Writing Update

So following the welcome news that Dag over at SFFworld.com wanted to feature Pewtory the Lesser Bard in a regular weekly slot, the eccentric bard has kind of grown into a bit of a beast. I am finding it increasingly difficult to restrict the chapters to just 1,000 words (averaging 1,193 words per chapter) and even more arduous to move the story along swiftly. In short it is rapidly developing into a novella.

 

I never intended for this but as the story seems to be getting positive feedback I am also quite excited about it. As things stands, I have posted the first four chapters but have written 8,350 words in total (another 3 chapters worth). Whilst this is a great stuff and it is good to flex new writing muscles (Pewtory you may have noticed is written in a more tongue in cheek way from Ritual of the Stones), I can’t help thinking this is another 8,350 words or two chapters I could have written for book two. Not only that, but it is also taking up valuable time I should be dedicating to book two.

 

What is the solution? Do I have one even? The answer is yes. I know what I wanted to achieve with Pewtory the Lesser and that is introduce the world and some of the characters. So far I have successfully achieved some of that. My aim is to wrap up the story around the 20,000 word point, I can then publish as a short story free of charge to gain more exposure.

 

It will mean I have to have the book edited properly and go over it more thoroughly but it will be worth the effort in the long run. It will also be another piece of work to add to my portfolio.

 

Maybe I will aim for a Christmas release – who knows?

 

Book 2

 

As for book two, I have making some more positive progress. I have recently completed another chapter and I am on the down hill leg of the journey.

 

I have recently stopped and really sat back and assessed the direction of the novel and mapped out what needs to happen and how the characters are going to get there. This has meant doing a smiliar exercise as I did with the first book in that I plotted the remaining scenes of each of the characters and how many chapters I had left to write.

 

If I am right, then book two will come in at a heftier 140,000 words. Still not quite up there with the larger fantasy novels but I am a great believer in telling the story I want to tell and then get out of there.