In my stunted attempts to re-engage with my fantasy manuscript and turn it into a dark adult fantasy manuscript, I found myself really struggling to connect with the words I wanted to write. It wasn’t quite writer’s block, but definitely adjacent, given my general creative burnout and difficulty picking up a book. After a lovely writing session with a friend, one which I spent making notes and just getting used to talking about my world again, I came to a much-needed realisation: I needed to understand the feel of adult fantasy again.

I haven’t read a lot of in-depth adult fantasy over the last six months, even if my reviews say otherwise. I will be explaining a little more about a particular review that may not be the most honest thought process in a bit, but I first want to outline the plan. In trying to get words out for the first chapter for one of my characters, I couldn’t picture examples of how adult fantasy actually starts. I vaguely can recall events, but the details are what were knocking me off-balance. I was struggling to bolster my detail, and so a plan evolved.

I should note that this also came with the understanding that I didn’t need to crush my rewrite down to a few weeks. This is going to be a long process, and I don’t want to rush it, even if my timelines for other things are becoming more definite. In letting that soak in, I came to the understanding that I should leisurely read more adult fantasy to see how the story is introduced and unfolds. I have many adult fantasy books on my shelf that I want to get to, such as Joe Abercrombie’s The First Law series, Patrick Rothfuss’s Kingkiller Chronicles, N.K. Jemisin’s The Broken Earth Trilogy, and Robert Jackson Bennett’s Founders Trilogy. The latter two I have, admittedly, written reviews for, but let me explain. For those reviews, I was talking about getting started on the book and what I was excited for. I do like doing these kinds of reviews/anticipation posts every now and then, but these reviews were done at the start of my burnout phase, and so I didn’t actually get to reading them after those posts. Now, with this slow and steady reading plan in place, I can take my time indulging in the world-building and immersive atmosphere of each series.

Some of you may be shocked that I haven’t read some of these series yet, especially The Kingkiller Chronicles. I know, I am missing out on a lot by not reading them right this second, but with the excitement and love comes the heavy anticipation and worry that I won’t like it. I am not usually someone who frets over not loving a book as much as others, because at the end of the day, some books are going to sit better than others. But no matter. These series are physical books I have, so with no pressure to read them on a time crunch like library books, I feel I will be able to enjoy them when the time comes to pick them up.

I do still have library books at the heart of my reading. I have more than a few requests for adult fantasy books that will trickle in over the next few months: A.S. Tamaki’s The Book of Fallen Leaves, Janny Wurst’s The Curse of the Mistwraith, Michael J. Sullivan’s Theft of Swords, Guy Gavriel Kay’s The Lions of Al-Rassan, Brandon Sanderson’s The Final Empire, and a few others. I am ready to get a refresh on adult fantasy for sure, especially considering many of these are older reads anyway. There is something about older adult fantasy that aligns with my preferences for detail, tone, and atmosphere.

In reading these novels, I aim to enrich my own writing style and reconnect with my detail-oriented angle, but I don’t want to start emulating other authors. I feel that the breadth of novels I will read helps to reduce the chances of that happening. Regardless, I think I am well overdue for some adult fantasy reads, and I cannot wait for the worlds I will dip into. I think it is going to be just the break I need to get inspired and breathe new life into my manuscript.