When the Period Ends

Chapters 1-5 Posted

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn C. Speakman) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 05:08:00 +0000

This is just a short update.

I have uploaded the first five chapters from The Dark Thorn onto the site. So many of you have been so patient with me that I decided I might as well share more of the book. In the first five chapters, you are introduced to 3 of the 4 Point of View characters. I hope you enjoy them.

Click HERE to read Chapters 1-5.

In other news, I've received my first rejection letter. You can read about it HERE. I have since queried Matt Bialer, a fantastic agent who represents the likes of Tad Williams, Patrick Rothfuss, Diana Rowland, Blake Charlton, and many others. As per the guidelines on his website, I probably won't hear anything back from him for 6-8 weeks.

I will make great use of my time. I have to redesign Terry's website, get my own website redesigned, and prepare for some rather large signings later this summer via The Signed Page.

Hope to hear from some of you after you've read the chapters!

Rewrite Finished

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn C. Speakman) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:59:00 +0000

Over the weekend I killed the last four chapters on The Dark Thorn rewrite. They went fairly easily. Two of them were fairly complex to rewrite, the other two almost didn't change.

There are still some small things that need to be added in and it will take me re-reading the book again to spot them and fix them. But that is easy. I'm not worried about that at all.

Later today I will put together a single file that comprises the entire book. I will know how many words this version is and how many pages it is. I will also by tonight begin writing my query letter for it. That will be the fun part. The query is the harest thing to write in the entire pricess, I think, and since I've done it a few times, I love the challenge. Then I'll do some research to figure out who should receive the query... and away I'll go with finding an agent.

More soon!

Rewriting Almost Finished

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn C. Speakman) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:05:00 +0000

After several months of not touching The Dark Thorn, trying to figure out how I could get around not rewriting with Terry's suggestions and yet still have a better book, I finally gave in two weeks ago and began rewriting.

Going against the advice I'd give anyone else, I really wanted to submit the first 10 rewritten chapters with the shifted POV, not having the rest of the book's rewrite completed. I thought, quite erroneously, that I could have an agent look at the chapters, at which point they would tell me to finish the rewrite or to go with the first draft of the book.

I realized that would be foolish. I would be wasting the agent's time. And my own.

Once that understanding hit me, I unleashed a torrent of rewriting. For the last two weeks I have rewritten Chapters 10-25. That is 13 hour days to complete them. I'm not stopping. I figure I can rewrite each chapter, shift the POV characters, one per day. Some of the chapters coming up aren't changing -- in fact six of my remaining ten are not -- so I might be able to do more than one a day. We'll see. All in all, I plan on being finished with the rewrite a few days after V-Day.

My editor ex-girlfriend has been given each completed rewritten chapter. She went over the first 10 and was invaluable in finding places where I could tighten things up or where I had a word change issue. When I finish though, I am going to send it unedited to King's agent. If he'll still want it since we haven't spoken in six months. If he does, great. He'll read it and if he likes it, I'm his. If he doesn't, I'll let Rachelle finish her edits, do the small rewrite, and then start query agents and editors like all writers must do to get published.

So that is where it stands.

I will say this newly rewritten version of The Dark Thorn is infinitely improved. Shifting the focus of the book from Bran to Richard has improved it dramatically. Terry was spot on in that regard.

Once I finish the book, the fun doesn't stop there either. I'll be redesigning Terry's website as well as my own. I will be putting together a website for a friend who is trying to get into architecture school and needs to put her portfolio up online.

And then I'll begin work on the next book's outline.

There. An update.

Now back to rewriting!

Silent Auction for ARCs

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn C. Speakman) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 22:05:00 +0000

Want one of the Advanced Reader Copies I created to give to friends and family as proof readers? I created three extra copies of Song of the Fell Hammer and I have one extra copy of The Dark Thorn.

I have decided to silent auction off these copies. If you are interested in putting in a bid on these ARCs, visit The Signed Page for more information!

Fell Hammer on Kindle

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn C. Speakman) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 21:17:00 +0000

I have given in.

Finally.

Today the Amazon Kindle version of Song of the Fell Hammer went live. It is $2.99.

Song of the Fell Hammer was my first attempt at a novel and like many debut books it is wordy. The book is near 200,000 words. As a reference, the average novel length today is 90,000 words with fantasy novels usually being closer to 105,000 words. In other words, you'll be getting a lot of words for the price!

That might not be a good thing. Ha!

I will make 35% on each download. That's $1.05 for 10 months of work a few years ago.

If you have Adobe Reader with the capacity to view .PDFs, you can read for free the Prologue, Chapter One, Chapter Two and Chapter Three of Song of the Fell Hammer by clicking the links.

If you have a Kindle, click Song of the Fell Hammer to download it!

And yes, I am thinking about offering this as a .PDF download. Just have to figure out how to make that a possibility where no or limited theft will take place.

Have questions? Just ask. I am always around.

Rewriting Continues

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn C. Speakman) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 16:58:00 +0000

Yes, I am alive.

If barely!

Many of you have written me emails or posted comments on previous threads asking after my writing pursuits.

First, thank you all for your interest. It's always nice to wake up to an email from someone curious about what I am up to, even though I've technically not done anything worth warranting such interest.

If any of you follow me on Suvudu.com, you will know from reading my article The Healthy Writer that I had to take some time after Terry read and gave his insight on The Dark Thorn. I spent that time recovering. I had allowed The Dark Thorn to overwhelm the rest of my life—eating healthy, working out, seeing my friends and family, even my reading time. I decided I had to reassert a level of control and find some balance. It took two months to really do that.

