The Falcon's Claw - April 2021 Update

The Falcon's Claw - April 2021 Writing Update ⚡

With all of the content I've been sharing for my LitRPG/GameLit story, The Beast of Ildenwood, I was reminded by a good friend to also share an update for my other writing projects. So, today, here's one for The Falcon's Claw (the title of which I am increasingly dissatisfied with, but we'll see what else pops up over time).

High-Tier Decisions

I recently had a long brainstorming session for this serialized fiction, and I'm quite satisfied with some of the higher-level plot decisions I made concerning the overall direction of the story. Because I'm writing it in an episodic manner, with short chapters that aim to keep readers engaged, I thought about the plot arcs I want to include - and have come to the conclusion that the story will have four "seasons" (in fact, this is how I will refer to them from now on) - each revolving around a big reveal and/or its impact on the characters.

Generally speaking, I want the biggest plot reveals to take place at the end of each season, though of course for the last season, this will not be the case as the end of the season 4 is meant to wrap things up. 

I had thought, after seeing many different web novels and serial fictions that have well over 200 chapters, about whether or not I'd like to keep the story going past the plot that I've developed for it so far. I am sure that there are many different stories that can be created as off-shoots of The Falcon's Claw, taking place in the same world and featuring the same characters. Still, I've decided against it. More and more, I'm getting the urge to write stories that come to an end without the need to be pushed forward ad infinitum. 

Progress in the Story

Apart from all of that, I feel I've made quite a lot of progress since last I shared about The Falcon's Claw on my blog. I am now approaching the episode in which the second shocking murder takes place, Neska has met influential members of the Royal Court, and she's about to make an unlikely friend in the wife of a man accused of homicide. 

In fact, Neska makes quite a few surprising decisions as the story progresses, and readers might think her reckless and bold - or simply foolish - when they finally get to see her in action. Personally, I'm very much enjoying writing a character who - despite telling the story from their third-person subjective perspective - continues to surprise readers.

Stats & Excerpt

Word Count: 11,269

Average Word Count per Chapter: 3,000 

This excerpt comes from Episode 4:

When she stepped into the Great Hall, Neska once again felt herself a pariah. She would have thought nothing of it – soon they would all be called upon to dine, and then Neska could slip away and explore the rest of the sprawling palace grounds – but this time around, there was a keen sense of danger in this exclusion. She realized with a cold feeling in her veins that none of these people would every speak for her should she truly be accused of something. She could be attacked right here, in the midst of the Royal Court, and she doubted than any would come to her aid for her sake.

However, there was some hope for her yet. Her meeting with King Maximillian the day before – however uncomfortable it might have been – had ended with him inviting her into the Queen’s entourage for the day. This, of course, was a great honor, and when Neska approached the soldier standing guard between the rest of the Court and the favoured members of the King and Queen, the stares and whispers that followed her, curious and shocked, gave her a feeling of power.

🌗