Behind-the-Scenes: The Complete Journey from Book 1 to Book 3
Introduction: The Meta-Narrative
Forty-six entries told from Kael’s perspective (The Watcher, in-universe historian). Now: Author’s voice. Edgardo Salazar. Me.
Breaking fourth wall. Stepping outside story. Talking to you directly.
Why? Because you’ve earned it. You’ve followed this journey. Learned the lore. Invested in world, characters, philosophy.
Time to pull back curtain. Show you how this was made.
The writing process. The decisions. The struggles. How The Eclipsia Trilogy went from concept to completion.
This is behind-the-scenes. The author’s perspective. The real story of writing the story.
The Origin: Where It Started
The First Spark (2019)
Question that started everything: “What if gods died and that was good?”
Not “evil gods deserve death” (tired trope). “Loving gods whose death enables growth.”
Twist: Gods as loving but limiting. Parents who don’t let children mature. Death as necessary sacrifice for humanity’s autonomy.
From that question: The Sixfold Eclipse. Six moons falling. Six gods choosing death so humanity could choose life.
Core concept established. Everything else built from there.
The World-Building (2019-2020)
Created:
- Six races (Aurans, Scalians, Hydrans, Chlorans, Cimmerians, Mauves)
- Six moons (divine parents matching races)
- Magic system (moon-based, race-determined)
- Geography (six domains, distinct biomes)
- The cosmic horror element (The Forgotten One—entropy as philosophy)
Influences:
- Brandon Sanderson (magic systems with rules)
- Ursula K. Le Guin (philosophical depth)
- H.P. Lovecraft (cosmic horror, incomprehensible entities)
- Existentialism (Sartre, Camus—meaning through choice)
Goal: Epic fantasy with philosophical weight. Action and ideas. Entertainment and substance.
Book 1: The Gathering Eclipse
Writing Process (2020-2021)
Timeline: 8 months drafting, 4 months revising, 1 year total.
Structure: Followed prophecy arc. Zephyrion discovers Eclipse. Gathers The Six. Moons fall. World breaks.
Hardest part: The moon falls (Chapters 5-11). Balancing grief with pacing. Each moon fall needed emotional weight. Six moon falls risked repetition.
Solution: Varied each fall:
- Lunara/Aetheria (Day 5): Shock. First loss. Denial.
- Pyropolis burn (Day 85): Rage. Civil war. Conflict.
- Verdanis fall (Chapter 11): Sacrifice. Ronan’s choice. Acceptance.
Different emotional beats. Prevented monotony.
Character Focus: Establishing The Six’s voices.
Zephyrion: Scholarly, guilt-ridden, responsible. Hardest to write (too much internal monologue initially—revised for action).
Tarak: Blunt pragmatist. Easiest to write (his voice clicked immediately).
Nerai: Adaptive, flowing, observant. Required patience (her insights couldn’t feel exposition-y).
Ronan: Gentle, life-focused. Challenging (avoiding “wise old man” cliché while being wise).
Nyx: Analytical truth-speaker. Fun (cold mathematics hiding warm care).
Shahrzad: Dream-walker, both/and thinker. Hardest (balancing abstract philosophy with grounded emotion).
Editorial Challenges
Problem 1: Too much telling, not enough showing.
Original draft: Zephyrion explaining prophecy for pages. Boring.
Revision: Zephyrion experiencing prophecy. Visceral. Show the horror, don’t explain it.
Problem 2: Filter words everywhere.
Original: “I felt the heat hit me.” “I saw the moon falling.” Distancing.
Revision: “Heat slammed into my chest.” “The moon fell.” Immediate.
Problem 3: Speechifying during crisis.
Original: Tarak giving perfect exposition paragraph while Pyropolis burns. Unrealistic.
Revision: Fragments. Shouts. Interruptions. “Pyropolis—burning—we have to—” Authentic.
Months of revision. Applying “The Six Rules” (deep POV, cosmic horror, strong verbs, pacing, crutch word elimination). Worth it.
Book 2: The Shattered Veil
Writing Process (2021-2022)
Timeline: 10 months drafting, 6 months revising, 1.3 years total.
Structure: Fragment-based. Each of The Six on separate fragment. Transforming into elements. Converging toward unity.
Challenge: Making transformation visceral without repetitive.
Solution: Different transformation experiences:
Nerai (Day 50): Dissolving to water. Peaceful. Flowing. Acceptance.
Tarak (Day 53): Combusting to fire. Violent. Rage becoming warmth.
Zephyrion (Day 60): Dispersing to wind. Guilty. Service as atonement.
Ronan (Day 70): Rooting to earth. Gradual. Garden spreading.
Shahrzad (Day 80): Fragmenting to probability. Abstract. Existing everywhere.
Nyx (Day 90): Abstracting to mathematics. Last. Calculation as care.
Each unique. Emotional variety prevented monotony.
New Characters
The Travelers: Post-biological archivists. Conceptually challenging.
How do you write characters who’ve transcended biology but remain relatable?
Solution: Grounded abstraction. They’re beyond human but remember being human. Analytical but caring. Observers with ethics.
