Throwback Thursday - A Giant’s Friend
Originally posted during my Jade: First and Last blog tour.
Well, while it’s not really Thursday I’d still like to spotlight one of my earlier books that doesn’t always get enough attention. My very first published book, A Giant’s Friend, is a novella that holds a special place in my heart. It opened the world of publishing for me. However, since it was my first, it wasn’t my best. It was still a bit rough, and I should have spent more time cultivating the story. But what did I know of storytelling then?
I wrote the novella during my study abroad trip to Ireland in 2010, and then published it the following year. After several years I ended up getting my rights back from the publisher, and I wanted to republish it as an indie book. But when I took a look at it after so many years, I realized it’s publishing debut had been premature. So what did I do? I rewrote it, of course. And you know what I discovered?
In just a handful of years, my talent and skills for storytelling had matured in leaps and bounds. It was fascinating to realize. I’m definitely one to keep looking forward to new, shiny projects but when I happen to take a few steps back, and look at the quality of my work over the years, I am stunned by the growth I’ve managed. After A Giant’s Friend, I published Psychic Moon and Ruby: Lost and Found in quick succession, and already the quality of my stories had noticeably gotten better. I didn’t realize it at the time, of course. But now, after a decade under my belt, I can see the remarkable difference. Yes, I’m tooting my own horn a bit but... who else will? And it’s a small horn... very modest.
It's encouraging to know I’ve become better... but I still have room to grow. I will always need to grow. From the complexities of my storylines to the depth of my characters, and to the world building for the stories to take place in, I need to continue to strive to refine my skills. So I continue to challenge myself, with topics, story lengths, character profiles, and anything you can think of. I know why authors find their comfort zones and stick to them, guaranteeing readership since readers know exactly what they’re getting. As a reader myself, I can attest that it works, and I definitely have several favorite authors I gravitate towards because I know what I’m getting. But as an author, I know I would get bored if I stuck to a template. That’s why my series and single titles are so varying. My muse hops around like a bunny, snagging items from every corner and then putting them in a pile in the center and making me choose one. They’re all different and unique and special.
If you want to check out my very first novella (rewritten) then you can visit most online retailers, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords, etc. It’s only $.99! I also have my two short stories, Trash and Treasures, and Night Guardians available for the same price.
I hope to write shorter stories in the future, mostly retellings of myth or folklore characters. But that’s a project on top of all the rest so who knows when I can squeeze those in.
Wish me luck!
I hope you stay safe and healthy, and may dragons guard your dreams,
M.D. Grimm
