I’m not sure, but I think project names might be a common problem among creators. They might never matter in the public eye at all. But they’re essential behind the scenes for keeping things straight.
Or maybe that’s just me. I do tend to be the person who has six different projects going at once, each with its own set of lists and notebooks and songs . . .
But this post wasn’t supposed to be about that. It’s about Beyond, which is a project — a world — a series of stories — and the main subject of this blog.
Beyond is the name of the fairy-tale setting for the current mysteries series I’m working on. I gave it that name because a) I detest coming up with fantasy names; I’m terrible at it and b) I wanted this world to be beyond the normal limitations of fantasy. I want to be able to make references, use modern language, and blend genres — in short, to have fun.
In my notes, Beyond has also become the collective name of the main characters in that world. There’s Red, an enigmatic and down-to-earth alchemist who so far has been the only point-of-view character. She admits to being from the desert tribes, but she’s settled in small-town pastoral Belville to open a shop. There’s also her constant companion, a magical dog named William, and the local police officer, a half-orc known by her last name, Thorn. Together with the other residents of Belville, the trio manages to get caught up in all kinds of trouble.
To date, I’ve written upwards of a dozen short stories there, and am working on a novel. The stories and the novel are all mysteries, but they’re distinctly cozy mystery (which is something I’ll write more about later). Think Sherlock Holmes meets fairy tale. Or, for the TV-oriented, Once Upon a Time meets Scooby Doo.
There, in seven words or less, you have Beyond.
