HOURS SINCE THEN, I’ve been playing Baldur’s Gate 3.

Shush. I know I have a problem, but I ain’t gonna stop!

Anyway, the game didn’t interfere with my writing schedule; I hit my targets every week. I can proudly say that I’ve checked off all three of my Writing Goals 2023, which were 1) Main draft of Tzimayat Book 2, 2) Rough draft of Tzimayat Book 3, and 3) Finally publishing War of Memory Book 6.

This update is to celebrate the completion of Item 2 on that list: the rough draft of The Goddess Revenant. It’s currently (as of yesterday) out with my alpha reader. I’m fairly happy with it, even though I made the biggest error of my writing life when I was writing the epilogue.

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Writing Update — May — Tzimayat!

Posted on May 29, 2023 by H. Anthe Davis

Hello hello!

Been a little while since I updated, since I didn’t have solid material to post. But now I do!

Checking my Writing Goals 2023 post, I’ve already cleared two of the three goals: publishing Book 6, and (circa April) finishing the parallel draft of my new series Book 2, The Fading Saint. I’ve spent the past month since then on doing some worldbuilding, since I found gaps in the world background while I was writing that draft and wanted to fill them in before I took the plunge into Book 3.

And worldbuilding, as always (for me anyway), involves….MAPS!

First though, since I renamed the continent that is the setting for everything, here’s the redone header image:

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Posted in Art, Maps, World Info, Worldbuilding, Writing | Tagged fantasy, maps, worldbuilding | 1 Comment

Book 6 — The Eye of Night (at last!)

Posted on February 20, 2023 by H. Anthe Davis

Though it has taken half of forever, the last book in my bit-off-more-than-I-could-chew-and-then-chewed-it War of Memory series is now published — the e-book, at least. Print book is currently getting proofed, but barring difficulties in the process, that should be ready within the week. I posted about the cover process earlier, and I’m happy with how it turned out. Hurrah!

I’ve already moved on to another project, as I’ve mentioned a few times here: a different world, a different story. Actually two books deep into that (one in Main Draft status and one in Parallel/Second Draft), and I’m enjoying the tale and the world. I also hope to pitch that to be trad published instead of self-published, so details will be sporadic here — though I do intend to pin up some worldbuilding materials.

What’s the future of the War of Memory world? I certainly have more I could do. Several short stories have already been posted here, aiming toward a novella or two, and I have a pyramid-stack of Cycles beyond this one (Light and Dark) if I decide to keep writing the story of the world. It depends on time, though — how much I can dedicate to a project that has been a bit of a dead-end, even if it taught me a lot. I want to write the world’s full story, but it might have to wait until I’ve hashed out various other projects — and maybe gone back and refurbished this one.

I guess we’ll have to see! Anyway…

Celebrate, the old story is over!

Celebrate, the new one has just begun!

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Book 6 Cover — Complete!

Posted on February 18, 2023 by H. Anthe Davis

Whew, it’s been a while since I’ve posted one of these.

Various events and circumstances have conspired to make the Book 6 production ruinously slow. But at last, that has come to an end! My artist and I managed to get together and hash out the rest of the details of the cover, and the print version is now in its proofing stage. The e-book will be available shortly!

While we wait, though, it’s time to admire the cover and some of the process pictures!

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Writing Goals 2023

Posted on January 4, 2023 by H. Anthe Davis

Brief update here, since we’ve flipped from one year to the next.

I have finished my extended holiday from writing, since I completed the rough draft of Book 2 (tentatively titled The Fading Saint) circa early November. I got good feedback from an alpha reader, so I already have a plan for the parallel redraft.

Thus, my 2023 writing goals are:

1) Parallel draft (aka 2nd draft) of The Fading Saint.
2) Rough draft of Book 3, The Goddess Revenant.
3) Finally publishing Book 6 of the War of Memory Cycle, The Eye of Night.

I put Book 6 last because it’s dependent on my cover artist, who’s had a lot of upheavals over the past few years. Since I’ve been self-publishing that series, I’ve chosen to just wait — I lost any momentum years ago, circa Book 4, so I just want to finish up the series the way I started it.

