Author Insight: Episode 2
What to Take, What to Leave
This was the first episode of “The Beast Hunter” that I wrote after deciding to use Keltin Moore’s adventures as the focus of my first online serial. I knew that this story would have to serve two purposes. First, it needed to continue the plotline of Keltin’s journey to Krendaria with Mr. Paulsen. Second, I had to begin the process of fleshing out Keltin’s character and history. I was determined to avoid the mistake that many writers make by including too much “back-story” or details of a main character’s past that, while interesting to the writer, often bore the reader and distract from the current storyline. Instead, I chose to give the reader a glimpse of Keltin’s past without making it tedious. I created the character of Angela to give Keltin an emotional depth that we hadn’t seen in Keltin before now.
This was also the first episode of “The Beast Hunter” that has no action sequence. The conflict in this story is purely emotional and is centered on the interaction between Keltin and Angela. I wanted to avoid a pattern of action sequences in each episode, not only to increase its believability, but to emphasize that this project would be a continuing story, not just a series of short adventures that all have the same main character. In the end, I think I managed to create some emotionally charged writing that -while it isn’t life threatening action- will nonetheless make for an absorbing read.