Behind the Scenes

Author's Note

Writing the second half of Reila's adventure was an interesting task as the story shifted from a coming-of-age tale to an account of war. I had to detail the horror and gruesomeness of war while keeping in mind (1) the age of my audience and (2) the age of my protagonist. 

War is horrible. It smells of rotting flesh and blood; it is graphic and ruthlessly violent. Atrocities and acts of barbarism are committed continuously. Sights, sounds, sensations - how was I to convey such strong emotions while maintaining a relatively safe environment for my readers?

When writing battle scenes or war epics, I had to find balance. There had to be enough detail to transport readers to the battlefield, but not enough graphic depictions to stun them. 

To complicate the matter, I had three main points-of-view to work with and tie together - Reila, Kaito, and Silia. Each saw a different side of the war; each witnessed different things. Their reactions and comprehension of the atrocities they saw had to be taken into consideration. Something that bothered Kaito, might not have registered with Reila and vice-versa. Keeping their personalities in mind while writing the fluid scenes was a chore. ​

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