It doesn't mean I haven't been working on the rewrites for The Dark Thorn. Far from it. Incorporating some of the things Terry had to say, I've spent the last few months solving numerous plot problems that arose from the changes. Some were easy to figure out; others were not so easy to figure out. One problem was particularly nasty, one that took three weeks to figure out all by itself. Now all of those have been resolved.

Which means I've been rewriting. A lot.

I'm not that far into it. By the end of the month I will probably have seven or eight chapters finished. I am really taking time as I rewrite, trying to make sure every word is necessary, building a story that flows off of the page. I'm quite happy with what I've done. I am really happy with the first three chapters. The fourth and fifth chapters will barely change. The sixth chapter will be rewritten and streamlined. The seventh chapter will be all new material.

I am rewriting as I juggle a very busy The Signed Page and Suvudu. The rewriting is going to take some time. I'm not that worried about it. I decided to spend time building up my business and ensuring in this tough economic climate that I am not thrown out on the street. It has allowed me to gain some more perspective on The Dark Thorn, and as my friend Pat Rothfuss says that is always a good thing.

I've also been working on a new story idea about death. More on that later if I ever decide to do it.

Then I might put the first seven or so chapters into an eBook of some kind, but I might have something cooler than that if things come together right. Stay tuned.

So yes, I am alive.

And rewriting.

And I hope to hear from some of you and perhaps get some questions!

Hope you are reading something great.

The Reading Terry

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn C. Speakman) — Sun, 31 May 2009 20:48:00 +0000

Today I went over to Terry's house to pick up some baseball tickets they could not use.

And we talked about The Dark Thorn.

Terry is just over halfway through the book. He is enjoying it thus far. He really likes the story; he thinks it echoes Dan Brown but in a good way. He really likes the characters and how they are developing -- even Bran which is what I was most worried about. Right now he knows of two scenes he thinks I should rewrite to make stronger -- he won't tell me which ones until we sit down and talk about it after he has finished reading it -- and he pointed out I have some tendencies to overwrite. But he said he is invested in it which is a good thing, he hasn't seen anything that would leave him to believe it shouldn't be a published book, and that I will have some work but nothing extensive.

So that's all positive.

I told him not to hold back. I want him to use his critical teaching eyes and rip the book apart so I can learn.

I think that is an important lesson for young writers to learn. I'm not one of those writers who protects the integrity of his work from others because I know best and they be damned. Far from it. I believe quite strongly that I have a lot to learn about the craft of writing and I want Terry to be straight with me. Just like I want Ralph to be straight with me. Just like I want Betsy or any other editor to be straight with me when they eventually read it. Any suggestions they make to improve the story I will take into consideration and most likely implement if it makes even a modicum of sense.

After all, they are professionals. As yet, I am not even close!

Terry plans on being finished reading here in the next few days and next week we'll sit down and he can tell me what he thinks and how it can be improved.

Hopefully Ralph will want to work with me to make something special. I think it has massive potential. Right now it is a seven book series with several short stories planned, the entire series cataloging the life of Bran until he is almost 70 years old. Could be great fun to tell that story.

But I wait. Patiently. I go to baseball games. I work on the author websites I oversee. I maintain The Signed Page. And I have begun my research for The Long Winter.

Tis a fun life full of possibility!

My First Query Letter

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn C. Speakman) — Wed, 27 May 2009 02:30:00 +0000

I'm not sure if I posted my first query letter on here. I'm fairly sure I did but I am too lazy to find it. And now that I am entering the process again of submitting a book to agents and editors, I'm receiving a few questions from other writers how to break in.

Well, the query letter is the key to unlock the door.

And that key must be flawlessly made.

Here is the query letter I sent to agent Matt Bialer for Song of the Fell Hammer:

February 7, 2006

Matt Bialer, Agent
Sanford J. Greenburger Associates
55 Fifth Avenue, 15th Floor
New York, NY 10003

Dear Matt:

I am confident you will find my novel, titled Song of the Fell Hammer and the first of a trilogy, to be a good fit for today's fantasy market. My craft has been influenced by the work of Terry Brooks, but my style is also reminiscent of Greg Keyes and an early Stephen R. Donaldson.

As is standard in high fantasy, my novel involves a quest. Sorin Westfall, a moral, innocent young man who discovers he is a messiah, must come to terms with the fact that his only role is to murder another messiah become evil. Sorin finds himself entrenched in a very old war between Good and Evil, where the newest battle pivots on the acquisition of an ancient, enchanted hammer. But can Sorin, destined to be Good's instrument, forego his religion's doctrine and murder another human being before Evil accomplishes its end?

What happens to a Knight who has lost his faith and his family due to actions his High King ordered of him? How can a Giant, who belongs to a self-proclaimed pacifistic race, answer a call to raise arms for war, even for the benefit of the kingdom? Why does a High King stay enthroned when he has lost everyone he loves and his kingdom rises against him? How does an Elven nation, decimated by genocidal madness centuries past, reinvolve themselves in a world that despises their way of life? I use a fantasy setting to explore these character issues as well as broad subtextual ideas about love, redemption, faith, the corruptibility of power, and religion's place in an individual's life.

