This book was a joy to write, in spite of the fact it was also a little devil!
The Sotul’s Disgrace kicks off the Rulers series and sets the scene for the kind of things I’m going to delve into when you read those books. That's the job of a prequel novella, to set your expectations for the upcoming series. How the story goes, the kind of tropes that will be used, etc. The Problem with The Sotul's Disgrace is that, initially, it didn't do any of that.
I struggled to write this book because there was just too much story and because of that the tropes were swallowed just in the act of trying to get the story down. This wasn’t the case when I chose it as the prequel novella; before that, there just wasn't a lot going on in this story. I was convinced I'd struggle to write it as a full sized novel. I knew Perim was a dick and Kate was a sharp tongued 'commoner' who was going to teach him some valuable lessons. I also knew they were going to be trapped on a planet together and that they’d be rescued and then he’d struggle to give her up, but I had no idea the intrigues this book was going to drop on me.
That’s the problem. The difference between plotting a book and writing a book.
I plot all of my books to some degree or another. Sometimes in broad strokes because I know exactly where it’s going and I just need reminders of certain elements and a rough guide. Sometimes painstakingly in detail because the story is a muddle to me and I need to straighten it out before I set pen to paper. But each time I begin writing I know things will change.
Occasionally though a book comes along and I don’t have a clue what’s going to happen. I plot it out and think everything’s great, then it pours out of me, hitting certain plotting milestones, but otherwise pretty much writing itself. The Smuggler’s Radiant was like that and so is The Sotul’s Disgrace.
This should, in all honesty, be a 60-70k novel. I utterly chose the wrong book. I should have just created an all new story as the prequel novella and left The Sotul’s Disgrace for later. But there was no way to know until I started writing and by then I’d already put up a preorder for the book.
This is a novella on the novel side as a result. But despite all that, I'm very happy with it. The story is all there. It could have been longer, but I genuinely enjoy the story and think it does all the jobs it's supposed to.
The Sotul’s Disgrace is coming in a few days. I really do love Perim and Kate. They're a great couple who challenge each other and make each other laugh. I really do hope you love them too.