This new series (folder name Graveborn World, rough series title Tzimayat by Curselight) is something I want to pitch and traditionally publish, so it requires a different approach. I don’t intend to pitch this year, because I want to at least have finished the rough draft of B3 (as seen in plan above) before I polish up Book 1 (needing its final draft) and start pitching. In which case the plan for that is 2024.

I’ve already started the parallel draft — chapter 1 down! Hopefully I will clear at least a chapter a week, and be happy with all the changes I make. I have a reasonably fleshed-out outline for Book 3, with space for expansion, so that’s looking like a good prospect as well.

I really should update this blog, so we can pretend that’s 4) for this year, but I won’t bet on it!

Anyway…onward, into the new year!

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Still Still Alive!

Posted on November 22, 2022 by H. Anthe Davis

Three months later, another no-content-yes-progress update!

Also, I have changed some stuff, and so I should change the info on this banner (since I changed the name of the continent!), but I haven’t yet:

Book 2, The Fading Saint, now has a completed rough draft in the hands of an alpha reader. Book 1, The Godbone Blade, is still in the hands of a beta reader, and I’ve identified details and trends throughout the world that will need to be tweaked. So it goes.

Book 2 turned out to be 17 chapters, and is about the same size as Book 1, which I’m happy about. I’ve been trying to make them approximately the same length, and much smaller than the War of Memory books.

The War of Memory final book is (again) still coming. Many upheavals in my artist’s life. Since I’m self-published, I have the luxury of putting the books out whenever I want (though ASAP would be my choice if I could) and I want to have her covers on all of them instead of slapping something else on there just to placate my need to publish. I hate to make folks wait, but I want to do it right (though if anyone desperately wanted the book and reads this blog, there’s the comment field below….)

Anyway, taking a little break for the November holiday, then back to the grind.

That’s all for now!

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Still Alive!

Posted on August 29, 2022 by H. Anthe Davis

I just realized that I haven’t posted in a while. Clearly that means it’s time for an update.

I don’t have any material to share, because all is either in the works or under beta reader review. It’s all for the current project though:

I’m in the rough draft stage of these nerds’ Book 2, tentatively titled The Fading Saint. The first book, tentatively titled The Godbone Blade, is in the hands of its third beta reader, and progressing toward final draft time. I think I’ll be waving it at one more beta reader for a different perspective on the text, then going through with the last tweaks I want to make to it before I start pitching.

Book 2 is still a hell of a hash, but that’s what rough drafts are all about. I think I’ve figured out the trick for it though, and even if it’s not as great a trick as in Book 1, it’s still a bit interesting (hopefully). No one has read it yet, and won’t for a while; I’m 10 chapters done of ~15 and won’t be showing anyone until I’ve rewritten it into a working draft. So that’ll be a couple months still.

As for War of Memory Book 6, that’s still coming. I’m waiting on the cover, because my artist has had a long series of setbacks. Hopefully we’ll be able to finish that soon, and WoM Cycle 1 will be complete.

That’s all for now!

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Pre-Series Short Story: Stand Alone

Posted on April 6, 2022 by H. Anthe Davis

Book 6 update: Cover slowly coming together. Maybe not much longer? Fingers crossed.

Meanwhile, another Ardent story for the War of Memory Cycle. I have 2-3 more to write for her, then I’m planning a series postscript novella to tie up her thread and Sarovy’s. The Temharat stuff is ongoing — I’ll be redrafting the first book soon, and am currently editing the second story chunk of what might be a prequel or might be a standalone. Popping back and forth between projects hasn’t been as difficult as I thought it might be, since the characters are all strong in my mind.

Anyway, on to more Shadow Realm shenanigans! This one is set approximately 17 years before Book 1, when Nemirin was fifteen.

ardentnemirin

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Posted in Stories, Writing | Tagged excerpt, fantasy, writing | 1 Comment

Temharat Working Maps

Posted on February 23, 2022 by H. Anthe Davis

New story update time!

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m at work on a new series — though do not fear, Book 6 (the finale of the initial War of Memory Cycle) is still coming. Just working through some issues with the cover, hopefully to be resolved soon.

The new series has a title: Temharat by Curselight! The first book, which is about to start its main draft…does not have a title. It’s suffering from the fact that the original series headliner was to be Aethan, the guy seen in the banner below: