Category: Land of Magadha

Book 2 Progress

Because of this, the young man or woman writing today has forgotten the problems of the human heart in conflict with itself which alone can make good writing because only that is worth writing about, worth the agony and the sweat.

William Faulkner: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/1949/faulkner/speech/

I recently finished chapter 8 of my yet untitled book 2. Since I scrapped the first few chapters of my book 1 during my edits, I have anywhere from 0 to 20% of my first draft completed.

I left plenty of hanging threads in book 1, and I am having fun pulling them to see what unravels and what tightens into a knot.

My protagonist Meera and my other POV character, who will remain nameless (Book 1 Spoilers), have plenty of conflicts – love, duty, and desires pulling them in different directions. What the self wants to do is not what is best for society. Love, that strong overpowering feeling, leading them down perilous paths with no return. And why is it so hard to do one’s duty? All happening in the backdrop of war for Magadha itself.

My next chapter is one I have envisioned happening in my head for a few months now, but sometimes these characters surprise me and take me down a road less traveled. I am excited to see how the images in my head translate into words on paper.

Land of Magadha – Love vs Duty

Love vs Duty is a premise I explored in Book 1. This is a topic relevant in current times as well. It manifests itself as Self vs Society. Take the current pandemic and mask-wearing as an example. Wearing a mask might be good for the community, while the individual self might protest the inconvenience or health and safety concerns.

Sacrificing one’s self might be taken to an extreme. In some cultures, women are routinely asked to give up their aspirations for the welfare of their families. What is a good balance between the two, and who decides it?

My characters live in a medieval world. Fealty to the king and crown is expected. Marriages are arranged with an eye towards strengthening alliances. Do individual desires and aspirations have any place in these settings? Especially among female characters?

My characters struggle with these questions, and answers are not always easy.

Heir to Malla – POV Chronology

I use two first-person point of view characters in this book. Their storylines do not happen chronologically. The astute reader would find hints in the chapters to establish a timeline and sequence of events. This allowed me to have a little fun revealing things to the readers that my character is in the dark about. The drama comes from seeing the characters make decisions based on incomplete information, while the reader is either enjoying the ride or screaming at the book (no, no, no, don’t do it. Wrong path).

Heir To Malla – Meera

When I started writing the book, I aspired to craft a strong female protagonist, while staying true to the medieval settings. Princess Meera wields no sword or magic. Her strength is still very palpable.
She has influential role models to learn from, her grandmother, and her stepmother. These older women have very different traits and provide Meera two distinct paths to follow. What she learns from them is a subtext in her story.
Strength comes in different forms, and Princess Aranya provides an intriguing contrast to Meera. Two adjacent chapters feature Meera and Aranya, where their similarities and differences are presented, and I had fun writing those chapters.
The men in Meera’s life play a significant role in her journey. I will save that for another day.