Author's Notes: The Emperor's Dream Chapter Thirteen

Hello and welcome to my author’s notes for chapter thirteen of The Emperor’s Dream! I’m a little late this week because I was on vacation, and the beach just has a way of…er…what was I talking about again? Oh right, author’s notes.

If you haven’t read chapter thirteen yet, you can read it here.

If you are quite far behind, you can read chapter one here. Remember, these are first drafts only, so the final published version might change a little or a lot, but hopefully you either enjoy or learn something from seeing the process.

Now on with this week’s author’s notes!

• I recently read up a bit on what are called filter words. “Felt” is one of those, and I think I use it a lot. It’s just not usually necessary and the sentence is often stronger without it. For instance, after a bit of shuffling around, “Wanyi felt a pang of guilt” becomes “A pang of guilt went through Wanyi.” Even if it can still be reworked to be stronger, the word “felt” is implied. Or another, Mhong Chronicles example: “He felt his crest rise” vs. “His crest rose.”
• Overall, I like this chapter from a developmental lens. I like the chemistry that is starting to form between Wanyi and Meisun, and it feels a little less clunky than it did in earlier scenes. I’ve been worried that their relationship will feel immature, but it’s starting to feel like it’s working for me.
• I also like how Wanyi has some doubts when he’s seeing Shanshia from up high. He reflects on just how far the Hukan people still have to go, and realizes maybe they’re beyond saving after all, and a fresh start would be best. To add complexity, his feelings for Meisun actually become a temptation for him to give in, which is an interesting twist.
• There are definitely still some technical things I want to work out, like hammering out filter words and things like that, but I’ve been excited to share this chapter for awhile now, and I still enjoy it. Hopefully you do, too!

I think that’s all for this week, friend! What questions do you have? I’d also love to hear your feedback. Let me know your thoughts!

And again, if you haven’t read chapter thirteen, you can do so here. That’ll make this whole post make a lot more sense.

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Until next time!