As you know, I have been a part of the book industry for nine years in various capacities--marketing, publicity, editing, and retail. I feel as though I have a distinct advantage when it comes to getting my story into fantasy readers' hands. For years, I have maintained and promoted websites for some of the top names in the fantasy field. I have the unique position of recognition amongst the thousands of readers that traffic these websites. I have enclosed a marketing plan for you, one that highlights the myriad opportunities for promotion that my novel and I already have. I know this trilogy will be a success not only because of my fascinating story--it will also be a success because of my connection with the genre, the readers, and many of their favorite authors.

I respect you as one of the top agents in the field, and I look forward to any feedback you are able to share with me about my novel and its potential. I am prepared to make any revisions as needed in order to meet your expectations for submission. As you know, Betsy Mitchell at Del Rey has the book, and other publishers have expressed interest. I have included my marketing plan and resume in addition to the full 214,000-word manuscript. Please let me know if you would like any other information. Once again, thank you for taking the time to read over my materials, and I anxiously await your response!

Very truly yours,

Shawn C. Speakman
Address
Seattle, WA 98103
Phone Number
Email

Enclosures:
Marketing Plan
Resume
Song of the Fell Hammer (680 pages)
SASE

Now, it is important to point out that the format of the query letter is not what you see on this blog. There are additional spaces and returns, where some portions of the letter are justified to the right. Be sure to learn the correct formatting.

Another thing, Matt Bialer is the agent for Patrick Rothfuss, Peter David, Tad Williams, Tracy Hickman, Stephen Lawhead, CJ Cherryh... you get the picture. He likes big sweeping epics for the most part and Song of the Fell Hammer matched that. I sent it to Matt first because I already knew he liked the specific sub-genre I had written in. That is expressly important. If you've written a vampire novel, don't send it to a young adult agent/editor. If you've written a fable, don't send your query to the agent for Robert Jordan. It is a waste of materials and time. Start with those who represent work similar to your own.

That said, a query letter should be set up in a certain way. You can do a Google search to discover the dos and don'ts of the process, but for me this is how it can be broken down:

1) Introduction: This is where you state your name, the title of your book, usually the word count, and what kind of book you have on your hands. Short and succinct. You'll notice I waited until the end of the query to say my word count -- that's because I didn't want the daunting number to turn people away from reading the rest of the query letter and becoming invested in it.

2) 25 word tagline and summary: If the query must be flawless, the tagline must be even more so. It must be perfect. The tagline of my first book was, "Sorin Westfall, a moral, innocent young man who discovers he is a messiah, must come to terms with the fact that his only role is to murder another messiah become evil." That is 31 or 32 words, but I would have removed some of the adjectives if I had been cornered in an elevator with an agent who wanted to know what my book was about. The tagline should entice the agent to know more and it should hold major conflict. If you read my tagline you get conflict immediately -- Sorin against evil messiah, Sorin against his own religion. These are major conflict points. Your query should have something just as enticing with just as much conflict. Boil it down to the essence of the book. I don't want to hear, "Well, there is too much stuff going on in my book." Wrong, wrong, wrong. Do you not think my book is a lot more complex than that tagline? Of course it is. But you must get at the heart of what the book is about for this part of the query letter.

3) Why the book is important: I cheated with this paragraph. Characters drive my stories so I wanted to highlight some of the themes of the book. I did this by delving into my other characters a bit. In short, this paragraph doesn't even need to exist really in the query, but an editor friend of mine thought it worthwhile to keep in. So I don't suggest doing what I did.

4) What edge do you have: I have a lot of experience in the book industry, from top to bottom. I know a lot of writers obviously. These are things that give a person an edge. If you know a pertinent author, write their name down. If you have a writing credit in a magazine or newspaper, etc., write it down. Anything you feel might give you an edge you should write here. If you have nothing, I suggest working at a bookstore for a few months; it will really help.

4) Closing: Be polite and to the point. Always thank the agent or editor for reading the query.

5) And be sure to include your contact information. You'd be amazed at how many people do not!

With my manuscript I included a marketing plan for my book. Most people have no need to include this as they don't have the breadth of experience I possess.

This is important: Every single agent and editor out there have different submission guidelines! You must adhere to all of them. That means you will spend a great deal of time rearranging query letters or manuscripts. It is all worth it and must be done. If an agent or editor receives a query or manuscript and it isn't written to their submission guidelines, you can kiss all of your hard work away and right into the trash.

Got questions? Good. Ask them. I'm here all week. Ha!

Galley Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn C. Speakman) — Wed, 20 May 2009 21:58:00 +0000

Here are pictures of the galleys I produced for my early readers:

I created five of them. Cost me $200. But having early input is always helpful and is worth bars of shining gold. These pictures were pretty much the last thing I needed to do. Now I have to redesign the Terry Brooks website front page and get some books shipped off to be signed for fans of The Signed Page!

If you have any questions about the process I went through or publishing, now is the time to ask them. I have nearly nothing to do for a while, at least until I hear back from Ralph. I don't know when that will take place. Ralph notified me he uploaded the file to his Kindle yesterday morning but I don't know when he'll get to reading it.

After all, Kindles can hold a lot of books! Who knows where my book falls among them.

At any rate, I hope he likes it and is willing to work with me to make it the best book it can be. Because I really feel this book is worthy of being published, all bias aside, and the marketing platform I bring is strong enough to have a break out debut book.

I've worked hard to make this a reality. Time will see what fruit grows.

Editing Finished

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn C. Speakman) — Mon, 18 May 2009 05:56:00 +0000

Saturday night I finished my extensive edit on The Dark Thorn.

