Tag Archives: reading

How the world building in Scythe changed the way I write

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I’ve been in a total book hangover since turning the last page of the Scythe trilogy. You know that feeling where the real world looks a little bit blurry because you’re still half-submerged in the one you just left? That was me for three days straight. As I read, I found myself constantly reaching for my highlighter, not just because the plot was a total roller coaster, but because Neal Shusterman managed to make a “perfect” future feel so hauntingly inevitable.

It’s exactly the kind of balance I’m constantly chasing in my own novels: that sweet spot where big, “what-if” science meets the messy, complicated hearts of the people living through it. I’ve been noodling on why this world felt so real to me, and since I always process things better once I get them down on the page, I wanted to share the world-building shifts I’m making in my own work after spending time in the Scythehood.

Give your “perfect” world a price tag

In my own drafts, I’m always tempted to make things go smoothly for my characters once they find a portal or a piece of tech. Scythe reminded me that the most interesting stories happen when the science is flawless but the people are still a mess. Shusterman gives humanity immortality, but then shows us the weird, psychological rot that sets in when no one is afraid of the end anymore.

If I’m building a utopia, I need to find the “emotional tax” my characters have to pay to live there. If there’s no friction, there’s no story.

Let the world be a silent witness

The “Thunderhead” (the AI that runs the world) is probably the most fascinating character I’ve encountered in years. It’s a literal god-machine, but its choice to stay out of the Scythes’ business creates more tension than a killer robot ever could. It made me rethink how I handle power in my own books.

Sometimes the most effective element in your world is the one that refuses to help. It forces your characters to grow (or fail) on their own terms, which is way more satisfying to read.

Keep a foot in the real world

Even in a future where you can “reset” your age and live forever, people in this book still care about the color of their robes and the status of their journals. It’s a great reminder that world-building isn’t just about the big ideas, it’s about the small, human vanities.

No matter how far into the future or a fantasy realm I go, I need to bring a piece of home with me. Whether it’s a character’s favorite mug or a specific tradition, those tiny details are what make a world feel like a place I’ve actually visited.

I’m already looking at my current work-in-progress with fresh eyes. I’m asking myself: Where is the human cost? What are the rules my characters can’t break? If you’re a reader, these are the details that make you stay up until 2:00 AM. If you’re a writer, these are the tools that help you build a world worth staying up for.

One platform to rule them all, or life outside the Kindle Unlimited universe?

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If you’re an indie author, you’ve stood at this exact crossroads. It’s one of the biggest strategic decisions we have to make, right up there with choosing a cover or deciding a character’s fate. On one side, you have the bustling, high-traffic empire of Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited (KU). On the other, the vast, uncharted frontier of “going wide.”

As the captain of my own author career, I’ve piloted ships in both systems. My Throwback Series lives exclusively in the KU ecosystem, while the Conjurors Series was launched to explore the wide galaxy of platforms.

Now, with a new novel set to launch in just a couple of months, I’m standing at that crossroads again, looking at the star-charts and trying to decide which flight plan is right for this new adventure.

The Gravitational Pull of the KU Empire

There’s no denying the power of Kindle Unlimited. It’s a massive, concentrated system of readers—arguably the most voracious readers in the galaxy. For my sci-fi Throwback Series, choosing KU felt right. It allowed me to tap into a built-in audience that loves to binge-read a series, and the page-read payment model can be incredibly powerful.

Marketing feels simpler when you’re only pointing your lasers at one target. You can focus all your energy and ad spend on a single destination, which for a busy author (and parent!) is a huge advantage. For many authors, KU is their entire solar system, and they thrive there.

The Magic of the Uncharted Worlds

But then there’s the other path. The one that feels a little more like exploration.

When you go wide, you’re not just sending your book to other stores like Kobo or Apple; you’re opening it up to entirely new ways of being discovered. For instance, I’ve shared some of my work on Wattpad for free, not knowing what to expect. The result? Waking up to comments from readers in the Philippines, getting messages from someone in on the other side of the world who stayed up all night to finish a story. That global connection is an incredible feeling.

And then there’s the quiet magic of libraries. I’ve seen my books pop up in library systems in all over the country. It’s a thrill that page-read data just can’t replicate – especially when you meet fans from across the country who have read and loved my series.

That moment. That’s it. That’s the feeling.

It wasn’t a sale. It wasn’t a page-read. It was a connection. A kid found a portal to a new world I built, right there in her school library, and it meant something to her. That’s a powerful argument for making sure your work can be discovered anywhere and everywhere.

Charting the Course for the New Ship

So, here I stand, about two months out from launching a brand-new novel. Do I dock it at the bustling, predictable spaceport of KU, hoping to attract the massive crowd of subscribers there? Or do I fuel it up for a journey into the wide unknown, aiming for those library shelves and international readers, hoping to create more of those magical, real-world connections?

Honestly, I haven’t decided yet. Each path has its own quests and its own rewards.

But I’d love to turn this over to you. Whether you’re a reader or a fellow writer, what do you think? As a reader, where do you discover new books? As a writer, are you Team KU or Team Wide?

Let me know in the comments below.