The cadence of these little posts has gotten a bit… shall we say, spontaneous? And that’s for a variety of reasons. But of reasons relevant to this space, things may look a little different today because, like I shared last week, I'm publishing a book - Imprinted!
There’s a tricky line to walk with trying to promote things, and that process is going to look a little different for everyone. For me it’s trying to balance trust that the stories I’m telling will reach the people they need to, but also feeling that I can’t sit back and expect God to do the rest. I’ve got to get up and follow him. So I thought today I’d share a little bit about how Imprinted got here.
I’ve always held a fascination with fantasy worlds that feel hundreds of universes away, but still seem to hold some truth close to their heart. Whether that’s a story about dragons, archers, or epic scale battles, those are just a few books from childhood that seem to be straight up fun while still unveiling something real. Those are the kinds of stories I’ve always wanted to tell. Those are the kinds of stories that mean something, that do something, that speak truth into their stories and readers, and seem to come to life.
I’ve also read a lot of fantasy romance novels that define love differently than I would. (Not to call out any novels negatively - we’re all telling stories from our own values and perspective of the world, and there’s lots of people out there who have amazing skill and talent for writing). I wanted to figure out how to blend those worlds together to tell a story with a central truth, while also casting a different light on what it means to fall in love.
Imprinted itself isn’t a romance. A few things that it is: my own take on vampires and mythological creatures, the idea of a “veil” hiding things from human eyes, the depth of a sibling bond, and what it means to build a relationship of trust. That’s not a small number of themes, and I’ll be breaking down those slowly, but those are the overarching ones. In true “the first thing you list in a _____ paragraph essay is the first thing your reader expects you to talk about” fashion, let’s talk about mythical creatures.
One of the most influential movies in my life I can remember is I Remember Mama. It’s dear to me for a number of reasons, one of them being that it’s about a young writer. One of the most curious things in that movie was when the writer says she was told to “write what she knows,” so she writes about her mom. I was younger when I saw that movie, and still very early in developing my writing craft, so I didn’t quite understand that. I still, to some extent, try and push the boundaries of what that quote means. But, one other quote I really like is “write like you believe it.” I can’t quite remember the attribution for that one, so apologies there, but I think the sentiment is one very similar that’s mentioned early on in the Stories are Soul Food podcast.
I love the dynamic between those quotes: write what you know, and write like you believe it. When you’re writing in the fictional, fantasy realm that line seems to be blurry (and speaking of blurry things and podcasts, it’s been fun to push the bounds even further as an avid listener to the Blurry Creatures podcast). That’s part of what I love about it. There exists a space where real feelings, experiences, and truth can overlap with fantastical worlds, species, and plot points that don’t exist in the world we see every day. I get to write into a space that holds something real in the context of something otherworldly.
So all that to bring me to - what’s so important about these mythical creatures, and what makes these vampires different? I’m going to get into some of the background, discovery, and lore of this story’s world. Not too spoilery, but if you’d rather it all be a full surprise, skip down to the next break and I’ll let you know you’ve passed this next bit. But if you’re curious about my process for building up this world with those two frameworks in mind, read on.
For the rest of you…
I love Blurry Creatures because of their worldview, the way they ask questions, and the variety of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives on the show. It’s really one that challenges you to dig into the Bible, consider what’s in front of you, but also the things that we know and can’t see. So in writing in some of these mythical creatures, I tried to be intentional in the background setting of the story that still held onto that fantasy element without straying too far from the idea of creation - that these beings were made, made choices, and human beings were made differently from them. Hence the reason for the veil.
Why does it matter? Well, something N. D. Wilson in his podcast said stuck with me. When explaining the magic system for one of his books, he was talking about how the magic came from dandelions. It’s not flashy or showy. It’s not power derived from the object itself, or one that we’d expect to be powerful. It’s rooted in something that is created. The earth was created, the dandelions that appear are real flowers, and therefore this source of power is coming from creation, power imbued by its creator. And that, I think, is a really neat idea! I love the way that such a simple world building mechanism can be a point of intention in pointing to a creator.
In my book, Imprinted, I take a different approach. Imprinted is meant for an older audience. Factoring in that kids/teens tend to read a few years ahead of their age, I would intend this book for 16-24. And that’s of course a recommendation, but that’s for the difference in how I approach these themes. My exploration of creation and created purpose also comes with exploring the corruption of those things - the reality that both good and evil exists in the world. Maybe it’s just me, but having a foundation for what is good, what was created with a purpose, and then seeing that fall, that corruption taken upon oneself or society, creates a stronger contrast than simply defining good and evil. You have to confront that fall. That there is a choice to be made within that. It’s not as clean cut as we’d like to believe sometimes, but there also is that line. It’s not as subjective as we’d like it to be either.
I think introducing those mythical creatures, and trying to change how vampires come about but also the consequences and impact of their actions, creates a canvas on which to explore those themes. How did those creatures get here? What are they after? What are their societies built upon? Why can’t humans see them? How do people become vampires? What does it mean to ‘turn’ someone? Can they make a different choice? That’s just a few of the questions I tried to ask when building up the background, the history, and the setting to this world. And, to be fair, I explore it more in the books to come. But Imprinted is the beginning of that exploration. For me, and a story that I want to share with the rest of you as I write and release the rest of the series.
Welcome back! We’re back to the spoiler free zone!
Thank you for hanging in there this long. I’d love to answer any questions you have about writing, my process, Imprinted, or anything else related. It’s a continuing journey, trying to figure out how to tell these stories well, to share this gift, and stay true to the one who has blessed me with it.
With Imprinted releasing on March 4th, I can’t get through all the topics in the space between now and then (veils, sibling bonds, and building trust), but I’ll do my best to answer any and all questions and hopefully spark some curiosity. So if you’re interested in a grittier fantasy adventure, mythics, and what it might be like to be thrown into a world you’ve never seen before but existed right in front of you the whole time, I’d love to invite you to check out, or share, Imprinted. Right now only the ebook is available for pre-order. The paperback will be available March 4th. As soon as I have a link that isn’t Amazon, I will share them with you all as well for those more comfortable or convicted to buy elsewhere.
Thank you again for your support, your readership, and excited to share more news with you soon.
To learn more about me and my work, you can visit my website, or check out my YA novella, Stars Above directly.
Any questions, things you want to know, or curiosities about Imprinted, my writing process or journey, or any other little thoughts to share?