Until the weekend I had been averaging two chapters a day, combing over my first draft and removing that which was not needed. Going into Saturday I had five chapters left to edit. I had plans with friends to watch soccer but they fell through, leaving me with a free Saturday night.

And how do I use my free Saturday night?

I edited.

I edited for ten or eleven hours straight. I finished the book around 9 pm.

But that wasn't good enough.

I went to my local watering hole, ordered a glass of Sterling Cab for my accomplishment, and created the outline for what would become my map. I drew its shape, its rivers, the mountains and lakes. After my one glass, I went home, scanned the fledgling map into Photoshop, and spent the next two hours adding names for cities, mountains, rivers, marshes, caves, etc.

Here is the map I quickly put together:

At this time it was 2 am Sunday.

But I was on a roll. I couldn't sleep. I decided to put together my galley file. I created one .doc file with the entire book, from Prologue to Epilogue, and added a title page and the map. I then rendered that .doc file into a .pdf.

Here is what the title page looks like:

By 5 am, I had everything I needed to get done. Almost.

Today I went to Kinkos and had them print off five galleys of The Dark Thorn. I'll post a picture of them soon.

I will give these to my early readers—my mother, Terry Brooks, friend Dave, and friend Eldon. I will keep one for myself.

In the morning I will send the .doc file to Ralph Vicinanza, one of the agents for Stephen King. He read the first four chapters in 2008 and liked them enough to ask for the rest of the book. Ralph reads his queries and submissions on his Kindle, which I think is really cool, but it may take some time for him to get to The Dark Thorn. The last time I spoke to him he had just received in manuscripts from Peter Straub and Robin Hobb. That will take up some time, I'm sure. I have no idea when I will hear anything back; it could be two weeks, it could be two months.

By the way, I edited my book down from 162,000 words to 149,000 words.

So, that's that. What will I do now? I have to redesign the front page for the Terry Brooks website in preparation for the release of the forthcoming Landover book, A Princess of Landover. I have a short story I want to write that takes place before the events in The Dark Thorn; that short story I would put up for "order" somewhere, somehow. And I have a few small errands I should finish up.

The Dark Thorn is done. For now.

A Terry Brooks Dedication

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn C. Speakman) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 16:40:00 +0000

As many of you know, I've been the webmaster for Terry Brooks for almost 10 years now, longer if you count the three years working on the dedication website I had built. Until very recently I had done it out of love for Terry, his work and his fans, choosing not to get paid for years of services rendered.

I only had two demands

1) That I would get to read the books early before publication, and 2) I would receive two ARCs to sell or keep as I saw fit.

Fairly simple demands, eh?

Over the years those initial requests have evolved. These days I read the books almost as soon as Terry is finished with them. He gives them a quick line edit, has his wife do a read over, and barring any changes then he sends a copy to his editor at Del Rey and a copy to me. Ever since 2001, where I caught several large inconsistencies in the ARC I was sent, I've continuity edited his work, being what he calls an expert on his books. After all, it is hard keeping everything straight in a series as long as the Shannara series—I've discovered with my own writing it is hard keeping events straight within one book, let alone seventeen—and the earlier I get the book the more help I can be.

As for the ARCs demand, I still receive them, although I rarely sell them anymore and instead give them to the moderators who help me run Terry's Forum. They put up with some interestingly crazy and whacko fans to maintain one of the most civil fantasy forums on the internet(s) and for their time I allow them to read Terry's books early as well. It is the least Terry and I can do.

That said, I was shocked when I received the ARCs for A Princess of Landover.

Most Advanced Reader Copies are working proofs. They usually have the story as it will be in published form but lack such things as maps and acknowledgments and dedications. Those things come later. For example, the ARC copies of A Princess of Landover do not have the new map of Landover. It will be placed in the official publication this August.

What the ARC did have almost brought a tear to my eye though. As a graphic designer I opened the book to view the layout Del Rey Books had chosen for the book when I came to what should have been an empty dedication page.

It wasn't.

Instead my name stared back at me.

I make no secret when I say I was deeply moved. I began reading Terry Brooks when I was 13 years old, 20 years ago, and upon moving to Seattle met and befriended him through sheer circumstance and a bit of hard work. Over the years that friendship has grown considerably until we've indoctrinated one another into our respective families. I respect him a great deal for the author he is but more so for the person he is, still very much down to earth despite the success he has had, still willing to give whatever aid he can those who need it.

To have such an author dedicate one of his books to me is priceless beyond compare.

Many have asked me over the years how to break into the business and why I've been successful—whether it be as a writer or webmaster. My response is always the same. You have to give freely a lot before karma returns the favor. The questioners always pale when I say that; people, by the large do not want to work for free to gain a foothold doing something they love.

Being human makes us short-sighted at times like that, I guess.

Here is a situation though where karma has delivered a nice gift I will cherish forever. And the dedication is all the more cool because the book is about an evil library filled with magic books.

As a bookseller, a writer and a reader, the dedication fits me as much as I fit it.

Let this post be a reminder to anyone with a dream.

Work hard. Focus. Let nothing stop you.

And the dream will come true.

The Editing Continues

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn C. Speakman) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 16:06:00 +0000

I finished the book last Wednesday. It's been a week. I decided to give myself until this last Monday before editing, thinking I needed a few days away from the project to recharge my batteries.

Instead, I discovered I wanted to get back into it!

