What is In Memoriam?
In Memoriam, the series that begins with The Ninth Hour, is a passion project of mine. I have seen how powerful long-form storytelling has been in my own life, and this story that started off as an idea for one book begged to be told in the form of multiple books. Many different influences have come together to help shape this story. Below, I explain my larger artistic vision of In Memoriam. Here, I would like to tell you about the different things you can expect from this series.
First, it will be a story spread across multiple different books. Though I know many people prefer being able to pick up a book and finish a story after 300 pages, I found that the experience I wanted readers to have would not be possible if it were a single book. This story does not take place over several months or even a year; it takes place over two decades. Because many things change in two decades, it was important to make the reader understand the details of what was going on. I love the Dune series, but one of the things that frustrated me about that series was that it skipped over most of Paul Atreides’ life. One of the central elements of In Memoriam is that you get to see the lives of the main characters played out across these decades instead of skipped over.
Along with the length of this series, my intention is to have supplemental stories that go along with each of the books. Because I am choosing to self-publish, I have more freedom to be creative. The intention of these shorter stories is to give a broader view of the In Memoriam world and to give you a different perspective of what is happening in the main books.
Finally, I start this series with an end in mind. I already know what is going to happen at the end of the final book. Though I don’t know how other authors write series, each one has details intentionally written into it that will tie together with the final book of the series. Even in this first book, many details effect the final book in this story. I encourage you to look for them.
My Artistic Vision
At least four years ago, I was talking to a couple friends of mine. At that point, I had not even begun to write the first book of In Memoriam (back then I don’t even think it was called In Memoriam), but even at that point, I called it my magnum opus. My friend who designed the cover for The Ninth Hour laughed because I was so young and magnum opuses are usually done when a person has achieved a certain level of expertise. But even now, as I think about the greater story I plan on telling, I think that the descriptor applies well. This first book, The Ninth Hour, that I published in August of 2018 is not my magnum opus. It is far from something I would label as my magnum opus, but I call this series my magnum opus for another reason.
Besides being a writer, I am more interested in art than the typical person. This interest is due to a friend who would always encourage me with my own writing and would explain why a particular artist created a particular piece of art. This, along with this same friend introducing me to the complexity of progressive rock, changed my view on creating something. I didn’t just want someone to read something I wrote and be entertained; I wanted that person to experience something. didn’t want that person to experience some one-off piece of art. I wanted that person to read more of my work and come across how I carry themes through and build upon ideas. So, I decided that I would write a series. But this series was not just to tell a story; this series was to experiment artistically, mainly by creating a story that is meant to show a character grow along with the author. I see the whole of In Memoriam as my magnum opus because I view the idea of a magnum opus differently than most people. Instead of viewing it as the best possible work that a person is able to put out, I see it as the piece of work that gives the most comprehensive view of who that person is. My aim is that when the final book of In Memoriam is published, the reader will gain a glimpse into my journey and growth as an author and a person.