May 28, 2019
“There lived on the island of Severia a queen that was vicious and dastardly...” . — Codex Hyperboreanus
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“There lived on the island of Severia a queen that was vicious and dastardly...” . — Codex Hyperboreanus
Some people write thinking of their readers. I write to create worlds and immerse myself in them. It’s the ultimate act of escapism. That’s why I’m so obsessed with all aspects of my books, from the writing, to the the way they look. For me, a book is not a mash up of different arts. The cover is not separate from the text. The drop caps are not chosen by a designer who has nothing to do with the story. The title hasn’t been mangled by a marketing team who decided to target some homogenous group of people that exist only in their pity minds. This is a solid project. You can’t dissect it in replaceable parts. It’s a standalone artwork. Love it or hate it.
One word: tired. And also stressed, irritable, impatient, pissed off, etc. The moments before the final strokes are the most difficult. Errors keep popping out. Of course the icing on the cake is reserved for all the insecurities that decide to pay me a visit, just as I’m approaching the finish line. Why am I doing this? Is there a point to it? Am I an impostor? Do I even have talent? All these ridiculously subversive questions... Sure enough, by now I’ve learned how to deal with all this crap. I’ll just wait it out and keep on moving, eyes locked on the target. But it’s still exhausting. Like a slow moving bus on the way home. You know you’re going to get there but man, can the driver give it a little nudge!
The first working title of Codex Hyperboreanus was Terror Birds and Wanton Hearts. It started with a rough idea, but as I was writing, it morphed into a chronicle of the rise and fall of a foreign empire. When I finished that, I got back to the initial idea and expanded it into something much larger, so perhaps I’ll end up with two new books instead of one. This is a sketch of a possible second cover. Things are getting interesting 🤓🤓🤓
My next book, Codex Hyperboreanus, comes out on April 26. You can already preorder the ebook edition from your favorite online store: Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, or Google Play 😱😜💃
The hardcover version of Codex Hyperboreanus looks like an ice cream sandwich. It’s exactly what you need in this heat.
I began Codex Hyperboreanus with a story about a giant bird eclipsing the Sun. As it usually happens, it went nowhere and broke into various pieces that gave birth to other stories. I’m an intuitive writer and I don’t like to plan, so I let my spontaneity guide me. Even though I got rid of the beginning, the mythical creature is still present in some of the stories. It’s one of those things that help flesh out a fantasy world and it’s just as important as the main characters.
The Mechanics of Love according to Ana Loveless • Codex Hyperboreanus • Page 35