Genesis for Relentless Blades

I've established that Relentless Blades is heavily influenced by my love of Dungeons and Dragons (D&D). Grimlock and Vigilanton were created in 1983, and I spent many years planning to write stories about them. I vividly remember driving to work as a grocery clerk in the early 1990's and thinking of plots for the characters. Sadly, aside from a few short stories, that were never finished, that's all I did was think about writing a novel. 

By 2004, I was still just thinking, and not actually writing. However, in June 2004, Wizards of the Coast published the brand new Eberron campaign setting for D&D. Shortly thereafter they released a contest called the War-Torn Novel Proposal. This was a contest open to anyone to submit a proposal for a novel set within the Eberron setting. The winner would have their novel published by Wizards of the Coast in 2006.

I knew this was my opportunity to stop thinking about writing a novel and actually write one. I spent weeks pouring over the Eberron campaign setting and polishing my submission. I sent my cover letter, full synopsis and ten-page sample by the due date of August 31, 2004. 

Here is the Synopsis for my submission: The Imperial Crown: Relentless Blades - Russell Carroll: Imperial Crown: A Synopsis (rcarroll-relentlessblades.blogspot.com)

Here is the ten-page sample I submitted: Relentless Blades - Russell Carroll: Imperial Crown Sample Chapter (rcarroll-relentlessblades.blogspot.com)

Here is a snippet from the cover letter I sent:

"The story focuses on such themes as friendship, honor, duty, and loyalty, and examines the nature of hate.  It should appeal to any fan of Dungeons and Dragons as well as fans of such movies as Raiders of the Lost Ark and Gladiator." While much of Relentless Blades has changed from The Imperial Crown, this sentence remains applicable.

I waited months to hear anything. Finally, in April 2005 I received word that I was not selected, but that I had made the short list for serious consideration. 

Here is an excerpt of the response I received:

You crafted some very interesting characters and plot points, but the overall direction of the story was just too large for what we’re trying to achieve in these first few years of the Eberron novels. Your tale was very much one of “epic fantasy” ¾ heroes trying to unite the clans of his homeland in order to invade an enemy nation. That certainly makes for great fiction, but the overall story was just too “big” for what we wanted.

Here was more:

Your writing was quite impressive! You’ve got a great eye for detail, a good ear for dialogue, and a nice sense of pacing. I am going to keep your name on a list of prospective authors for future projects. The schedule for Eberron fiction is full right now, but as the line progresses more opportunities will come up.

While I was of course disappointed I didn't win, being told I made the short list of over 300 submissions, and getting the positive feedback, made me feel great in "rejection." At that moment, I was sure I'd write a novel.

Alas, the positive feelings and tremendous momentum didn't last. I didn't pursue writing the story. There is no denying that laziness played a factor, but this was heightened by the fact that the setting and some of the side-characters were proprietary to Wizards of the Coast and there was no way I could write and publish the story.  

While I didn't pursue the novel at that time, it never strayed far from my thoughts. Over the years I'd tinker with different ideas for my novel. I'd run them by friends and family, and the recurring response I'd hear is, "why don't you just write the Imperial Crown? You know the plot is solid and it got great feedback?" I always replied that too much of the story was proprietary, but the truth was, I just wasn't up to the task at that time.

Finally, sometime in August of 2022, I decided to take another look at my synopsis and seriously think about what it would take to adapt this premise to my own world, and what changes I'd have to make to it. This idea germinated into what would eventually become Relentless Blades. More to come.