The power dynamic

I’ve come to the realisation that Age of Oppression – the novel I’m currently writing is all about power.

The sub-plot of the book highlights the political manouvering between the Emperor and his brother as they attempt to gain power over one another. Their political wrangling and reactions to trouble in the south provides some colour to the plot and helps me set things up nicely for future books.

At the same time, Allin, my protagonist, is finding how own power and throwing off the power of others. He is moving into manhood and, in doing so, wants to find his own way and make his own mistakes. As with any teenager, he doesn’t always make the best decisions and isn’t willing to accept advice or help where it is offered. So, his relationships with those around him are changing as the balance of power shifts.

And then, as the title of the book suggests, there is the power of oppression – power wielded through main strength by one who is using it to mask their own inadequacies. This is where the difference between good and evil is most clear cut – but where the outcome is most brutal. Yet, the extremes of this situation have been the easiest to write. That doesn’t mean that a truly bad  character has to have no redeeming features. They can be beautiful in some ways and yet lost in others. That’s what makes character development so interesting – finding the facets that make them real.

Which, of course, highlights the greatest power of them all in this book and in any other. The power of authorship; of plucking from thin air a nation, filling it with people and circumstances and breathing life into them. It is a gift and a joy – but also a responsbility. You’ll be glad to know, I take that responsibilty very seriously.

 

 

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