There comes a time during the writing process where you have to take a step back and figure out exactly who your target audience is for this story. Every writer does it. Everyone pulls apart their book, script, short story, etc. and tries to determine who in their right mind will be reading this.
Over the last few years, I’ve come to love my Greystone readers. They are a stalwart bunch and they keep me inspired to continue with the series. When it came to closing out Hammer and Anvil, though, I suddenly hit a roadblock because of those readers.
Hammer and Anvil is meant to be the first in a new trilogy of stories. One that uses pre-existing information/lore to rebuild its world for a new audience. So who is it meant for exactly? Is it meant to cater to the old guard with nods to stories that take place later in the timeline? Or is it for new readers as it is the first book in a series?
And so the debate begins!
I put it off as long as I could. It wasn’t until I was about halfway through the draft that I hit upon the heavy exposition chapters of the book. That’s pretty standard for me. Always taking the easier path to feel my way into a story. Action pieces. Dialogue chapters. Easy stuff.
But with the exposition came the realization that I needed to find an answer and quick. Soriya’s first appearance in the story is in chapter 2. The Greystone puts in an appearance as well. But new readers don’t know anything about them, do they? They don’t know what the stone is or how it works or even who this woman is who is wielding it. They would be lost without some information.
Old readers already hold that knowledge. Exposition at this point would be boring to them, having read through possibly 5 adventures with Soriya already.
So who wins here? Does one fanbase trump the other?
I started having this back and forth during the drafting phase and then again through the editing process.
Changes made to reach new readers
Exposition won out. There are nice touchstones from the other books in terms of setting up certain environments, but the desire for new readers to be able to dive into this novel was more important in the long run.
I went back and punched up the background for each player introduced. I tried to read things with fresh eyes and really build everyone’s role as well as the city itself. The story has definitely grown in the telling and I think it is stronger because of it.
This is not to say old fans will be bored. I’ve hit a number of different moments that connect readers to stories from the main series. Loren’s cigarette addiction. His sleeping on the couch. The Franklin Center. A Circle of Shadows. And more. Plenty of nods for readers to recognize while not confusing newbies in the process.
New challenges with each new project
It’s amazing to think about. When I set out to write Hammer and Anvil it was meant to be for newsletter subscribers. When it grew, so did my expectations for the final product. That included making a cohesive narrative, it meant finding a bridge from the first book to the third, and it came with the new challenge of finding new readers while also capturing the zeal of the ones who have stood by the series from the start.
Not an easy task. But one I’ve been excited in exploring over the last few weeks.
I think you’re in for a fun ride no matter how much experience you have with Greystone.
Thanks for reading.
