Questions 3 and Looking Back at ‘Warlord of the Forgotten Age’

Posted on May 28, 2024 by Charles Yallowitz

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

When I reached Warlord of the Forgotten Age, I felt both happy and sad.  I’d spent nearly 15 years working with these characters.  Now, it was time for me to give them their final adventure.  The temptation to find a way to continue was there, but it would have been to the detriment of the story.  Sometimes, an author needs to accept that it’s time to retire some characters.  This really did help me realize that I need to be able to let go, which is a lesson I keep reminding myself.

This story involves the champions going to face Baron Kernaghan in the Chaos Void, meeting their destiny, realizing that free will still plays a factor, and having the biggest battle of their lives.  I had to give everyone moments to shine and show off all that they’ve learned while making sure the Baron was still a threat.  I couldn’t have them trounce him with ease or stand on par with him without breaking a sweat.  This is an immortal who was once a god and still makes the gods nervous.  So, I took my time writing all of the battle scenes and deciding on how one would blend into the other.  Adding downtime to show characters who were away from the actual combat, but still involved, was another piece that I had to juggle.  A fun challenge for the finale.

Warlord of the Forgotten Age had two major headaches though:

  1. The first was figuring out the final fate for all of the heroes.  I didn’t want everyone to have happy endings or sad endings.  I wanted to create a mix.  I also wanted all of the heroes to lose something over the course of the final battle.  Whether it be their lives, body parts, sanity, or powers, I didn’t want any of the champions to reach the end unscathed.  So, I needed to sit down and make several scenarios for each one and choose as the story progressed.  This way, I could see which ending would work best as the battle progressed.  Only one was slated to die from the start and another slated to live in some fashion.  So, the rest, including a handful of supporting characters, were up in the air for a while.  Kind of nerve-wracking for someone who likes to know exactly where he’s aiming.
  2. The other headache was figuring out who would be the one to get the final blow on Baron Kernaghan.  I didn’t like the idea of everyone hitting him at once in some ‘power of friendship’ move.  Nothing was prepared for that to happen.  Everyone would do their part to weaken and defeat him, but I needed to figure out who would be the one to end him completely.  That would determine how the end of the battle played out as well.  Every champion had a good reason to get the killing blow too, so I couldn’t say that one definitely should get it over the others.  Almost reached a point where I was going to flip a coin or pull names from a hat, but I figured it out.

Nothing I would change about Warlord of the Forgotten Age.  I’d be afraid that any changes I make would be done so to be nice and timid.  That would just hurt the story and future Windemere adventures.  So, it is what it was meant to be.

Question time!

  1. How do you feel when you come to the end of a series?  (As an author and/or a reader)
  2. Do you prefer happy or sad endings for characters?
  3. What is a piece of advice you give someone about ending a series?
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About Charles Yallowitz

Charles E. Yallowitz was born, raised, and educated in New York. Then he spent a few years in Florida, realized his fear of alligators, and moved back to the Empire State. When he isn't working hard on his epic fantasy stories, Charles can be found cooking or going on whatever adventure his son has planned for the day. 'Legends of Windemere' is his first series, but it certainly won't be his last.
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12 Responses to Questions 3 and Looking Back at ‘Warlord of the Forgotten Age’

  1. L. Marie's avatar L. Marie says:
    May 28, 2024 at 12:06 pm
    1. I’m glad you ended your series well. 😊  I’ve only written one series (though I am working on others). I felt happy and sad and then sad again when it went out of print. When I read a favorite series, I usually cry at the end, though I tell myself, “This time I won’t cry.”
    2. I prefer endings that make sense and are foreshadowed. There are some deaths I’ve written in stories that were difficult to write. Though I could wish I didn’t have to write them, I don’t regret their inclusion, because they showed the high stakes. I don’t like endings that are done for shock value.
    3. Please take time to end your series well and foreshadow the ending some kind of way. I have read so many endings, particularly of trilogies, that felt rushed and unsatisfying. Many of those endings seemed to come out of nowhere. Some authors admitted in interviews that they didn’t know how their trilogy was going to end. The other series (besides yours) I appreciate as far as endings are concerned are Lord of the Rings, Avatar: The Last Airbender, the first Percy Jackson series, and Harry Potter.

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  2. John W. Howell's avatar John W. Howell says:
    May 28, 2024 at 4:07 pm
    1. I just finished the Eternal Road series and I have to admin I’m glad. The problem with a series is trying to keep the characters fresh. They can’t repeat any adventures so the longer the series the more thought has to go into the plot.
    2. I prefer happy endings in my stories.
    3. The ending of a series ought to be a clean break. There shouldn’t be a possibility for another book so the ending has to be constructed keeping the loyal reader in mind. They invested a lot of time reading the series so when it’s over they should feel good about the time they invested. They should know that there will not be a continuation and feel okay with that.

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  3. DebyFredericks's avatar DebyFredericks says:
    May 28, 2024 at 9:56 pm
    1. How do you feel when you come to the end of a series?  (As an author and/or a reader) Maybe a little bit sentimental, especially if it’s been a work of many years. But mostly I’m proud of the achievement and happy to bring it all together.
    2. Do you prefer happy or sad endings for characters? It depends on the story. If I was writing something dark, with a sense of inevitable doom, it would be weird to have a happy ever after, right? And if I’m writing something generally light, a sudden dark turn would be unwelcome.
    3. What is a piece of advice you give someone about ending a series? Like you said, to back over the characters and their emotional arcs. Even if it ends with someone dying or permanently changed, readers will accept that if it carries through on the arcs.

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  4. V.M.Sang's avatar V.M.Sang says:
    May 29, 2024 at 6:21 am
    1. I’ve not come to the end of a series yet. No, I tell a lie. I split what was going to be one book into two, but as it was intended for one book, I don’t really think of it as a series.
    2. I’m not really fussed about happy or sad endings. As long as it’s satisfactory, it’s fine.
    3. You must tie up all loose ends.

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  5. coldhandboyack's avatar coldhandboyack says:
    May 29, 2024 at 7:03 am

    I have a hard time with series in general. I’ve read several, but a trilogy is about my limit. My mind wants fresh things. Even writing a trilogy was closer to work than anything else. Getting to the end in either case is kind of a relief. I’ve never preferred happy or sad endings. I like happy for now kind of endings. No castle or trophy princess. Survival is one reward, and maybe a a bit more, but not a complete retirement from any responsibility in the future. When they end, all the major plot threads have to be tied up. A few lesser things dangling are okay, even to the point of leaving a reason for the main characters to ride into the sunset.

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