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Writing Log 1-31-13

Thus ends the second draft of Writ in Blood.

Oh yeah.

Three years ago this month, I had an image come into my head of a man dressed all in black, standing in the middle of a Grecian street, like a stone in a river. He was a Poet, and a killer, and I had no idea who he was.

I never found out.

Instead, Nicomachus took a decidedly more introspective and (to me) interesting turn. With the idea of a fantasy story that mashes up a Mediterranean milieu, a Shakespearean speech pattern, and a Lost-inspired structure, I embarked on Writ in Blood, completely unsure of where I was going or what lay ahead. After three varied, interesting, and fantastic years, I can proudly announce that I have finished my third reading of the book and its first major revision.

Of course, I have to wonder how "done" I really am. I don't feel like it's perfect yet, that it's ready for submission. But I also had a goal to get the manuscript into the hands of an agent by 2013. Well, it's 2013. In fact, I'm one month (exactly) behind my goal of getting the second draft finished. Considering what's been going on in life, I'm okay with that.

But the question of "how many revisions are enough?" tickles my mind--especially since the magic number a lot of writers settle on is six. Six drafts, however, include those with editors and copyeditors and assistants, so it's a little different there. But, still--I don't know if I can keep pushing through this book another four times. Obviously, I need to give it one more pass and tighten things up. I excised nearly 50 pages of text for this version, but it's still over the 250,000 word threshold (by 60,000 or so words) that most agents feel comfortable pitching to publishers. I honestly don't know what else to cut, as part of the world is language. What could be said in fewer words in a normal novel really shouldn't be said more succinctly in this one, as that would ruin the tone. Still, I'm sure there are another 10,000 words that I could cut somehow--just 18 or so per page ought to do it......except that's insane and I don't know how I'd do that.

Anyway, I'm pretty excited. I finished the book in May 2012, read through it, redlined it, and have now entered the edits into the computer, complete with necessary rewrites. I did that despite having picked up a new sport (quidditch for life!), resumed the school year, and helped my wife through the first trimester of pregnancy.

Not too shabby.

On the whole, I'm still incredibly pleased with the book. There are already blemishes that I can think of, and I almost want to start over and tighten and tweak and refine right now, but I know I need a bit of a break. Not too long of one, mind you--I've neglected the book for too long, so it's time that I really put some effort into it again. The real question is how to get feedback on this draft. I've shown off the first draft to everyone who wanted a copy, so I'm kind of wondering what to do about that. My group is slowly finishing things up--they're about 25 chapters from the end, I think--and while their input will be useful, it isn't quite the same because I've changed so many things. So I don't know what to do there.

This has been an extremely difficult book for me to write. Unlike the others, which seemed like the next story that I needed to write, this one has been far more ambitious than anything else. With six concurrent storylines spread through three different characters, plus dozens of locations, subplots, conspiracies, and loose ends to deal with, I feel like my vision outstripped my ability. For that reason alone I feel like this is the book that I need to pursue. I've been thinking about Words of the Silenced for a while, and I'd love to return to Tintyr and my crazy people and my giants. And, to be honest, putting another 100 hours or so into WotS would probably make a more marketable book.

But this is the one that I'm leaning towards. I don't know if it's vanity (a very likely possibility; I try not to put much stock in my other abilities--guitar, quidditch, teaching--but I do have a very distorted sense of my own writing ability) or if it's the Spirit or just naked desire, but I really feel like this book is different. That it's special. That it could really change my life.

But what author doesn't say that?

Confession: I've puzzled over the success of Harry Potter for a number of years. I know all of the components of the book that made it a success--and I know why no other book series will be able to emulate it correctly. Knowing what goes into a good book doesn't mean that you can write a good book.

My story is not going to be another Harry Potter (not only because it's in the wrong genre to be compared, but for many other reasons, too). It's not going to be a huge financial success. It can't be--it's a book about Poets speaking in elevated language trying to keep their world from blowing up; that doesn't really appeal to wide audiences. So I have to think that on one hand, while on the other hope that my analysis is totally and completely wrong, because I really, truly want to be able to give Gayle the option not to work full time. There's no room for raises, bonuses, or career-cementing promotions in the public teacher arena. I knew that going into it. But I always imagined that my writing would make up financially for what my teaching could not. And if I don't think that people are going to read this book, then there's no way that things will ever change.

One thing's certain, though: I finished draft 2.0 tonight, and that makes me feel pretty good.

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