As you can see, I’m nearing the 100k mark (which was my goal for draft 1). I’m not sure how far I’ll go over that, but I do foresee me doing so. If I follow my outline to the letter, I have 10 more chapters to write and my chapters are averaging anywhere from 2500-3000 words, so, you can see the bind I’m in.
That said, the epilogue will be short (1000-1500k). But, I’m staring down the barrel of a 130k first draft with a list of “loose ends” to address which is about a page long itself and will add considerably more to the first draft count. Not only that, but I will probably add one more chapter for E’zreal. He moves too quickly into the second part of his narrative arc (after he’s experienced something quite traumatic). So, I need to give him some transition time. It’s what he’s been asking me for in the recent chapters.
Weird how my characters speak to me, eh?
Maybe someday I’ll share my “letters to the author” that I created for each one of my main POV characters. That might be worth a good laugh for some poor chap.
Anyway, I’m excited. I’ve hit the first “peak” of the final arc. Then I make the climb toward another one (an even more exciting one) and then I resolve as best I can, set up for the next book, but bring enough satisfaction to the ending of THIS one that I won’t drive off any potential agents.
Until later . . .
Archived from: 8/11/2011