I began writing Thunderhead in 2017, but it really began ten years earlier with the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Like millions of others, I was in awe of J.K. Rowling’s creativity, so much so that it inspired me to write something of my own. I spent the better part of the next decade tossing around ideas in search of something that struck a chord, but it wasn't until I saw this truly amazing photo of Ironhead Studio's founder Jose Fernandez that the first piece of the puzzle fell into place:
The first draft took three months. The second, the better part of a year. It wasn’t until 2019 and a third draft weighing in at a ponderous 300,000 words that I realized some serious cuts were needed. Writing has always been a passion - I love creating characters and conjuring up elaborate backstories - but longform prose was something I’d never tackled in earnest. In short, Thunderhead taught me how to write.
Writing this book has been a hugely enjoyable experience. Even at my lowest points, when I was staring at a bloated, lumbering manuscript, I never once reached a point where I ever truly wanted to stop. I’ve become so invested in these characters that the desire to tell their story burns brighter than ever. The upside of having written so much material is that I now have a series on my hands. For those of you who are kind enough to pick up a copy of Thunderhead, I hope you enjoy the opening chapter to what will be a true adventure.