Why Is Seren Thirty?

One of the questions I've been asked recently is:

Why did you make Seren nearly thirty?

The short answer?

I got a little tired of all my fantasy heroines being young enough to be my granddaughter.

The longer answer is a bit more interesting.

Fantasy and romantasy are full of young women discovering who they are. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Some of my favorite books feature characters who are just beginning to figure out their place in the world.

But I found myself craving something different.

I wanted to write a woman who already knew who she was.

When Night's Oath Bound begins, Seren isn't searching for her purpose. She isn't waiting for someone to tell her she's special. She isn't dreaming of escaping her ordinary life.

She's already built a life she enjoys.

She has work she finds meaningful. She has people she cares about. She knows her strengths, and she's comfortable with her weaknesses. She has opinions. She has boundaries. She has a strong sense of self.

In many ways, Seren has already completed the journey that many fantasy heroines are just beginning.

Which made me wonder:

What happens when someone like that is forced into a story anyway?

Because life doesn't stop throwing challenges at us once we reach adulthood.

If anything, the challenges become more complicated.

A twenty-year-old who loses everything is heartbreaking.

A woman who has spent years building a life she loves and then has that life disrupted is heartbreaking in a very different way.

That was the story I wanted to explore.

I also wanted to write a heroine who wasn't looking for someone else to complete her.

Seren's dream was never a storybook wedding followed by domestic bliss. She isn't searching for a man to rescue her. She doesn't need someone to tell her who she is.

If anything, the people around her are often the ones forced to adjust.

One of my favorite things about Seren is that she isn't impressed by titles, wealth, social position, or power. She cares far more about a person's character than their status. She'll challenge someone because she thinks they're wrong, not because she thinks she's fearless.

Though, if I'm being honest, her fearlessness surprised me while I was writing her.

The independent streak was always there. The fearlessness showed up on its own. And maybe that's one of the reasons I've grown so fond of her.

Seren isn't trying to become someone else.

She's trying to remain herself when the world starts demanding otherwise.

For me, that's a much more interesting story.

🖋️ What about you?

Do you prefer fantasy stories featuring younger protagonists discovering who they are, or characters who already know themselves and are forced to navigate what comes next?

Have a question? 🙋🏻‍♀️

Curious about the writing process, the world of Luneth, the characters, or life as a debut author?

Hit reply and ask away.

Your question might appear in a future edition of Story Notes.