Alright so this morning I was sipping my coffee and staring at my notebook, totally blank. Felt like I wanted to write something solid about the Inca Empire for folks just dipping their toes in. Kept coming back to Sapa Inca – it’s this huge term, but where do you even start explaining it without drowning people in jargon? Grabbed my oldest history book off the shelf – you know the one with coffee rings on the cover – and flipped to the Inca chapter.
First thing I did was just scribble down every basic thing I remembered: emperor, royalty, highest ruler. Then I realized, dang, I need to be way clearer. Went down a total rabbit hole reading about succession – how it wasn’t always the son, sometimes the brother? Got confusing fast. My notes looked like chicken scratch: “Power… religious? Military leader? How chosen??” Needed to cut through that noise.
Took a break, made some eggs. Came back and thought: okay, strip it back. What’s the absolute simplest skeleton? Focused on three big rocks:
- What He Was: Jotted down “Absolute ruler – politics, religion, war. EVERYTHING.” Had to underline that twice.
- Where He Lived: Reminded myself to mention Cusco – the center of everything. Felt important to ground it in a place.
- The Trappings: Kept seeing mentions of special clothes, the royal tassel thing (llautu), that sacred title. That makes it real, y’know?
Then the real struggle hit. My first draft sounded like a dry textbook. Erased half of it. Said to myself: “Dude, just talk like you’re telling a friend over lunch.” Focused on those key points again, fighting the urge to mention every intricate detail about royal bloodlines or palace architecture. Kept asking: “Would someone totally new to this get it?”
After wrestling with it for another hour, I finally landed on framing Sapa Inca as “The Big Boss Emperor.” Short, punchy, captures the awe without being intimidating. The point? Make it clear he wasn’t just a king, he was the emperor, period. The sun god’s VIP on Earth. Hit save. Felt good when it clicked. Hopefully it hits the spot for anyone just starting their Inca journey!