When Monday came, I had already edited the first four chapters of the book. They were the chapters agent Ralph had read and liked enough to ask for the entire book. Upon reading and editing those chapters, I can't understand why he asked for the entire book. Honestly. They were that bad. It goes to show how much a writer can grow in the span of a book.

I rewrote those first four chapters extensively. I am now fairly happy with them.

The first half of the fifth chapter, Chapter Four, had to be rewritten entirely. As I wrote The Dark Thorn I received whispers of what the second and third and fourth books in the series would be about. I realized I needed a new character would take on a large role in The Long Winter, and that character had to be introduced in the first book somehow. I rewrote Chapter Four from scratch, introducing Laur Pemley, keeping the scene I had originally envisioned but having it be dialog between Bran and Laur. It worked out great. The chapter is so much better for it.

I'm pretty sure Chapter Four is the only chapter I will have to entirely rewrite.

Now I just have to edit three or four chapters a day and I'll be done!

Ralph asked me to send the book on April 23rd. He will be in Britain for the London Book Fair next week and he is preparing for it until then. Once he gets home he will read my book, which is really exciting and daunting. Not sure how long it will take him to do so, but I'm not worried about it. Just having an agent of Ralph's caliber reading my book is a wonderful thing by itself.

I will also give the book to Terry.

After this weekend and Norwescon, Todd Lockwood is going to do a few pieces of art for me. He's been under deadline for a few covers lately and those take precedence of course. So next week I may have something to show.

Things keep rolling... I just have to get this book edited enough to send it on!

And then I can relax for a day before I have to redesign Terry's website and my own website!

Epilogue

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn C. Speakman) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 21:50:00 +0000

It is done.

I sit here with the largest of writing weights off my shoulders.

After 16 months, three of which I really didn't write in due to traveling and the infection in my left elbow, I have finished The Dark Thorn. The Epilogue was mostly already written, the final chapter in the book one I've had in my head since the book's inception, and it only took me two days to write it. I am very happy with the outcome of the entire story and I think my readers will be too.

Final Word Count: 162,734

The final word count is quite a bit larger than I imagined it to be at the beginning of this project. Song of the Fell Hammer, an epic fantasy meant to be larger, was just over 200,000 in first draft form and I took several thousands words off of that by its current form. I expected The Dark Thorn, an urban / contemporary fantasy, to be between 110,000 words and 120,000 words—it was even outlined as such.

But The Dark Thorn grew, mostly because I underestimated my additional point of view characters. To bring four point of view characters together into one climax took a bit of weaving and that took words to accomplish. At about the 2/3 point I realized I needed at least four or five additional chapters to complete the story and have the end of the book feel real and not rushed.

Done with Richard. Done with Bran. Done with Cormac. Done with Philip. I couldn't be happier with how it all played out.

By the way, I will have a female point of view in The Long Winter.

As 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
Chapter 20: 4122
Chapter 21: 4537
Chapter 22: 4220
Chapter 23: 4275
Chapter 24: 4468
Chapter 25: 5046
Chapter 26: 5458
Chapter 27: 3715
Chapter 28: 4838
Chapter 29: 4698
Chapter 30: 5216
Chapter 31: 6089
Chapter 32: 5511
Chapter 33: 5607
Chapter 34: 4620
Epilogue: 3392

So. Now what? Well, I still have to rewrite three or four scenes and I still have to read through it and edit it. I think I will take tomorrow off to do some errands, clean, get my life back in place, and then Friday I will visit the University of Washington Suzzallo Library, sit in the quiet reading room, and edit edit edit. I have no idea how long this will take. If memory serves it took me almost two weeks to edit Song of the Fell Hammer. This book is cleaner than my first, so it might take me fewer days.

Then after that, I will send The Dark Thorn on to Todd Lockwood for some art, to Ralph Vicinanza to gain his agent favor, and to Terry Brooks for mentoring.

Oh, and my mother. Gotta keep mama happy.

And possibly a few others who want to read it.

Off to celebrate!

Chapter 34

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn C. Speakman) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 07:16:00 +0000

Chapter 34 is completed.

It only took four days really. As I said, I already had the majority of it outlined and it's a chapter I've been thinking about almost from the very beginning. It also helps that it was almost more than a thousand words less than the previous four or five chapters I had been writing!

The ending left me a little sad. Sure, it is the wrap-up chapter, but it is more than that. Every story or quest has a separating of characters who have come together and I find writing the scenes in Chapter 34 left me almost as sad as those characters really feel. I don't know why. They aren't real, right?

Hmm.

And for those of you interested in how The Dark Thorn is different from Song of the Fell Hammer, this is one of them. My first book was not self-contained so I didn't have to write this large wrap-up chapter. I had a small wrap-up chapter in Fell Hammer, sure, but it merely set the stage for the next two books, kind of like Darth Vader spiraling out into space after A New Hope. With The Dark Thorn though I had to write a real wrap-up chapter and it was actually harder than I thought it would be -- even though Peat Brett told me it would be one of the harder things I write.

You were right, Peat. I'll listen from now on. Promise.

Well, I'm happy it is finished. And maybe I'll touch a few people out there with it.

As the word count stands:

Now for the Epilogue. I already have 850 words written down, the rough outline of the chapter waiting for me tomorrow. I think it will be a great deal shorter than the Prologue, probably around 2000 words. Maybe a bit less. It wraps up all story elements begun in this volume while leaving opportunities down the road.

When I finish the Epilogue, I should be able to look at it and the entire book and think, "I wanted to write a self-contained novel and I have done so!"

