What better way to start a blog than by discussing my current Work In Progress (WIP), which I am calling Empire of Silence. This is a working title, especially after I found that there already exists a book called Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio. Nevertheless it is the title my writing group knows it by, so that’s what I’ll probably refer to it as until publication, or I get a better idea.
Before I get too far, you can read the first chapter (of Draft 1) right here.
So what is Empire of Silence? It’s a fantasy set in an empire where if you speak, you lose your soul. An unlikely band of thieves steal the evil Emperor’s crown, accidentally kidnapping a sign language teacher in the process, and on their return journey to a rival empire, they slowly discover the secret of the Emperor’s power. The novel explores themes of the motivation we get from fear and love.
On the planet Soli, everyone has what is called a “Voice,” which is what powers the primary magic system. Voice operates depending on which voice type, or tessitura, a person has. For example, a soprano has heightened reflexes while a tenor can vibrate his skin to make noise. This isn’t something I’m complaining about, but too often in books, games, and other media the magic system is geared almost exclusively towards combat. Granted, magical fighting is cool, but from an evolutionary standpoint, I wanted to develop a magic system that would make sense for a species to have. What practical applications would people use their magic for in their everyday lives? And why do only humans (or other humanoid species) use magic and nothing else? On Soli, even the plants, bugs, and animals have Voice and use it for their survival.
I really wanted to explore this a little more. And don’t worry, there is still magical combat! I’m not that dumb. I might be a little dumb, but I make sure to include a fight scene early on in the story just so people know there will be more of it later on, and that way it frees up the middle portions of the book for the rest of the magical exploration. In fact, the characters don’t even view Voice as magic. It’s just as magical as sight is to a blind person. To someone born blind, the ability to know when to stop moving when a stoplight changes color, gain information just by watching symbols printed on a page, wouldn’t that be a magical ability indeed?
Shifting gears, there are two storylines in this book, which I have planned to be a standalone novel. My A Plot (which I call the Absconder Arc) follows these thieves called The Absconders by Teacher Terrin, the man they kidnap, as they journey from kingdom to kingdom in the Crown Empire, past a mysterious barrier called the Wall of Screams, and into the Varen Empire, all while pursued by a mysterious enemy only known as Mask. The Absconder Arc, while told from a number of character perspectives, focuses on the relationship between a teenage boy named Skanlan, who just wants to protect his twin sister, and Teacher Terrin. I mean, imagine if you lied to and used someone for a year, then had to travel with them immediately after they find out!
The B Plot (which I call the Flashback Arc), takes place in the past before The Silencing, the day when the evil emperor made it so no one could speak or they would lose their Voice and become a slave to his will. It follows the starcrossed children of rival soldiers in the Crown Army. Aerideth, a boy who will do anything to prove himself, and Seras, an accomplished singer and daughter of the Grand General of War. We see the events leading up to the Silencing from their perspective as well as the immediate aftermath. Ultimately, both of these plotlines come together for an explosive climax and showdown between the Varen and Crown Empires.
Like I said, there are a number of themes I wanted to explore. I really want to see what I can do with love, fear, addiction, and other struggles we all go through. Everyone is the protagonist of their own story, and everyone is struggling with something, so I try to incorporate this as best as I can into these characters. My goal is that I want someone, somewhere out there, to read this book, or anything that I write, and come out of it a better person. Maybe they are struggling with something similar to one of the characters and can learn from their actions and be inspired to change for the better. Whether or not that actually happens, I know what the power of writing and stories can do.
So stay tuned! I’m currently about 35% finished with my first draft, and my goal is to be done by July. School makes drafting difficult, but hey, excuses excuses. I’ll post occasional updates on here so you can join me in this journey. Once I get a newsletter set up I’ll prompt you to join that. So thanks for reading!
“Everyone has a story to tell and something valuable to offer. No matter how smart or not, popular or not, experienced or not.” -Teacher Terrin
–Reagan Larsen
Reagan Larsen 
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