Voice: Clinical but not cold. Precise but not robotic. “Pattern forty-four: resurrection ends, meaning begins.” Alien. Understandable.
The Surrendered: 42 who chose peaceful dissolution.
Emotional challenge: Making choice feel valid not suicidal. Dissolution as acceptance, not defeat.
Solution: Contrast. Some surrender from despair (tragic). Some from peace (beautiful). Both valid. Nuanced.
Editorial Evolution
Beta reader feedback: “Too much ‘Not X. Not Y. Just Z.’ construction.”
Example: “Not anger. Not fear. Just exhaustion.”
My reaction: Oh gods, they’re right. AI-prose pattern I’d absorbed unconsciously.
Revision: Eliminated 49+ instances. Varied sentence structures. Big improvement.
Lesson learned: Patterns are insidious. Even intentional writers fall into them. Beta readers essential for catching.
Book 3: The Breaking of Fate
Writing Process (2022-2023)
Timeline: 12 months drafting, 8 months revising, 1.7 years total.
Structure: The Foundation forms. Reality merges. New moon created. Free will achieved.
Challenge: Sticking the landing. Trilogy’s third act. Can’t fumble finale.
Pressure: Books 1-2 worked. Book 3 needed to deliver. Resolve all threads. Earn emotional payoff. Succeed philosophically.
How I approached:
1. Resolve transformation arc: The Six fully Foundation. No individual identity. Collective purpose.
2. Fragment merger: Seventeen into one. Cosmological-scale event. Reality reorganizing.
3. New systems: New moon (freedom-divine), new magic (will-based), new humanity (hybrid). Fresh starts.
4. Philosophical synthesis: Existential pragmatism. Hope as choice. Freedom earned. Meaning created.
Outcome: Satisfied. Not perfect. Sufficient.
The Hardest Scene
Chapter 13 (The Breaking - fragment merger).
Challenge: Describing reality itself reorganizing. How do you show that?
Can’t rely on character POV (they’re experiencing it, can’t articulate). Can’t do omniscient narrator (not the style). Kael watching from distance? Limits visceral impact.
Solution: Multi-layered description.
1. Kael’s observation (external, analytical) 2. The 125’s experience (internal, emotional) 3. The Foundation’s orchestration (cosmic, intentional) 4. Physical details (fragments dissolving, bleeding together)
Wove all four. Created dimensionality. Readers experience merger from multiple angles. Worked.
Revision time: That chapter? Three months. Rewrote nine times. Worth it.
Editorial Refinement
Specific challenge: Crutch word “foundation.”
Problem: Used “foundation” 100+ times (literal Foundation + metaphorical foundation + habit).
Beta feedback: “Every page says foundation. Distracting.”
Revision: Cut to 60 instances. Varied to “bedrock,” “substrate,” “The Six,” “unity,” “infrastructure.” Flow improved.
Lesson: Specific word tracking matters. Global search for crutch words. Eliminate.
The Six Rules: Editorial Framework
Developed across all three books. Codified in ECLIPSIA_WRITING_STYLE_GUIDE.md.
Rule 1: Deep POV (No Filter Words)
Remove: “I saw,” “I felt,” “I noticed,” “I realized.”
Why: Filters distance reader from experience. We’re in character’s head. Don’t need “I felt”—just describe sensation.
Example:
- Filtered: “I felt the heat hit me.”
- Deep POV: “Heat slammed into my chest.”
Application: Searched every chapter. Eliminated hundreds of filter words.
Rule 2: Cosmic Horror (Show, Don’t Tell)
Avoid: “Impossible,” “unimaginable,” “infinite,” “terrifying” (telling).
Use: Synesthesia, physical symptoms, sensory violation (showing).
Example:
- Telling: “The void was terrifying.”
- Showing: “The void tasted like copper. My eyes bled.”
Application: Rewrote every cosmic horror scene. Made visceral.
Rule 3: No Speechifying in Crisis
Problem: Perfect paragraphs during battles/rituals. Unrealistic.
Solution: Fragments. Interruptions. Incomplete thoughts.
Example:
- Speechifying: “We must break the world to save it, even though this decision weighs heavily upon us.”
- Crisis: “Break it. Now. We—gods—just do it.”
Application: Revised all high-tension scenes. Authenticity improved.
Rule 4: Strong Verbs Over Adverbs
Eliminate: Walked quietly, looked angrily, spoke softly.
Use: Crept, glared, whispered.
Why: One strong verb beats weak verb + modifier.
Application: Searched “ly” adverbs. Replaced hundreds.
Rule 5: Pacing Through Sentence Structure
Chaos/Action: Short. Choppy. Fragments.
Awe/Philosophy: Long, flowing, complex sentences.
Example (Action): “The ground split. No warning. Run.”
Example (Philosophy): “The Six had become something beyond individual identity, a collective consciousness woven through reality’s fundamental substrate, present everywhere and nowhere, specific and diffuse, eternal.”
Application: Consciously varied rhythm. Pacing control.