And I'll be curious how long this book is. The book I had outlined was meant to be 110,000 - 120,000 words. I have a strong feeling this one will be around 150,000 or so.

If I can finish the Epilogue tomorrow, I plan on going out and having a great dinner. A couple of glasses of wine. Hopefully some good friends. And I can finally relax.

At least until the truly hard part comes.

Editing! And finding The Dark Thorn a home!

Chapter 33

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn C. Speakman) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:52:00 +0000

Every once in a while my passions overlap.

And when they do, I'm unbelievably insanely happy.

When I was studying biochemistry at the University of Washington, I did several things to keep sane. I've always been artistic and sometimes the sciences do not allow for creativity, so I went looking for it. I began the Terry Brooks dedication website as part of that desire. I also tried to take as many creative electives as I could, my favorites being centered around Art History and Italy.

Well, Chapter 33 is set in Rome, more specifically Saint Peter's Basilica. Although I've never been there, Saint Peter's is one of those pieces of artwork I studied a decade ago. Bramante. Bernini. Michelangelo. Sangallo the Younger. Maderno. These artists and architects have a spot in my heart and forever will. I'm not Catholic. I don't hold to a particular religion. But the beauty created by mankind in Rome is just a miraculous thing and one day I plan on standing among those masters and rejoicing over their abilities.

So imagine my enthusiasm when I wrote a scene—writing being one of my other favorite things—taking place in Saint Peters!

Above the doorway Bran had emerged from the statue of Saint Longinus towered from its niche in one of the main pillars, the centurion who stabbed Christ carved by Bernini into marble relief, his sight restored and the Holy Lance gripped in his right hand.

I of course won't share more than that. But I thought throwing up that sentence alongside the image of Saint Longinus might be a fun thing to show. It will give those of you who come here a better understanding of what I am doing with The Dark Thorn and hopefully pique curiosity.

Chapter 33 came along slower than I had hoped but it was another long chapter with the most important dialog in the book. I'm pleased with how it came to a conclusion. It was the final climax chapter of three or four, and for all intents and purposes the stories of Bran, Richard, Philip and Cormac are not complete.

As the word count stands:

Chapter 34 is the all important wrap-up chapter. But there is some serious conflict that will take place in this chapter and it is important to what will transpire in later volumes. For the record, The Dark Thorn is a complete novel unto itself. A person could read it and never read another one of my books and it would be a finished experience. But as with my showing Saint Longinus and the Holy Lance, I am eluding to things in this book that won't happen for several books if I get my chance. If I am published, I want readers asking me, "Did you know you were going to set this up in the first book?" and being able to smile with evil wry humor at them and say unabashedly, "Yup."

I already have some of Chapter 34 outlined. The first part of it will be written quickly. The second half might take a bit. Peter V. Brett wrote me a few days ago, asking about the book, and I told him I was dreading this wrap-up chapter. Turns out he believes the wrap-up chapter to be the hardest one to write in a book. I guess I have my work cut out for me.

And then the Epilogue, which as I've said is almost finished anyway.

I am sending artist Todd Lockwood the first four chapters of the book today so he can start reading it. One of the scenes I want him to sketch is the Richard scene in the Prologue, as the knight holds Arondight out before him in all of its fiery glory. That will give you all something cool to look at, I think, and see how artists interpret passages differently.

So, back to writing! It's been a fun journey, no?

Chapter 32

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn C. Speakman) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 20:04:00 +0000

Another one bites the dust!

And it happened a bit faster than I thought it would.

As many of you know, I've been really busy as of late. Usually I am a chapter a week writer, although if pushed I can do it in four days. Chapter 32 was finished two days ago really, but yesterday I went in and tweaked a few things that, after I had slept on it, I thought needed fixing. I also had to go back into Chapter 31 and add another 103 words to make that chapter ending work a bit better. But the work I am doing elsewhere has slowed my writing down a bit, shipping and boxing books galore! Now that my spring signings are mostly finished, I have nothing to do but write the book and write for Suvudu.

In two weeks, I probably won't know what to do with myself. The Dark Thorn will be finished. I will have gone over it with an edit. And it will be with Ralph for a number of weeks until he can find the time to read it.

I guess I will spend the time researching The Long Winter. More on that later.

Chapter 32 came together, ultimately, quite nicely. It is the last Richard POV chapter in the book and it wraps up his entire story arc. Richard is a complex character, filled with lots of gray, and readers really feel that in Chapter 32. With his story arc finished, I am going to miss him just like I already miss Cardinal Vicar Cormac Pell O'Conner!

As the word count stands:

Most of the Epilogue is already written, so really I only have two chapters left. I am still on the fence about Chapter 34. I might need it, I might not. I won't know until I am finished writing Chapter 33, which is a Bran chapter and the ultimate climax of his storyline!

I've written about 700 words in Chapter 33 already. It's fully outlined and I know everything that takes place in it. I hope to write it rather quickly. We'll see how it plays out. There is a fairly tricky part in the middle, a series of dialogs, that I am not looking forward to writing simply because it is the driving dramatic moment of the book and I CANNOT screw that up. Ugh. I hope I have the talent to write it. We'll see.

Chapter 31

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn C. Speakman) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 19:18:00 +0000

How long does a chapter take to write?

Chapter 31 took almost a month! Even if it is a short month, a month!

