Hello to all my readers! I have finally hit the 30k word mark, and for it being mid-November, that is more than half of what I should have for my own challenge of NaNoWriMo. For that particular challenge, I am over half of what I should be for the month. I am extremely happy of hitting this mark. Many writers give up before reaching this milestone and start another, different draft than the one they were working on.
Terrifying as Terror is
There’s something both exhilarating and terrifying about watching your word count tick past 30,000 on a fantasy novel. Each day I sit down to write “The Call of the Horn,” I feel like I’m simultaneously building and discovering a world – one word, one scene, one chapter at a time. I am nowhere near the actual middle of my novel. Not even close! We have reached the call to action and now traversing in the rising action.
The Milestone
Thirty thousand words. It sounds substantial when you say it out loud, doesn’t it? That’s roughly 120 paperback pages of story, of characters coming to life, of magic systems taking shape, of political intrigue weaving its web. Yet in the realm of epic fantasy, it feels like I’ve barely begun to scratch the surface of this world. I know I am building something bigger than one book. I had to readjust my word count from 50k to 75k thinking that will challenge me more. Getting to 50k will be a challenge within itself, but I grow closer to that number every day.
The Challenges of Epic Fantasy
Writing in this genre comes with its own unique set of challenges. Unlike contemporary fiction, every detail needs to be crafted from scratch. Each city requires its own culture, each kingdom its own politics, each character their own place in a world that exists purely in my imagination – for now. There are days when I spend hours just making sure the distance between two cities makes sense, or that my magic system doesn’t accidentally break its own rules three chapters later.
The Unknown Path
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this journey is that I’m not entirely sure where it will end. Yes, I have my outline, my story beats, my character arcs roughly sketched out. But the beauty of writing, I’m discovering, is how the story sometimes takes on a life of its own. Characters make decisions I didn’t expect. Plot threads emerge from seemingly innocent conversations. What started as a simple quest narrative has begun sprouting new branches, new possibilities, new directions I never anticipated.
Looking Forward
Some might find it daunting not to know exactly where the story will lead. But I’m learning to embrace this uncertainty. Each writing session is an adventure in itself, and while I may not know the exact path to the end, I know the general direction I’m heading. Sometimes, that has to be enough.
The next 30,000 words await, and with them, countless more discoveries about this world and the characters who inhabit it. Will the story end at 80,000 words? 120,000? More? Only time – and many more writing sessions – will tell.
For now, I’ll keep writing, keep exploring, and keep letting this world unfold one page at a time. After all, isn’t that what epic fantasy is all about? Creating a world so vast and deep that even its creator can still be surprised by what lies around the next corner?
Back to writing. The horn calls, and I must answer.
If you haven’t had a chance to read the prologue from “The Call of the Horn,” please check out last week’s blog with it in full. Also, if you’re interested in my writing, please consider reading The Runner, When the Bough Breaks, and Summer Heat.
What is the best fantasy novel you’ve read? Comment below!
Ethan Bridges-Garcia 
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