Rule 6: Eliminate Crutch Words
Tracked: Pulsing, shattered, impossible, fractured, foundation.
Solution: Variety. Synonyms. Different descriptions.
Application: Global search. Replace repetitions. Improved prose.
The Watcher’s Voice: Finding Kael
Challenge: Trilogy needs narrative frame. Who’s telling this?
Initial approach: Omniscient third-person. Felt distant.
Breakthrough (Book 1, Chapter 6): Added The Watcher’s commentary. Casual-yet-cosmic asides. Direct address.
Example: “And yes, this is as bad as it sounds. Worse, actually. But we’ll get to that.”
Reader response: Loved it. Voice made world accessible. Philosophy digestible. Horror bearable (through dark humor).
Decision: Lean into it. Make Kael actual character (revealed Book 3). Meta-narrative.
Outcome: The Watcher became trilogy’s signature. Distinct voice. Memorable.
Beta Readers: Essential Feedback
Beta reader impact: Critical. Caught what I missed.
Key feedback examples:
Beta 1 (Book 1): “Zephyrion too passive. Needs agency.”
- My response: Added scenes where he actively investigates prophecy. Improved.
Beta 2 (Book 2): “Not X. Not Y. Pattern everywhere.”
- My response: Eliminated 49 instances. Huge improvement.
Beta 3 (Book 3): “‘Foundation’ overused. Every page.”
- My response: Reduced 40%. Varied phrasing. Better flow.
Beta 4 (All books): “Love the philosophy. Want more discussion questions.”
- My response: Added reader engagement posts. This blog series. Community building.
Lesson: Ego kills good writing. Listen to readers. Revise accordingly.
The Blog Series: Extending the World
The Eclipsia Codex (this series): 48 posts. Deep lore. World-building. Character profiles.
Purpose:
- Engagement: Build reader community pre-launch
- World-building: Showcase depth beyond trilogy
- Education: Make complex lore accessible
- Fun: I enjoy writing Kael’s voice
Process:
- Research trilogy for consistency
- Expand implied lore (make explicit)
- Write in Kael’s voice (casual-cosmic)
- Add discussion questions (engagement)
Outcome: You’re reading it. Working.
What I’d Do Differently
If Starting Over
1. Outline more: Discovery wrote Book 1. Got messy. Books 2-3 better outlined. Smoother process.
2. Track crutch words earlier: Didn’t notice “foundation” overuse until Book 3. Should’ve tracked from start.
3. Beta readers sooner: Waited until full draft. Should’ve used chapter-by-chapter feedback.
4. Less self-doubt: Spent months convinced trilogy sucked. It didn’t. Wasted time anxiety could’ve spent writing.
What Worked Well
1. The Six Rules: Consistent editorial framework. Quality control.
2. Character voices: Each of The Six distinct. Readers differentiate easily.
3. Philosophical depth: Ideas integrated organically. Not preachy.
4. The Watcher: Narrative frame that worked. Memorable. Distinct.
5. World-building: Deep, consistent, explorable. Mini novels, blog posts, endless material.
The Numbers (For Curious)
Trilogy Totals
Words written (all three books): ~385,000
Words after revision: ~360,000 (cut 25,000)
Revision time: ~2 years across three books
Beta readers: 8 total (various stages)
Drafts: Book 1 (3 drafts), Book 2 (4 drafts), Book 3 (5 drafts)
Chapters: Book 1 (14), Book 2 (15), Book 3 (15) = 44 total
Character count: The Six + 125 survivors + The Travelers + The Forgotten One + hundreds of minor characters
Estimated revision hours: ~800
Coffee consumed: Immeasurable.
What’s Next
Publication timeline:
- Book 1 launch: [TBD]
- Book 2 launch: [TBD, ~6 months after Book 1]
- Book 3 launch: [TBD, ~6 months after Book 2]
Between books:
- Mini novel collections released
- Blog series continues
- Community engagement (discussions, Q&As)
After trilogy:
- Possible prequel (before Prophecy era)
- Possible sequel (Year 2,000+ New Eclipsia)
- Definitely more in this world (too much to explore)
Conclusion: The Author’s Gratitude
Writing The Eclipsia Trilogy: Hardest thing I’ve done.
Years of work. Months of doubt. Constant revision. Brutal self-editing. Beta feedback integration. Exhausting.
Also: Most rewarding creative project. Ever.
Built world I love. Characters I’d die for (literally killed six gods—cared about them anyway). Philosophy I believe. Story that matters to me.
And you read it. You’re here. Forty-seven blog entries deep. Engaged.
Thank you. Sincerely. Couldn’t do this without readers who care.
One more post (Entry 48 - final thank you). Then trilogy awaits.
See you at the finish line.
Explore The Eclipsia Trilogy
The Gathering Eclipse (Book 1), The Shattered Veil (Book 2), and The Breaking of Fate (Book 3) await.
Experience the journey I spent four years crafting.
Stay tuned for release announcements.
The Eclipsia Codex | Building worlds, one entry at a time. Written by Edgardo Salazar, Author, December 2025