Going into the last part of The Enemy Within, I knew that I was running on a short deadline. February is my month off (for the novel, not the series), and then I'll pick everything back up in March. I was also well aware that this Thursday and Friday, I'd be unavailable.
Last week, I worked as diligently as I was able to. I managed to hastily type 131 pages over the course of six days, and brought the unofficial total of pages to 503 (compared to Bindings' 268 pages and Darkness' 306). There is most likely going be a small amount of material removed when I do the final sweat of the novel in March, so it may not be over 500, but you also have to keep in mind, when I do my typing, it's typically on the 8.5x11 paper. When the book releases in paperback, I wouldn't be surprised in the least if it ends up hovering close to 750 pages. This novel is massive, which explains the long wait in getting it to market.
I remember starting The Enemy Within in September of 2010. I had just finished typing As Darkness Falls, and likely had it in the hands of my editor already. With every intention of leaving Tellest to the side for a moment or two of respite, I headed down to Florida for a vacation. Hot off the heels of the second book though, I couldn't think of putting the series down. I wrote at least a chapter of the third book on my vacation, and that zeal has been with me since those first few words.
The Enemy Within has a few missteps that I still need to work out. It suffers from one of the same problems the first book did, but with very little reason. An unnecessary treasure hunt leads to an artifact that would have simply been lost to the main character a few chapters after he acquired it. I knew that the segment was a mistake before I finished it, and the treasure was never mentioned after that. All I have to do now is take off the tourniquet and actually treat the wound.
Other than that, I think this is probably the best book I've written. The characters that readers have grown accustomed to are introduced again almost immediately. The lore and backstories for individual people is as strong as ever. The action sequences and set pieces are energetic and intriguing. And also, the new characters that are introduced have interesting stories and strains. The Enemy Within comes together as my most impressive work thus far, and I can't wait to show it to everyone. Once the final edits are done, I'll begin putting together some excerpts. Until then, just be patient a little while longer. May is closer than you know!
Monday, January 28, 2013
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
The Dragon is Slain!
I already mentioned this on facebook, but it's been some time since I had any big details to reveal here.
The Enemy Within, the third book in the series, has been completed, after much delay. I originally thought I was going to be able to have it on virtual shelves last year, but it looks like we're still on track for a May 2013 release. This massive conclusion to the Child of the Stars trilogy clocks in at 518 pages - so far. As some know, my writing is ridiculously tiny. When the book is completely typed, I wouldn't be surprised if it hit around the 550-600 page range.
So what's next for the third book in the series, and Tellest in general?
Well, I've got to get it typed up. By January 31st. That means that between now and then, I have to type about 6 pages per day. I felt bad not blogging for the last two weeks, but I'm likely going to do that again.
In February, I need to make The Enemy Within the farthest thing from my mind. I want to have as objective a view as I can when I go to make my reviews and edits. To try and distance myself, I'm going to be focusing on getting the paperback version of As Darkness Falls prepped at CreateSpace.
In March, I will begin making my preliminary changes to The Enemy Within, with intentions of getting it in my editor's hands by the beginning of April. I'll also be doing something a little different. With the trilogy complete, I am going to turn to KickStarter to try and get the third book's administrative costs funded. There will be a bunch of swag available to people who want it, as well as other rewards, as is the norm for KickStarter projects. I really believe in the community there, and I think it's also a great way to get some attention for Tellest.
At the end of May, it'll be The Bindings of Fate's second year anniversary. I'd like to get The Enemy Within released around then, in honor of that.
Between June and October, I see very little happening with the Tellest series books on the release front. However, as of today, I begin working on the next project. This will be a novella that takes a deeper look at the gods. I am under the impression that this will be significantly shorter than most of my work. With that in mind, I'm hopeful to have that completed by 3rd quarter 2013. After my editor gets a crack at it, I'd like to release a discounted eBook publication that contains all three books, the novella, and perhaps some other extras as well. I think that will be a nice way to tide people over until the fourth novel in the series is released.
Before, I had said that I was working on having games as an important part of the Tellest series. This has not changed. However, the books will always be paramount, and as such, the games have slid a bit to the side. One the Enemy Within is published, I'll be able to focus a bit more on Devour again. I'm still hopeful that it will release this year.
That said, there's still plenty of work ahead for me. I'm happy to be able to report that everything is looking up, but I've got to get my nose back to the grindstone. Thanks to everyone for their support!
The Enemy Within, the third book in the series, has been completed, after much delay. I originally thought I was going to be able to have it on virtual shelves last year, but it looks like we're still on track for a May 2013 release. This massive conclusion to the Child of the Stars trilogy clocks in at 518 pages - so far. As some know, my writing is ridiculously tiny. When the book is completely typed, I wouldn't be surprised if it hit around the 550-600 page range.
So what's next for the third book in the series, and Tellest in general?
Well, I've got to get it typed up. By January 31st. That means that between now and then, I have to type about 6 pages per day. I felt bad not blogging for the last two weeks, but I'm likely going to do that again.
In February, I need to make The Enemy Within the farthest thing from my mind. I want to have as objective a view as I can when I go to make my reviews and edits. To try and distance myself, I'm going to be focusing on getting the paperback version of As Darkness Falls prepped at CreateSpace.
In March, I will begin making my preliminary changes to The Enemy Within, with intentions of getting it in my editor's hands by the beginning of April. I'll also be doing something a little different. With the trilogy complete, I am going to turn to KickStarter to try and get the third book's administrative costs funded. There will be a bunch of swag available to people who want it, as well as other rewards, as is the norm for KickStarter projects. I really believe in the community there, and I think it's also a great way to get some attention for Tellest.
At the end of May, it'll be The Bindings of Fate's second year anniversary. I'd like to get The Enemy Within released around then, in honor of that.
Between June and October, I see very little happening with the Tellest series books on the release front. However, as of today, I begin working on the next project. This will be a novella that takes a deeper look at the gods. I am under the impression that this will be significantly shorter than most of my work. With that in mind, I'm hopeful to have that completed by 3rd quarter 2013. After my editor gets a crack at it, I'd like to release a discounted eBook publication that contains all three books, the novella, and perhaps some other extras as well. I think that will be a nice way to tide people over until the fourth novel in the series is released.
Before, I had said that I was working on having games as an important part of the Tellest series. This has not changed. However, the books will always be paramount, and as such, the games have slid a bit to the side. One the Enemy Within is published, I'll be able to focus a bit more on Devour again. I'm still hopeful that it will release this year.
That said, there's still plenty of work ahead for me. I'm happy to be able to report that everything is looking up, but I've got to get my nose back to the grindstone. Thanks to everyone for their support!
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