I originally called my project "The Other Side", even though this story was never written in a novel format. I had an original protagonist, different devils he went up against, etc. etc. I mostly just used the world-building for fun until about 3 years ago when I knew I had more than just fun RPG gaming. 3 years ago, when I was working another retail job, I had this immense creative spurt that eventually led me to think that I'd one day be an author. Not just your average fantasy indie author, but one who combined elements of scientific realism, imagination, and a stark focus on realistic character personalities. Essentially, I knew what annoyed me in writing, and so I wrote what I enjoyed. I remember reading books, watching movies, shows, and thinking "Wow, nobody talks like that." or "Even for this universe that's not realistic." So I knew what I wanted to do as far as dialogue and world realism went.
That's not to say my world was necessarily realistic in the truest sense of the word; it isn't. The point of it is that while I use realistic physics, science, and other elements that would otherwise be overlooked in a traditional fantasy novel, for the flex tape that a lot of authors call magic. There's nothing wrong with it if you enjoy that sort of thing, but as for me? I find it far more interesting if I can find real-world applications where I can, and if there's a magic system (and there is in my book), I like to think about how something like that would realistically work. Like science, a good magic system has its limitations; it's not a one-size-fits-all type of deal, and it's just as complicated as understanding broad branches of chemistry, planetary science, etc.
These gripes are indirectly what taught me what not to do when writing what I wanted to do, and so on this day 6 years ago, this is the foundation that started everything, even if practically speaking it wasn't career-based for the longest time. Sometimes, let creativity flow and have patience, and this much was true about my world. In a way, I'm glad I'm not publishing a story on the first protagonist I ever wrote, because if I look back at what I had written that first day and kept going inside that mindset, I wouldn't have had the maturity or skill to make a full novel that I do now. Experiences in life change you, and they refine your writing style especially. Perhaps in ten years I'll look back at my debut, go "I was an immature writer", and hone something even better. That's the idea that we keep improving, but as for the world?
The mythos I created was unlike anything I had before. I had little religious influence in my early life and made immature assertions at the time that hindered me, but because of my lack of exposure, I created something entirely unique. In a way, creative writing made me a more open-minded person to other ideas, other points of view, because you can always learn more from people of different backgrounds. You consider elements of life through a different lens, a different perspective, one that makes you feel more human and less checkered-pattern black and white. Before then, I didn't have the resources to properly assert what I wanted out of life or what I was passionate about, but it was more than just creative writing. I became my own advocate, because as nice as the princess in the tower stories are, nobody is coming to save us. Let us be like the man with no name and make our own way through this crazy journey we call life!
In a way, I see this day as a pivotal, transformational day. What would otherwise just be Flag Day in the US is the day that I locked in, the day I fully embraced creativity from a lens of what I had already known. I constantly talk about geography and history, but those weren't the only elements. At the time, listening to the lyrics of The Other Side, the world really painted a picture. Getting dragged through the 'Gates of Hell' to 'where you belong', the song carried its own meaning for me, which I fully embraced on this day. Though the chances of any members of Pendulum seeing this post are astronomically low, if any of them read this, know that you have my most sincere and utmost respect for the inspiration.
Every year since I created the world, I celebrated. This year is different since I'm talking about it publicly for the first time and explaining the origins to a deeper level. Since this was long before I wrote my book, it was before I had a lot of things flushed out, ready to be seen. Rarely do such ideas inspire us to such a deep level that inspire immense creativity. For me, the most unlikely circumstances led me onto the path of creating my novel. Ironically, I used to not like to read, and if you had told me 6 years ago that I'd have written a book in the future, I'd think you were crazy. I learned that it's not reading itself I didn't like; it was being forced to read something I didn't care about (or about 95% of the public education system's material and the illusion of choice). We truly don't learn that much about ourselves unless we get lucky enough to stumble upon the things that make us who we are, and this was indeed an event for me.
For the rest of my life, I will celebrate June 14 as my creation day. Let your imagination run wild; let your experiences in life guide you to creativity. Your valleys and peaks in life, your unlikely experiences that you might not think of down the road. If you're an author reading this and you're struggling to get your first book done, know that if I can do it, you absolutely can as well! Take that idea you've obsessed over for ages, let it out, put all of your cool things in the book and see what happens. Give it its own identity! Nobody can limit what you create.
6 years is a long time, it really is. If you're older, that may not sound like a long time, but think about where we were 6 years ago and how much happened. It was during the pandemic, and we were mostly quarantined around that time. From the day 6 years ago, I have developed my world until it has met my expectations of a wider universe. I did that, wrote the book, edited, and that's why I believe my fictional locations and even my real ones feel just like that. Even if you've never been to a location you're trying to write about, study the location! Study the topography, the history, the geology, and see what you can come up with. After all, if you want to create, the only thing that will stop you is that voice in the back of your head. Externalize it, give it a name, and give it a corner so you can focus and write! You will succeed, believe in yourself.
Thank you everyone so much for your support. If you've been with me for six years, thank you so much for your continued support! If you're new here, welcome! I post every Friday (with the exception of this special post, on Sunday). My world has inspired me to do so much with my life, take paths I otherwise wouldn't take; sometimes act on impulse and just trust that a plan might paralyze my thinking. After all, if I didn't act on impulse the week before I started on my book, I wouldn't have written it. Carve your own way, and you will succeed.
All the best, thank you so much, and until we meet again,
Dustin