The Darkness of Human Nature

I was doing a Gamma read with my friend just yesterday when they made an interesting observation about The Seventh Kingdom. Bear in mind, they'd read well beyond Volume One (up to Chapter Twenty Six at this point) when I asked them if our series, being a seinen, seemed as dark and heavy as the others, they had an interesting response.

As a writer, and creative in general, I think we sometimes pour our hearts into the characters, the world, the situations--and do so with the intention of relaying certain sentiments. For me, I knew the specific themes that I wanted to touch on. Yet, my understanding of the over-arching philosophy and big-picture of the series continues to get clearer as I journey with the characters. Long story short, I'm figuring things out along the way. (Lol)

If you asked me to pinpoint my signature style as a writer....I couldn't really tell you. I just know what I want to express--not how to summarize what patterns are present within my expression.

Hence, why the feedback I got from my Gamma-Reading-Friend was so surprising and eye-opening for me.

They said, "The Seventh Kingdom is dark but not entirely in a gory, shock-factor way. It explores the palatable darkness of human nature. It makes you reflect on things that happen or are actively happening in real life--as those parallels are quite strong." They went on to talk about how readers might feel inspired to reflect on themselves more after each chapter. They found themselves reflecting on their own reaction to the world around them and began to question why they did or didn't do certain things, what they could improve, how they might grow going forward.

It was then that I realized how much my writing aligned with the Narrative mission of RPX Media Production--nearly hitting it right on the head: telling stories that draw you into the pages/screen and make you look within as well.

Realizing this moment of "becoming" and growing into my signature style as a writer was a small moment that felt like a big win. Anyways, I'll keep doing my thing. Updates on Volume Two coming soon!