As the Stormfall Chronicles continues to evolve, I've realized that having a list or directory of characters could come increasingly useful, both for myself and my readers. I have therefore assembled a list of characters from the first book - which I can continue to add to as the second book progresses.
Thanks again to all of my readers.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1d8rM6p1uFCxwIXay2--LgriaQe_rHaZw
Saturday, May 11, 2019
Wednesday, May 8, 2019
March Towards the Second Draft: The Editing Process
I've written before about how important the editing process is to writing a successful novel, and thought I should expand a little on my own writing and editing process, and how it works.
As I mentioned before, in my experience, the first draft of a book or novel is usually a very rough draft, intended to get the skeleton in place for future revisions. The idea is to get all of the major events and elements of the story down on paper (or stored in electrons) for subsequent revisions and polishing. In my instance, most of the first draft is typed directly onto the computer. I will often have a series of notes or a list of key elements I want to add, which I will update along the way - but the original, first draft is usually typed directly on the keyboard.
For me, the second draft is about filling in any missing scenes or elements, and getting the scene order right. This is, like the first draft, a somewhat lengthy process - because there's usually so much to add. The first draft of my second novel, for example, was around 74,000 words in length, or slightly longer than the final copy of my first novel. I am expecting the final product to be closer to 90,000 words in length - or twenty percent longer. Most of those additions will take shape while I'm crafting the second draft.
The third, fourth, and subsequent drafts, in contrast, are all about refining the language: correcting any errors and ensuring that the words flow naturally from the page. Also unlike the first draft, all subsequent drafts are usually revised from a printed copy. For whatever reason, it's always been more natural for me to print out the manuscript, and revise it with paper and pen, than to attempt to make those revisions directly onto the computer. Again, that's been my experience as a writer.
As I mentioned before, in my experience, the first draft of a book or novel is usually a very rough draft, intended to get the skeleton in place for future revisions. The idea is to get all of the major events and elements of the story down on paper (or stored in electrons) for subsequent revisions and polishing. In my instance, most of the first draft is typed directly onto the computer. I will often have a series of notes or a list of key elements I want to add, which I will update along the way - but the original, first draft is usually typed directly on the keyboard.
For me, the second draft is about filling in any missing scenes or elements, and getting the scene order right. This is, like the first draft, a somewhat lengthy process - because there's usually so much to add. The first draft of my second novel, for example, was around 74,000 words in length, or slightly longer than the final copy of my first novel. I am expecting the final product to be closer to 90,000 words in length - or twenty percent longer. Most of those additions will take shape while I'm crafting the second draft.
The third, fourth, and subsequent drafts, in contrast, are all about refining the language: correcting any errors and ensuring that the words flow naturally from the page. Also unlike the first draft, all subsequent drafts are usually revised from a printed copy. For whatever reason, it's always been more natural for me to print out the manuscript, and revise it with paper and pen, than to attempt to make those revisions directly onto the computer. Again, that's been my experience as a writer.
Sunday, May 5, 2019
Promotional on the Best Seller List
As anyone who has thought about becoming an indie author should already be aware, a large part of success as an indie writer will be tied to successfully marketing our own work. Whereas for a traditional publishing house, finding reviewers, author interviews and advertising are all handled by the publisher, as an indie author all of these activities become the responsibility of the author.
I have been running an Amazon promotional for my first book this weekend - with the eBook being available for free on Saturday and Sunday, May 4th and 5th:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MYK9QHC
This was not my first free promotional, but it was the best organized, with my book being featured on a number of promotional sites.
I was therefore gratified to see my book coming in Amazon's #1 slot for both the "Teen & YA Coming of Age Fantasy" and the "Sword and Sorcery Fantasy" eBook categories. True, these are the rankings against other free books, but it also means that I have succeeded in getting my book in the hands of a wider audience.
For those who have or might have downloaded my book, I want to extend a heartfelt thanks - and hope that you thoroughly enjoy the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Having our books read, and reviewed by readers, is part of the lifeblood of an indie author.
I have been running an Amazon promotional for my first book this weekend - with the eBook being available for free on Saturday and Sunday, May 4th and 5th:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MYK9QHC
This was not my first free promotional, but it was the best organized, with my book being featured on a number of promotional sites.
For those who have or might have downloaded my book, I want to extend a heartfelt thanks - and hope that you thoroughly enjoy the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Having our books read, and reviewed by readers, is part of the lifeblood of an indie author.
Friday, May 3, 2019
First Rough Draft Completed for Book 2
It's a couple of days later than I had been aiming for, but I finally completed my first, rough draft for Book 2 of the Stormfall Chronicles.
For those who might be wondering about the writing process, getting a rough draft written from beginning to end is a daunting, often overwhelming process. There's the constant temptation to stop what you're doing, and go back and re-edit portions where you know the text will need to be revisited. Which is why it's so important as a writer to avoid that temptation, and get the skeleton of the book in place so there can be something to work from.
I know that there are some writers who sit down to write, and treat the writing itself as a journey or adventure, without knowing where it will lead. The Last Unicorn, for example, was reportedly written in that manner. That however, is not me. I write because I have a sense that there is something that needs to be said, a story that is waiting to be set free, and I am merely the conduit for its creation. I always begin my writing with a clear sense for where each book will begin, where it will end, and with a few key scenes already played out in my mind.
Having finished the first rough draft, I know that I have many editorial cycles ahead of me before the manuscript is ready for my beta readers (who happen to be my daughters) to see it for the first time. I know that there will be scenes that I have left out that I will need to add, and others that will need to be reordered. There are a lot of details that need to be added and polished. But I can already see the shape for where this next book is going, and what it will be like. I am very much looking forward to seeing this book through the editing phase during the next couple of months.
For those who might be wondering about the writing process, getting a rough draft written from beginning to end is a daunting, often overwhelming process. There's the constant temptation to stop what you're doing, and go back and re-edit portions where you know the text will need to be revisited. Which is why it's so important as a writer to avoid that temptation, and get the skeleton of the book in place so there can be something to work from.
I know that there are some writers who sit down to write, and treat the writing itself as a journey or adventure, without knowing where it will lead. The Last Unicorn, for example, was reportedly written in that manner. That however, is not me. I write because I have a sense that there is something that needs to be said, a story that is waiting to be set free, and I am merely the conduit for its creation. I always begin my writing with a clear sense for where each book will begin, where it will end, and with a few key scenes already played out in my mind.
Having finished the first rough draft, I know that I have many editorial cycles ahead of me before the manuscript is ready for my beta readers (who happen to be my daughters) to see it for the first time. I know that there will be scenes that I have left out that I will need to add, and others that will need to be reordered. There are a lot of details that need to be added and polished. But I can already see the shape for where this next book is going, and what it will be like. I am very much looking forward to seeing this book through the editing phase during the next couple of months.
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