Writer's Note: Valor, Chapter 7

This is a Writer's note, and not the actual Chapter 7 of Valor. You can find that here.

Hey guys, another Writer's Note. Warning, this may have some spoilers for later bits. Nothing direct, but it's kind of a look into my process, so it may be revealing. That said.

Part of the reason it took me several months to make Chapter 7 is that I'm beginning to set up things further down the road. And not just a little bit down the road, but way down the road. Valor is, in some ways, the first part of a trilogy, and though I'm hoping for it to stand on its own merits, at the same time I want to hint at larger subjects that will come into play later. The problem is that I don't know, exactly, what those are.

"That's kind of sloppy Richie. Why even hint at them, then? What's the bloody point?!"
Well, here's my problem; I don't get along too well with detailed outlining. There IS an outline for Valor, but if I made it too detailed, I would feel uninspired to write it. One thing I love about writing is the same thing I love about reading, or watching shows/movies: I like finding out what happens next. I've noticed its something you can use to distinguish a Writer from "someone who writes." A Writer is someone who can be surprised by their own characters, their own story, and find themselves caught off-guard by what happens. Some people look at me like I'm crazy when I say stuff like that, but if it's happened to you, you know EXACTLY what I'm talking about, and how much of a difference it makes.

So that's where my problem for Chapter 7 comes in. This is the first chapter where I'm starting to lay down the foundation for what comes later, and while I'm trying to peg down what that is without forcing the story a certain direction, it's very much in a state of flux. In a strange way, the stuff I have outlined for Valor and its "sequels" are not even the most important bits. More like trail markers to find my way with. So I've struggled a lot, because even though I've said repeatedly this is all a work in progress, I don't like putting up something that feels like it could change. And trust me: Chapter 7 could change. I'll make it known if it does, and what changed, but I think it's pretty close right now.

Either way, thank you all for your patience.