You can read the prior six parts here:
- Part #1 - After the Fall: How a polite email led to a new Elan series
- Part #2 - A School for Wizards: From card houses to Hogwarts
- Part #3 - Secret Identity Revealed: The project begins
- Part #4 - Starting the Book: How nothing becomes something
- Part #5 - The Writing Life: Go away. Lorian is busy.
- Part #6 - Chapter One: A month of trial and errors
OUT OF THE ASHES
(APROPOS FOR BOTH TITLE AND THE PROCESS THAT CREATED IT )
For the next year and a half, Lorian struggled but always moved forward. She fell down often, but always got back up and tried harder. I insisted on the best she could do, and often this was more than she believed she was capable of. I was not forthcoming with answers or even what I was looking for, and frequently stood by and watched her fail over and over, purposely letting her flounder because this wasn’t about a book. This was about a career.
I wanted Lorian to succeed, just as I hoped all my Novel House students would thrive. But succeeding isn’t getting published. It isn’t writing a novel good enough for one of the Big Five to produce, or even fight over. Convincing one or two editors at a publishing house that they should take a chance on you is a very specific achievement that can have little to do with the quality of the novel. Being the new cool thing, wasn’t good enough. Fame of that sort can be fleeting. I’ve seen numerous authors “hit the big time” and seen their book covers on posters in bookstores and their names popping up everywhere across the Internet, and then five years later, they were gone. Being "good enough" isn’t "good enough." To truly succeed as a novelist you need to be great. I wanted greatness for Lorian. And so I was tough. I forced her to rework perfectly fine chapters, insisted she redo the same scenes over and over, and demanded she create multiple versions of the same paragraph to explore other ways of solving a problem. I even had her revise single sentences, and consider each word, no matter how seemingly insignificant. I took her writing down to the studs and forced her to wax on, wax off, paint the fence, and sand the floor, until finally it all began to come together.
And so we came to January of 2025 — which did not start well.
Michael J. Sullivan — 1/13/25, 9:10 AM
Sorry I haven't responded to you. Looks like Robin and I will be driving to Michigan today or tomorrow where my brother is in the hospital. It appears as if he may have an aggressive form of leukemia, and I just learned my sister, 65, is working two jobs. We need to find out what's going on there. Tim (my narrator) is also having some personal issues, and my daughter's best friends are suffering mental and physical breakdowns—which she is dealing with. So, 2025 has hit the ground running. This is all to say it might be a while before I can return to reviewing your chapters. That's no reason to stop. Finish the book if you can. See how much you can workout yourself.
Lorian — 1/13/25, 9:12 AM
Good lord. I’m so sorry. I really hope things turn around fast.
Lorian — 1/29/25, 2:18 PM
Are you two holding up okay?
Michael J. Sullivan — 2/1/25, 5:12 PM
Slowly getting my feet back under me. Thank god 2025 is almost over. How is the book going? Do you have something for me to look at?
Lorian — 2/1/25, 6:04 PM
I do. Just a sec, and I’ll look and see how much.
I believe the last one I sent was the rewrite of Chapter 14. I have eight more.
The grand word count so far is just shy of 91,000. Of course I don't yet know if the new stuff I've written is what needed to be written.
Michael J. Sullivan — 2/2/25, 6:01 PM
Here's a fun assignment (not). Can you assemble everything you’ve done thus far (only the approved or current version) into a single file with chapter headings and the whole shot as if it was a completed novel and you were sending it to a publisher. Then send that to me?
Lorian — 2/2/25, 6:35 PM
I’ll need to get everything into Scrivener first. I write in Docs then transfer completed chapters to Scrivener. The only problem is I’ve made changes in Docs that I forgot to make in Scrivener. Oops! I’ll have to import everything again. Or maybe I can make this happen using Docs. So that’s the long answer. The short answer is “Yes! I’ll figure it out!”
Lorian — 2/3/25, 10:45 AM
Okay, I think I did it. Some of the chapter titles are terrible. There are occasional words in red in a few chapters where I marked something to revisit.
Michael J. Sullivan — 2/3/25, 9:24 PM
This works. Give me a while to look at it.
Lorian — 2/3/25, 9:25 PM
Ok!
Michael J. Sullivan — 2/19/25, 10:43 AM
On the road in Knoxville, but I just finished CH 16. Minor notes to improve. Only one minor correction. Doing great so far. Will be moving on to Seventeen ASAP, and will send notes when I get back to the cabin next week.
Lorian — 2/19/25, 10:44 AM
Great! Safe travels.
Michael J. Sullivan — 2/20/25, 10:06 AM
Okay, so I read through chapter 22. You can stop writing. You’ve already blown past the end of the book and are still going. The novel should end with the climax. I have more to discuss, which we will when I get back. Suffice to say, you've finished the book, just need to edit it now, adjust a couple of chapters, add a couple, and that will be it.
Lorian — 2/20/25, 10:08 AM
This news just made my morning.