It was by far the hardest chapter for me to write in The Dark Thorn. It is long at 5986 words—two chapters in one if you look at some of my earlier chapters—and it is the first part of a two part battle sequence taking place out on the plains fronting the Forest of Dean. I'm really happy with how it turned out but orchestrating the battle from the point of view of a character who doesn't know strategy or tactics made it difficult.

Plus, I was juggling more than a dozen characters. Tough to do.

Now that I am finished with it I have to step away from it. I know it will need editing, but I can't do that now. I have to leave it alone and come back to it in a week or two to ensure it is up to my standards.

So, now what?

Chapter 32 and 33 and 34 and Epilogue. While I was having a hard time with Chapter 31, I sprang ahead into the last chapters of the book and fully outlined each, even writing some scenes and writing the final scene of the book. Basically the last two pages of the Epilogue are finished, so I wasn't sitting on my laurels for the entire month really. If you notice Chapter 34, then you are probably also noticing that Chapter 34 is an extra chapter. Yup, the story required it. Which means I have even more work than I thought.

Yeah, I know. I had hoped to be done with this by the end of February. It didn't happen. But I am that much closer to finishing and that makes me happy.

As the word count stands:

No more additional chapters. With those last three chapters and epilogue outlined now, the story is complete to me.

On to the next chapter! Chapter 32 is a Richard chapter, the final Richard chapter of the book. I have twisted Richard to the point of breaking and I can't wait to write this one. Some fun things happen in the battle, but the inner struggle of Richard is what I am looking forward to writing. He is a mess and the end of the chapter will see me do something controversial—for those who know how to look for it.

Let the fun begin!

Back Up Your Book!

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn C. Speakman) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 23:33:00 +0000

Let this be a lesson to you kiddies: Always back up your work!

That's right. You guessed it. The motherboard in my five year old Mac decided to hang its boots up and call it a day. I've killed it during that time, putting it through Adobe Photoshop rendering to uploading videos for Suvudu. It put its time in, of that I have no doubt.

When it died, it took most of my files with it.

Good news: I got to buy a shiny new 24' monitor G5 Mac with all the bells and whistles it could possibly come with.

Bad news: I lost some files.

For the last four days I've been trying to save those files, mostly to no avail. Sad huh? But thankfully I back up my book files a couple of times a week. I could have conceivably lost an entire year's worth of writing. But Terry, a long time ago when I began this dream, gave me a few pieces of advice and one of them was to back up, back up, back up!

You see, Terry has lost chapters, plural. Several times. He almost lost a book once but it was retrieved by the Apple people. He learned his lesson after those first few escapes, and he backs up incessantly. And prints off a hardcopy of what he's written that day. Smart man. So smart that I've tried to adopt that thinking. Although I don't print a hardcopy I do back up in four different spots. That way, if something goes wonky, I won't lose what I am working on and, therefore, have to destroy all physical matter and dark matter I see around me.

I'm finally back on track though, after NY Comic Con, three signings and the time it takes to ship those books out, and now this computer fiasco. I've almost uploaded onto my new computer all the programs I need to function. So now maybe I can finish the book!

And I am close. I'm almost finished with Chapter 31. The battle is on. It rages. Bran is doing what he can but it won't be enough. Even he knows it won't be enough. And when the chapter ends, the reader will be wondering about the fate of the Tuatha de Dannan.

Then comes a Richard chapter. And let me tell you, that Richard chapter is going to be hellfire-ishly awesome to write!

At that point, Richard's arc will be complete. And I'll have two out of three POV character arcs wrapped up.

Weird, huh?

Then a chapter, maybe two chapters, and The Dark Thorn will be finished, editing aside of course.

And just in time too, because The Long Winter is literally screaming at me to be outlined. Every day I get a great scene pop into my head or a character idea that works. It's really coming together in my head and once I get The Dark Thorn out and to New York for judgment I will start on outlining The Long Winter. It is best to be prepared if lightning strikes, right?

Saw Dan Simmons this week. Was fun. Taped his event and that will be up on Suvudu.com in a few days. Tomorrow author Ken Scholes, whose debut book Lamentation is getting great reviews, will be coming over to my place to sign several dozen books. Should be fun.

But for now, back to writing!

And that's where you should be too!

Chapter 30

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn C. Speakman) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 05:42:00 +0000

I finished Chapter 30 today. And it was more fun than I expected!

When I finished Chapter 29, I had two ways I could venture into Chapter 30. I had two point of view characters who could both relate the same information to move the story forward. One of those characters, Cormac, needed a final POV chapter to finish up his character development arc; the other character, Richard, needed a final POV chapter to finish up his character development arc. Both would work well for what the story needed.

So, what to do?

After two days of pondering it, I made my decision.

I went with both.

How can one chapter have two POV characters in a novel where all chapters are single POV character chapters?

I had to add a chapter.

Yes, I added a chapter to the end. It was necessary. There was no way to get around it and still have the end of the novel present strongly. It will take me a bit longer to finish the book but it will now be a better book.

So I wrote a Cormac chapter. I kind of thought that was the way I wanted to go when I finished Chapter 29 but I wasn't sure. I wasn't excited about it. It had to wrap up some things but nothing really exciting was going to happen. Not yet. It would say the things the story needed it to say and that would be that. I thought it would be short. I thought by the end Cormac would be placed exactly where I wanted him.

I was pleasantly surprised. The chapter became really fun to write. It came alive, more than I thought it would. I found a very fun way to introduce some cool new fantasy items and it worked. I got really into it. And Cormac's arc is solid and I'm happy with it.

