Why I End Up Writing a 3.5 Million Character Epic: My Creative Process

Hello, I am Yumu Makino.
I am writing the epic novel series "Larmes du Ciel" (Tears of the End).

The other day, I released the Kindle version of Part 1, Vol. 2!

(Click here for Vol. 1)

The cover of Vol. 2 features a scene at a tavern, a memory shared by one of the protagonists, Leonard, and his best friend, Jean.

The story shifts from the battle in the northern land of Fiditelle, where the Imperial Army displays overwhelming power, to a lively martial arts tournament.

Up until the middle of this volume, the story progresses relatively lightly (*by our standards).

……However, by the end, it thoroughly crushes the reader's heart, and it is designed so that when you look back at the meaning of the cover, you will be left feeling a bit stunned.

I would be happy if you would pick up a copy, fully prepared for what's to come!

Now, regarding this "Larmes du Ciel",
both Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 are quite substantial, at around 200,000 characters each,
and the first part alone is planned to span 4 to 5 volumes.

Furthermore, I have written quite a bit of the second part that follows, and when I suddenly calculated it, I realized that at this point,I have written about 3.5 million characters…….

It feels less like I am writing because I intend to, and more like I just arrived here before I knew it; honestly, even I find it strange, wondering, "How did it end up like this?"

This time, I would like to organize the structure of
"Why I end up writing an epic on my own"
in my own way.

1. Inspiration comes from the "atmosphere" of movies, games, and more

I hear that many people build their novels starting from words or settings, but for me, it is the opposite.

What comes to mind first are images, moods, and atmosphere.

Therefore, my primary sources of input are movies, games, and life experiences.

Of course, I am influenced by literature as well, but either way, I have the sensation of creating "visuals" in my brain first and then regenerating them into text.

For example, when my emotions are deeply stirred by a scene in a movie, an association begins in my brain:
"How could this emotion be used in a different situation?"
and an entirely different scene emerges.

Sometimes I fit characters into that later, and sometimes characters who already exist just barge in on their own.

2. Personalities are formed before settings or names

Because it starts with an "atmosphere" like this, the setting is basically an afterthought.
Once the scenes solidify to a certain extent, the next things I think about are these.

・Why does this character think this way?
・What happened in the past that led to this behavior?

As I dig deeper like that, the character's life branches out on its own, and before I know it, the number of characters multiplies.

Then, this time, I think:
・These two seem like they would clash
・They might cooperate here
・This seems like it will turn into a grudge
・No, there is also a possibility they will fall in love

And so, the human relationships are naturally built up.

As the relationships between characters solidify, the history and social background leading up to them also take shape as if being pushed from behind.

Here, settings finally become necessary.

3. Unifying the Worldview

At this stage, the scattered worlds and human relationships are in a state of being dotted around.
To ensure they do not contradict each other, I reconnect them as a single worldview.

It is difficult, but personally, this task is also the most fun part.

For example, in "Drops of the End," thoughts chained together like this.

In this way, questions call for more questions, and the story self-multiplies.

4. Digging Thoroughly into Individual Characters

Once the characters are all present, I dig into each one in even more detail.

For example,
・Half-demon with strong magical power
・However, has a strong complex about his own origins
・As a result, has developed a habit of doubting people

In this manner, I stack up personality, actions, and contradictions.

This task takes a lot of time, but it feels more like "observing a life" than writing a story, and it is also a surprisingly fun process.

5. The Plot is a "Control Device"

By the time I reach this point, the characters start moving regardless of my intentions.
Therefore, if I don't control them with a minimal plot, the story will run wild (laughs).

However, I do not create detailed plots.

I keep only the general flow of the entire story in mind, and group several to a dozen chapters together as a single episode.

Each episode has its own introduction, development, twist, and conclusion, and these combine to form a part, which in turn shapes the overall story.

"Larmes du Ciel" is a fractal (nested) structure that stacks these episodes and then contains them within a larger story.

6. Summary

As a result of layering multiple episodes like this while weaving in the lives of each individual character, the first part alone became a story exceeding 740,000 characters.

Of course, I don't just expand it; I also write while keeping "how to end it" in mind.

While it is a work that chooses its readers, I am very grateful that there are people who continue to read it little by little even after the completion of the first part on NOVEL DAYS!

Here, I have polished the rougher story for the Kindle version, adding illustrations and setting diagrams to make it easier to read.

Also, I am serializing parts of it on Kakuyomu and Pixiv.

Larmes du Ciel <Part 1> (Makino Ayume) - Kakuyomu

"Larmes du Ciel <Part 1>" / "Makino Ayume" Series [pixiv]

It is not a story you can read casually, but I am sincerely looking forward to meeting readers who will stay with me for a long time!