Michael J. Sullivan — 2/20/25, 10:10 AM
Take the weekend off. We'll have a Discord chat when I get back so I can explain everything you have left to do, and then everything that happens next.
Lorian — 2/24/25 at 12:37 PM
Something I forgot to ask: Will I need to start setting aside money? I know there are about to be a lot of people who will need to be paid. Does the funding come from Kickstarter pledges? I don't know how any of this works.
Michael J. Sullivan — 2/24/25 at 4:10 PM
I understand why you would ask, but no. We are going to act as your publisher, and money NEVER goes from the author to the publisher. Once the book is done, we will draw up a contract (consider this the last lesson in being a professional author). This contract will be similar to a publisher's contract (except a lot nicer.) We will give you an advance up front. Most of the money to print the book, create the cover design, do the book layout, any swag or promo materials, the cost for packaging and shipping of books, and to create the audio version (which we will do ourselves hiring Tim to record your book and having him hire an audio editor on our behalf), will come out of the Kickstarter.
My time and Robin's time is free — you couldn't afford us anyway. If the kickstarter doesn't cover all of it, then we will take the money that the book makes to pay for that until our expenses are covered. Once that happens — ONCE YOU EARN OUT — (which usually means once you recoup your advance, but in this case merely means once we are debt free from the costs of this publication, then you will begin earning your royalties: a percentage of the income that is made from the book. Right now we are thinking a 50-50 split, but this might change (likely in your favor.)
Robin is working on this, as we've never done anything like this before. In any case, we won't be asking you for money. In summary: After finishing the book, you do nothing, spend nothing, but get money for the rest of your life. And that amount of money increases with each book you produce. Kinda sounds like a ponzi scheme, but that's how publishing works. Of course, we are shielding you from the ugly side, which you will likely discover once you step out on your own.
Lorian — 2/24/25 at 4:20 PM
This all makes sense. Can I tell you again how starstruck I am that Tim will be reading?
In conclusion, Out of the Ashes, the first novel of the After the Fall series written by Lorian Ellis and Michael J. Sullivan will be kickstarted sometime in the coming months. Obviously not all the books in the series will be completed (as per my usual personal insanity). However, the novels will have satisfying endings and not leave you on the edge of a cliff (unlike some of my previous works).
Also, being a new author who is subjected to the whims and constraints of a cruel overlord, Lorian may not be capable of churning out a novel a year. She has learned a lot, and her mastery is increasing, but she’s not me. So, don’t expect that. And don’t allow the failure of other authors to deliver in a timely manner cause you to miss out on this opportunity to help a first-time writer achieve her dream. This book, this series, this author, is worth it.
But don’t take my word for it. Here is the (unedited) opening of Out of the Ashes, by Lorian Ellis—judge for yourself:
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What do we do after the world ends?
Roda Kern didn’t know the answer. She was certain no one had ever had reason to consider the question…until now.
The best course of action, as far as Roda was concerned, was to sit alone, staring at what had once been the Imperial Capital while scrubbing her right hand on the spring grass. The skin on her palm was red and raw from the constant scouring, but she couldn’t stop; it didn’t feel clean no matter how much she rubbed and scraped. Her left hand was also filthy—every inch of her was—but the right was the real problem. That was the guilty culprit—the one that had committed the crime.
After barely escaping the disaster, Roda had done little more than linger on a tiny hill overlooking the massive crater where the great city of Percepliquis had once stood. Mostly, she passed the time by inventing new ways to torture herself. Refusing to eat was the easiest. After the loss of the granaries, storehouses, and butcher shops in what had been the center of the world, food was now a scarce commodity. Roda didn’t deserve to share in what little remained. She didn’t deserve to have or do anything.
She’d done enough.
Instead, Roda sat beneath a spindly ash tree and argued with her stomach, which after being ignored for so long had progressed from general aches and pains to the more aggressive strategy of sharp stabbing pains.
“We don’t deserve food. I've explained this. Remember?” she said, looking down at her belly.
As always, it grumbled in reply. Her stomach didn’t care a whit about penance. Selfish beyond belief, it had no sense of remorse or regret. All it wanted was some ham, a bit of milk, and maybe some roasted potatoes.
Oh dear Novron, potatoes! With melted butter!
Roda wasn’t without empathy; it wasn’t her stomach’s fault to be attached to such a horrible person.
Thankfully, there’s a cure for what ails both of us.
Lifting her head, Roda gazed once more at the crater she had dubbed "The Hole." What had once been houses, shops, municipal buildings, the great library, and the imperial palace was now a gaping wound on the landscape. It covered several square miles, and grew larger each day as its unstable walls continued to collapse. Yesterday’s rain had caused multiple mudslides that swallowed a farmhouse on the crater’s rim. Roda had watched it tipped, ever so slowly, then topple.
Not everything was buried. Shockingly, the Cenzarium––or what was left of it––remained partially visible on what had been a hill. The building’s elegant dome was missing, but the rotunda remained. Four of the eight stately columns that had once held up its pediment still stood, but now supported only sky.
