Triptych First Draft: Opening Complete

The first draft of The Pantheon Triptych is going rather well. As I said in my last post, I aimed to write the first four chapters before stepping back and reviewing what I'd learnt. That comprised two chapters from Steffan's perspective, introducing one each from Katsu and Tomlin. They're now complete.

It was the perfect introduction to the world of Pantheon, allowing me to get a feel for my main characters and their three societies. I learned a great deal and, just as importantly, had huge fun writing them. The 12,000 words flew past.

It was also perfectly timed. I completed them immediately before my son visited for a few days, giving him a chance to review them and to chat directly about his thoughts. It proved incredibly useful, giving me an improved focus for the story I might have missed.

For a start, there was one thing I was giving away immediately that would have been much more effective to reveal slowly across the book's first half. I also needed to ground Steffan's narrative better at the start. There's a raft of more minor tweaks that flow from this.

Most critical of all is the character currently known as Ona Kent. She evolved into someone more substantial in the writing, her working relationship with Steffan being the beating heart of the story. It was clear she needed – deserved – more focus. I now know what to do.

Ona's secret story, as revealed by Steffan, turns out to be the catalyst that brings the triptych of Steffan, Katsu, and Tomlin together. Her name is now Ona Kentova (for reasons...), although she goes by her professional title of Magritte to everyone but Steffan.

With that straight, I revised the story blurb to focus on the correct priorities:

The world of Pantheon was settled well over a century earlier by interstellar arkships. The first residents were surprised to develop mild psionic powers thanks to exotic flux channels running through the planet. Healing abilities were prevalent. In other regions, the local flux bestowed minor psychokinetic capabilities. These soon became part of life.

Living on the island state of Anatol, fealty to his leader is everything to Steffan. He would give his life for Rurik, Anatol's stern ruler – despite being Rurik's designated successor. He's always felt that way. It leaves him needing to justify his life as the transfer of power approaches.

Flux expert Katsu Kuzara joins an expedition studying tantalising signs of new powers emerging in the northern wastes of the continent of Kitara. It's his last chance for glory – but his discoveries have an even greater impact on Steffan.

Elsewhere, cynical investigator Tomlin Gaudy is on a wild goose chase across the southern state of Temani. Quite why unconnected minor celebrities are vocally supporting such a niche – and potentially seditious – cause is beyond him, but he imagines it's a waste of his time. He's wrong. The journey will irrevocably change him – and Steffan.

The convergence of their three perspectives reveals a threat to Pantheon's future that only Steffan can counter – if he can work out what to do. First, he has to decide who he is.

As you might have noticed, Ona isn't the only character I've renamed. Katsu Keating has become Katsu Kuzara. Indeed, I've changed the name of all the characters from Kitara to give a more distinctive feel to their region. There's an extra minor support character in there too. This is my current dramatis personae:

So what's next? First, I'll incorporate fixes to the feedback on my opening chapters to establish a firm footing for the rest of the story. I've already replanned what gets revealed where, so once that's out of the way, I'll crack on with the rest.

The chapter structure follows a pattern that is repeated throughout most of the book:

Steffan chapter

Katsu chapter

Steffan chapter

Tomlin chapter

It changes for the final few chapters once everything has come together, but I'll worry about that later. For now, I'll focus on each character in turn, writing Katsu's chapters first, then Tomlin's, and finally Steffan's to glue them all together. That's fitting, as chronologically, that's the order in which they happen – just not the order in which the reader experiences them.

Katsu will have six chapters to his name, as follows:

• The Expedition (already drafted)

• The Rescue

• The Flux

• The Investigation

• The Crossing

• The Island

I'll be back once those are complete. Kitara calls...