SquarePeg Books

How did I get the idea for the Heritage Blood Saga?

Honestly? It began as the remnants of a dream right before waking up.

In 2003.

The dream involves a sorceress on a tower, interrogating a man about why he’s there and what he’s doing with a magus-child not his own.

As soon as I had a chance that morning, I typed up what I could remember, and fleshed out what I could.

The result was 6 pages of word barf.

I stared at it. I couldn’t figure out where it went next. I knew the BBG’s name, and my protagonists names, but something did not feel right about what I wrote.

I saved the file off, and every few months I’d open and read it, realize I still had no idea where to take this next, close the file and move on. I had 6 pages of “what the fuck” that didn’t mean anything, but that I couldn’t just delete.

Then there was an extra special stressful day (a different story, for another time). The next day, I went through my files, again, because when the world falls apart, organizing things is soothing.

I open the file. I read the document.

“No,” I mumble. “It didn’t go down like that.”

28 days later, I have ripped out a 250 page rough draft document. Two weeks after that, I had ideas for more books in the series.

I learned that when my muse gets excited, it is an exhausting experience. 4 weeks at full power, 2 weeks spinning down from that, and then a lot of  brain fog for a month.

After that, sad to say, is years of picking through the word barf to find and polish the gems amidst the yuck, like a deranged prospector.

I suppose it’s a good thing my muse doesn’t get riled up like that very often. But I do have to admit it is a fun ride when it happens.