How ironic, she thought, and once more rubbed her hand, this time in the dirt, then wiped it on her skirt.
This must be how murderers feel, but it isn’t blood I can’t get off my hand––it’s chalk. I should have been buried in that hole, too. Why did the Lord God Novron spare me?
Giving up on the effort to clean her hand, Roda lay down and stared at the blue sky of another gorgeous day.
“Seriously, why?” she called out to the god, who she imagined resided somewhere overhead.
He didn’t see fit to answer.
Roda had asked herself the question countless times over the last few days and always arrived at the same conclusion: Novron made a mistake. Gods err, too, don't they?
Perhaps he’d been distracted in the midst of the mayhem and had forgotten to drop a building on her. Now, embarrassed and unable to admit his error, he waited for Roda to do the honorable thing and throw herself off the cliff. He’d even presented her with the perfect jumping ledge, a fine rock that jutted several feet past the rim of the crater. As generous as this gift was, something about plunging into The Hole didn’t sit well with her.
Roda sighed, rolled over, and studied the ravenous and insatiable crater. Great black columns of smoke rose up and spread out, lending a terrible stench to the air and making the far side hazy on an otherwise clear spring morning. Four days before, a beautiful city had stood on green hills dotted with lush villas and farms. Now, all that remained was desolation.
Has it really been four days? Could be three, I suppose, but might be as many as five. That would account for the smell. The bodies of nearly a million people are down there.
Hunger had fogged her mind such that the days and nights blurred together.
“I could just sit here and die of starvation,” she said to Novron in a hopeful voice. “The suffering would take longer. Would that be good enough?”
No thunder. No lightning. Not even a breath of wind.
Roda wasn’t sure what to make of Novron's response, or more accurately, his lack of reply. She wasn’t sure what to make of anything anymore. After going so long without a proper meal she was having difficulty thinking.
Maybe I should eat, after all. With a clear head, I could make an informed decision about jumping or wasting away. I don't want to make another mistake.
——————————————————————————————————————————————
Hey all, Robin here. I hope you've enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look into the making of Out of the Ashes. To be honest, I had my doubts when this whole thing started—and after the years ticked by— I became convinced that nothing would ever come from it. I wanted it to, I spend a huge amount of time trying to help aspiring authors, and usually there are limits to how much help I can provide. While I've certainly "moved the needle" in some circumstances, Out of the Ashes is something that has the possibility of being truly life-changing, and there isn't anyone I can think of that is more deserving. Honestly, Lorian should have given up on numerous occasions. Michael's teaching approach led to an amazing result, but it certainly meant being forged in a crucible. And as tenacious as I am, I probably would have said, "Screw you, old man." (okay that's a Sullivan idiom - coined by my daughter with reference to her father, and while it sounds terrible, I assure you it is filled with love and undying respect.) But Lorian, never uttered those words, and now we all benefit because we'll get to read an amazing story by a new voice in fantasy.
One last thing I want to say, I'm sure there are more than a few people who have some skepticism about this project. And I'll use my favorite Sullivan idiom (this one coined by me), which is: Trust Michael. His standards are beyond high, and there are always reasons for everything he does.
Yesterday, I finished the second book of The Cycle, and words fail to explain just how good it is. Truly the best thing he's ever written, definitely the best thing I've ever read, and probably something that will live on well after we have long turned to dust. The one overriding thought, the thing that I can't get out of my head, is the sorrow I feel for anyone who loves stories but who'll never read it. In other words, I feel bad for what they will miss out on. And I know there are MANY, MANY, MANY people who won't be eligible.
Why? I can't tell you how many fan letters I've seen from people singing the praises of Riyria or Legends only to learn they never tried "the other series." In other words, after reading Legends, they are too afraid to read Riyria, and after Riyria, they aren't willing to give Legends a try (or stop after the first book because there is no Royce and Hadrian).
I truly feel sorrow for these folks. They obviously enjoy "a good tale" but their skepticism that the magic can't be recreated keeps them away, and all those people will miss out on The Cycle. Or they'll attempt to read it without the required pre-requisite material, and as such they'll only see the lack-luster translucent impression because they aren't fully cognizant of the myrid of interconnections and larger implications.
As with Riyria (Revelations and Chronicles), Legends, and the Rise and Fall, Michael has put foundational supports in the books of After the Fall - things he has required Lorian to insert even though she has no idea why. So don't let your skepticism keep you from giving this new series a read. If Michael and I had even an inkling of doubt about whether this work was "worthy of your time," we'd relegate it to the trunk with the thirteen other novels Michael wrote that weren't deemed "good enough." I'd happily pay Lorian for her time, so she wouldn't walk away without anything to show for the effort. If this project "fell short" in any way we wouldn't have announced it. The truth is, Lorian is an amazing talent, who we feel will have a stupendous career long after the series is completed and released. We're so proud of her and what she has accomplished so far, and thrilled to play a role in helping bring her amazing authorial skills to the world.
