The Wolf of Oren-yaro is the first book in a planned trilogy. I always make sure I say these words–first book, and planned. The most challenging part about writing the damn thing is doling out the plot over the course of three books, holding just enough back so the third book doesn’t fall flat.
Some series are actually standalones with sequels. Some series are a string of standalones loosely connected with each other. This is not one of those.
The amount of stuff I have to juggle and remember, and all the technical stuff I have to pull off to make sure this all works out is crazy. To do it from one POV and with fast pacing is sheer madness. The most crucial part is the “glue”–Talyien’s personal story. I can’t lose sight of it, or the story falls apart. But it’s so easy to lose sight. The Wolf of Oren-yaro is just the tip of the iceberg, and the rest of it is like a goddamned minefield. All the factions that were mentioned in that first book…they’re not just eye-candy, they all play a part.
I’ve already kind of hinted that the sequel trilogy to this is called The Second War of the Wolves, if that’s any indication of the clusterfuck I’m dealing with…
So I’m struggling. Not because I don’t know what to do or haven’t planned it out or anything. It’s just mentally taxing, like doing Calculus equations back to back for the whole day and night (and this is me not being very good at math in the first place). And I’ve got about 90,000 words more of this hell to go through. Wanting it to work out is not the same thing as actually facing this trudge every single day. Man, once I get there, I’m going to take a really long nap…
