Hello again!

Edmund Gwenn supposedly said on his deathbed: Dying is easy. Comedy is hard.

A couple years ago, I set out to write a trilogy. I had big dreams, and big ideas. Dreams and ideas that have only grown along the way. It would be my most ambitious project: a satirical, socially / politically conscious flintlock fantasy inspired by the French Revolution and similar historical moments. It was going to be the next Grapes of Wrath; the next Les Misérables; the next Dickensian epic on the plight of the poor. Also, it was going to be funny.

Dying may be easy, comedy may be hard, but a tragi-comic tale of despair and upheaval is bloody difficult!

The humour in this trilogy is not always 'ha-ha' funny, I'll admit. I have tended to go for an atmosphere of mild zaniness rather than writing big, knee-slapper jokes. The general feedback I got for Book 1 would confirm that.

A lot of the time while writing book 2, for example, I have pulled back from doing the silliest jokes and gags in favour of a more dramatic moment. Something I hate is when a story seems like it's getting poignant, but then undercuts everything with a sarcastic joke. I try and keep the lighthearted scenes separate from the more serious ones.

Having said that, I think (and I cross my fingers tightly as I say this), I think that Book 2 of Elixir of Power might be genuinely turning out to be funnier than Book 1. I cannot guarantee that anyone other than myself will agree, but for my taste at least, I think I'm doing a better job. I have been researching the masters (Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett, of course), as well as learning from my past mistakes.

As I continue to read-through and edit Book 2, I'm going to continue to commit to making it as funny as it can be—but only when it's not going to spoil the tension or emotion.

And if I get desperate for laughs, there is always the option of unleashing a string of cheap, crass, absolutely filthy poop-and-fart jokes.

In the meantime, why not check out all the books below? Enjoy!

4 Book Series - On Sale for 99c each!

Zoe Calloway is about to unravel the secrets of time travel and her father's mysterious disappearance.

Will Zoe and her team be able to stop them before it's too late? Will they uncover the secrets of time travel and prevent a dystopian future from becoming a reality?

All four of the books in this series are on sale for 99c, check them out here!

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Thanks for reading

Until next time!