You know that feeling when you think you know the whole story? You know the truth? So you make a decision and you run with it. When you careen into a wall you didn't see, you pick yourself up and take a second look at where you're headed. Or, if you're stubborn like me, you back up and run at it again. POW! Down you go one more time.
When I began writing my Tarthian Empire series books I knew who the villain was. His name was Pietas and his story was obvious. He was irredeemable, bad through and through. End of story.
About five books in, I hit a wall.
I couldn't make sense of this villain of mine. Pietas was clearly the bad guy, yet while his people feared him--with good reason--they were loyal to the death. He hated humans with such great passion that he wanted to destroy them all, yet he was taking his sweet time going about it. He could have wiped out humanity a thousand years ago.
He hadn't. Why not?
Secrets Behind the Story
I sensed a conspiracy. My characters were keeping a truth from me. How could I write a proper story if I didn't know what was going on?
After flipping through copious notes and rereading my own books, I realized I had a ton of material on Pietas. I began writing down impressions, verifying them against the canon of the books and making sure I had the real story.
The Story Iceberg
Pietas had revealed only ten percent of the story. Like an iceberg, only a small part of a story is visible. The rest comprises its true reality.
I needed to learn more.
It took me months of digging, talking with readers, talking with my beta readers and editors, inundating my critique group with multiple versions of the story's first chapters, but finally I figured out the true story.
My villain wasn't a villain.
I literally sat back in my chair and slapped my forehead. How could I have been so blind? I had allowed his actions to become my interpretation of the truth. In the story world, Pietas was playing a part. Making himself out to be the bad guy, while in reality, he was far from it.
Oh, I can hear you thinking. "You wrote the guy, Kayelle. How can he be any kind of mystery?" Well, that's because you just don't know him yet. Read one of the books about him and you'll see. He is not easy to know, but he's fascinating once you do.
After I wrote the first book about his real story, Origin of Pietas: Bringer of Chaos, a reviewer said: "He's painted as a complete psycho in other books. It's really great to get some insight into who he truly is." I had a jump-up-and-down happy-shouting fit when I read that.
I had succeeded in revealing the truth. That was what I had wanted more than anything.
As soon as I finished the first book, I jumped in on the second.
Model for Pietas: Nik Nitsvetov
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Since I read this book first, I always knew he wasn’t the bad guy.
That’s so awesome. I wish I’d read it first. LOL 🙂