The Story Idea
I was sixteen when this idea for the Sacred Wolves Series introduced itself to me. The original idea was an image of a young man in a snowy forest. He had just been attacked by a group of unknown enemies, and a pack of white wolves had arrived to chase away and kill those enemies—Sacred Wolves was the name that popped into my head. I didn’t know why he had been attacked, why these wolves had saved him, or who this guy was, but the idea had enraptured me.
I remember, soon after the image had formed, that my parents had some friends over, and I was standing in the kitchen as they chatted, completely captivated by this story idea ruminating in my mind. I had made an enchanting photo of a white wolf in a snowy forest the screen saver for my phone, and constantly brightened the screen to get new doses of inspiration.
In the timeline of my life, I had this idea between my two hip surgeries. I planned to dive into fleshing out this fantasy story during recover after my second surgery.
The Initial Planning
A few days before my seventeenth birthday, I had my second surgery and I began prewriting. Full disclosure, I was on some hefty pain medication, so it’s all a bit fuzzy. But I remember brainstorming ideas and original names for my characters and world locations whenever I had mental energy. I still have the stack of notes I wrote back then!
It was fun, but I soon gave up planning this new series in order to get back to work on my thriller novel, The New Dawn. I came to realize that, for me, I did not yet have the skills to write a whole fantasy series with an entirely made-up world. I needed to work on my skills in a more manageable setting and shorter length of work.
I never forgot the idea of Sacred Wolves, though. And now, many years later, that story image is shaping into an epic tale of war, love, self-doubt, morality, and sacrifice. It is a story I love so much, and I can’t wait to share more about it with you!
Fantasy often begins with a spark of wonder. What’s a scene, creature, or world from a fantasy book that made you fall in love with the genre? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!
You can always keep updated on the Sacred Wolves project on my book page here.
Like thrillers? You’ll love The New Dawn! Check out my thriller’s book page here.
Stay Updated on the Sacred Wolves Series
Sign up to receive Sarah’s latest content and book news by email.
We won’t send you spam. Unsubscribe at anytime. Our Privacy Policy.
S.J. Siedenburg is a thriller & fantasy novelist, an editor, and a bibliophile with a passion for stories and helping writers finish their novels. She’s the author of the guidebooks Character Presentation, Before the First Draft, and the How to Write a Novel online course. Six of her short stories have been published through writing contests. Sarah lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” —John 1:5