Interlude II
I finished the second Interlude two days ago... and then I finished it again today.
How can that be?
After stepping away from the second Phillip Plantagenet POV chapter, I didn't like the ending of the chapter. It felt limp. It felt weak. It did not have the resonant power I felt it needed. So I went back in, rearranged some things, and now I am happy with it.
I've received a lot of advice over the years from writers far better at the craft than I am:
1) Brian Jacques offered, "Learn how to paint with words."
2) Terry Brooks said, "Read Read Read, Outline Outline Outline, Write Write Write, Repeat."
3) Greg Keyes advised, "The right sentence tells you it is in the right spot."
It's the Greg Keyes advice I find more and more useful as I write more and more. I can't even explain what the advice even means in a tangible way. The right word, the right sentence, the right paragraph—it just feels right when it is in the right place. I feel at peace when it is right. If a word or sentence or paragraph is not right, it feels like a bee buzzing around in my head and it won't leave me alone. It forces me to look at that part of the chapter; it nags and nags and nags. Until it is fixed. Until it can be put to rest.
The second Interlude had several moments like that, including the ending. The chapter commanded me to reexamine it because it wasn't laid to rest. Now it is and it is a relief.
The word count stands:
Prologue: 3045
Chapter 1: 4075
Chapter 2: 2973
Chapter 3: 3241
Chapter 4: 4144
Chapter 5: 4547
Chapter 6: 2793
Chapter 7: 3598
Chapter 8: 4939
Chapter 9: 4257
Interlude: 2372
Chapter 10: 3346
Chapter 11: 3185
Chapter 12: 3639
Chapter 13: 4878
Chapter 14: 4562
Chapter 15: 3840
Chapter 16: 3984
Chapter 17: 5441
Chapter 18: 4725
Chapter 19: 5651
Interlude: 3687
The next two chapters are with Bran Ardall. I will start outlining the first tomorrow, after I ship out the signed Paul of Dune books and the signed Anathem books.
And then I get to write the climax of the book—where all hellfire breaks loose in Annwyn!
How can that be?
After stepping away from the second Phillip Plantagenet POV chapter, I didn't like the ending of the chapter. It felt limp. It felt weak. It did not have the resonant power I felt it needed. So I went back in, rearranged some things, and now I am happy with it.
I've received a lot of advice over the years from writers far better at the craft than I am:
1) Brian Jacques offered, "Learn how to paint with words."
2) Terry Brooks said, "Read Read Read, Outline Outline Outline, Write Write Write, Repeat."
3) Greg Keyes advised, "The right sentence tells you it is in the right spot."
It's the Greg Keyes advice I find more and more useful as I write more and more. I can't even explain what the advice even means in a tangible way. The right word, the right sentence, the right paragraph—it just feels right when it is in the right place. I feel at peace when it is right. If a word or sentence or paragraph is not right, it feels like a bee buzzing around in my head and it won't leave me alone. It forces me to look at that part of the chapter; it nags and nags and nags. Until it is fixed. Until it can be put to rest.
The second Interlude had several moments like that, including the ending. The chapter commanded me to reexamine it because it wasn't laid to rest. Now it is and it is a relief.
The word count stands:
Prologue: 3045
Chapter 1: 4075
Chapter 2: 2973
Chapter 3: 3241
Chapter 4: 4144
Chapter 5: 4547
Chapter 6: 2793
Chapter 7: 3598
Chapter 8: 4939
Chapter 9: 4257
Interlude: 2372
Chapter 10: 3346
Chapter 11: 3185
Chapter 12: 3639
Chapter 13: 4878
Chapter 14: 4562
Chapter 15: 3840
Chapter 16: 3984
Chapter 17: 5441
Chapter 18: 4725
Chapter 19: 5651
Interlude: 3687
The next two chapters are with Bran Ardall. I will start outlining the first tomorrow, after I ship out the signed Paul of Dune books and the signed Anathem books.
And then I get to write the climax of the book—where all hellfire breaks loose in Annwyn!
Labels: The Dark Thorn
posted by Shawn C. Speakman | 10:07 PM
2 Comments:
Greg Keyes probably hit it right on. It's good to see enough patience to make things right, Shawn.
Hey, any idea yet as to when the book will be complete? Any specific date in mind?
Stephen: Greg Keyes is right about a lot of things. It is a real shame not more people have read his series that begins with The Briar King. It is one of the best finished epic fantasy series out there and deserves a much larger readership than I feel it has gotten over the years.
Concerning my own book, I don't know. I wanted it done by August 1st. Then I pissed away my summer months out on the road and with the new Random House job. A few weeks ago I ventured back into my outline since I had gotten to the last 1/3 of the book and I realized I needed a few more chapters in the final part of the book for it to work out smoothly. So that has set it back a bit further. Instead of 29 planned chapters it was originally thought to be in my first outline, The Dark Thorn will be 35. That's a lot more work.
I think from now on when I update the finished chapter rate I will include all chapters, even the unfinished ones, so you guys can get a better feel for how much I have left.
I want to be done by November 1st. But that will require some serious work. The good news is I have all of my signings almost wrapped up for the year so that means a lot more time to write.
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