I didn’t mean for it to be so long between updates!
I had a very busy December, and January wasn’t much better. That meant much less progress than I would’ve liked. But there is good news! As of last night, I have 26 chapters written for Fortress Ghosts. That is less than half of the total, so there’s still a long way to go, but progress is progress.
The time away gave me a chance to rethink some aspects of the book, and that’s definitely a good thing. I’m moving some story threads around, refining some things, and contemplating a different ending. One of the problems I’ve run up against is how to create the connective tissue that will link this book to the next without ending on a totally unsatisfactory note. This book has its own storylines, its own rise and fall, its own climax(es), and the book should conclude in a way that is satisfying enough for the storylines presented within, while offering sufficient hints as to the next volume to whet one’s appetite. Of course, this goes for any book with planned sequels, doesn’t it?
The broad strokes of the story haven’t changed, though. How characters and events get from A to B might move around somewhat, but the overall story is the same. It’s all about how we get there.
But I really need to pick up the pace. At my current clip, I won’t reach the end of this draft until around the end of August, and that’s just way too long. For one thing, I’d like to be ready for the next book, in November! I’ve been putting out about a chapter a week. If I can raise that to two, I’ll be done by May, and that’s a much more comfortable place to be.
For comparison, I finished the first draft of The Militiaman in mid-February of 2014, and The Star Mother in July of 2015. Both were started in November of their previous respective years. (I didn’t participate in NaNoWriMo in 2015.) If I can land somewhere between the two, I’ll be in good shape!
I’m contemplating making some more “teasing” posts in the meantime, maybe character profiles or something. Or it will be months between updates, again. I guess we’ll see.