So, as the plot line of what was going to be a five book series has managed to change itself into one volume, I have come up with two new adventures for my main character, lending him more trials and trouble than he was ever to have to deal with. I meant the end of book one to be the end of his story, but the boy just won’t stop giving me ideas. And the other main character? Well he just writes himself. I could probably write a 900 page book of him on a normal day, and in my opinion it would be funny as hell. Maybe I will. In any case, the first book is done. Making some final edits, and then his first adventure (and my first adventure into publishing) really begins.
The book(s) are complete. Finally, after seven years of working on this story, they are written. Well, the first drafts, at least. But I can’t really call it a first draft, because I keep updating things in the draft. So this draft will end up as the final draft. Although, I don’t know if it should be one book or two. It is one story, but has the capability of being split over two volumes. As one book, I get approx 600 pages, a reasonable size, as befitting books like the Goblet of Fire and Inkheart. Separate, book one stands at around 320ish, and book two at 260ish, which is smaller than I had wanted for the second book. I always feel like the second book should be bigger than the first I blame JK Rowling for this, as the Harry Potter series just kept growing, and yet they still felt too short, I always finished them long before I wanted them to end, but as best she knows, they all ended where they should have, and therein lies my delimma. I have a great cliffhanger at the end of book one, and I don’t want to ruin it by slapping the second book right behind it. Of course, it won’t change the ending, but the reader would then only have to turn the page for the next chapter instead of waiting however long the publisher decides to wait. Maybe I’ll let the publisher decide how best to sell this work. Which means I need to make it ready for a publisher. Love my ending though, can’t imagine it ever ending differently. Actually I can, it has ends several different ways, and they were all straight from my imagination. But still.
I am moving along a lot faster than I anticipated. We are back to two books now, and I am already eight chapters into book 2, with book one being edited like crazy to make it ready for everyone to read. We are getting close, I should think. At least I hope we are. Yay progress.
The author.
This has been a productive week. Book one, Draft one, is complete. Approx. 328 pages (paperback), 125 pages (manuscript), and 20 chapters. Now the difficult decision: I have reworked the ideas for books two and three, have come up with an ending I absolutely love, but have dropped a lot of ideas for book 2 that I don’t think there is enough for a whole book. So, make it all one big 600+ page novel, or make it two novels, a part one and a part two, to contain the whole story. Any thoughts, the five people who read this page?
On chapter 17, also known as page 98 (manuscript size pages, not book size pages), which is approximately 257 book pages (paperback, according to m’collegue’s calculation recalculated in a rudimentary way because I didn’t have the original calculation), also known as approximately 3/4 the way through the first draft of the final draft of the book, which will still remain nameless, except to those few who know it.
Contemplating some redirection as far as setting, and possibly time period. But this edition is going quite strong, and I can safely say I am on chapter 13, or roughly 192 pages into this draft. Let us hope this is the final version of his story.
Trying my hand at a different type of writing. Won’t affect the story at all, or anything that’s been written, but it is, nonetheless, a style that allows me to express a different side of the emotion… And put music in my characters’ steps… (nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more)
The story grew today, and for once in a long while I am completely happy with it’s direction. While you wait to hear an ounce of the tale, take a listen to this song, which to me captures the character and emotion of the opening chapters. Peter Gabriel-My Body Is A Cage.