It is also the last Cormac chapter of the novel! So part of the novel is entirely finished. That feels weird to me. It shouldn't, but I've spent a year with Cormac and now our relationship is over in this book.

The end is really feeling close now, in a concrete way.

As the word count stands:

Chapter 17: 5441
Chapter 18: 4725
Chapter 19: 5651
Interlude: 3687
Chapter 20: 4122
Chapter 21: 4537
Chapter 22: 4220
Chapter 23: 4275
Chapter 24: 4468
Chapter 25: 5046
Chapter 26: 5458
Chapter 27: 3715
Chapter 28: 4838
Chapter 29: 4698
Chapter 30: 5216
Chapter 31:
Chapter 32:
Chapter 33:
Epilogue:

So, that is 33 chapters finished. I have three chapters and an epilogue left to write. The epilogue I could write right now in my sleep. As for the chapters, it is the major climax of the entire book and I know how all three of them play out. Big things happen. I hope I am up to the task of writing it.

Chapter 31 will be a Bran chapter. It is the beginning of the end.

I will be done by the end of February. I hope to be done with the editing too by the end of the month. Then the real fun begins.

Todd Lockwood painted sketches. Querying. And patience, patience, patience...

Chapter 29

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn C. Speakman) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 06:37:00 +0000

After two weeks of being extremely ill, I finally got another chapter done. I had hoped to be finished with the book and well into editing by now, but... life intervenes. So it is. No reason to beat myself up over it.

I finished Chapter 29, which was a Bran chapter. Half of it was action, half of it was setting the final stage of the book. The dialog is a bit stilted at the end in this chapter so I know I will have to revisit it once I get into editing. But for now I am happy with it and it is time to move on.

As the word count stands:

The next chapter is a Cormac chapter. Should be relatively short and fun to write. Chapter 31 will be a Bran chapter. Chapter 32 will be a Richard chapter. Chapter 33 will be a Bran chapter. And then the Epilogue. Not sure about, but I might need another chapter after Chapter 33. We will see. It all depends on how quickly the book feels like it wrapped up. Don't want to shortchange readers with the climax.

Going to New York for Comic Con in about 13 days. Should be great fun! I know I won't have the book done by then, but I'll be close!

A Cool Illustration

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn C. Speakman) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 07:11:00 +0000

In my research this last week, I ran across this image:

I'm in love with it. I must have a good print or giclee of it, to be framed on my wall. Does anyone know who it is and what it represents? I do.

Yes, that's right. I do. I thought I'd share it though and play with your minds a bit. The image is part of my back story and will give you a tiny glimpse into it, although it doesn't give away a thing about The Dark Thorn really.

Which reminds me. I should probably write Todd Lockwood and see if he wants to get together in a week or so to talk about the sketches. I'll take several excerpts from the book that I think would make a great cover or interior illustration, and let him choose those he likes to sketch. Should be fun!

Chapter 28

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn C. Speakman) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 06:44:00 +0000

One more done!

This one took me a while. The holidays really interrupted what I was trying to accomplish. I spent seven days with my parents and with all of the eating and drinking and games to watch on the television... well... I didn't make the time to finish much there.

My mother did, however, sneak a peek at the chapter I was writing one day when I wasn't at the computer. I had to laugh. She's been pressing me for chapters for months now and I've told her no.

She'll be my first reader. I know she'll like it. That will help with my self esteem!

Chapter 27 went exactly the way I thought it would. It was great fun to write. It moved the story forward more directly into the climax as well as set up a major plot thread in The Splintered King. I had to do a bit of research to complete it the right way, however, and that research took time but it also led to a name I've needed for the entire book and simply hadn't found yet. Even research can continue after being well into a book.

As the word count stands:

Chapter 29 is another Bran chapter—and the beginning of battles. Plural. Lots of carnage and mayhem and hopefully a few surprises. I'll start outlining it tomorrow.

So. Getting close! I can't believe it. I see the end. It drives me onward, to the point where I'm not sleeping very well at the moment; I have the last remnants of the story wanting to be free of me and they won't leave me in peace for eight hours. Once I exorcise this demon child from me, maybe I'll be able to relax for a couple of weeks?

Chapter 27

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn C. Speakman) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 03:21:00 +0000

Well... wow. That was fun.

Ever finish writing a scene and you have withdrawals? Yeah. That's me.

As I said in my last post, the scene I was writing for Chapter 27, the 30th chapter of the book, was one I've had in my head since the very beginning. Now that Richard has had the worst visited upon him, in some weird way I miss what I've done. If that makes sense. The chapter flowed smoothly and out of me and hopefully is as emotional as I imagined it so long ago.

Several times during this book I've had ideas arise that I didn't see coming until I was actually in the chapter—ideas that I ultimately put into the book. One of them happened in 27. I don't think what I did contradicts with what came before, but I am a little bit worried about it. When I go back to edit the book from start to finish, I'll be very conscious of that minor addition and make sure the rest of it lines up.

And the addition... it's a doozie. It's the first big twist at the end of the novel, one, I hope, that will take the reader by surprise. We'll see. I'm a terrible judge of such things when I am in the thick of it. There are a few more twists and turns here in these last few chapters, and I am looking forward to writing them as well!

As the word count stands:

Chapter 17: 5441
Chapter 18: 4725
Chapter 19: 5651
Interlude: 3687
Chapter 20: 4122
Chapter 21: 4537
Chapter 22: 4220
Chapter 23: 4275
Chapter 24: 4468
Chapter 25: 5046
Chapter 26: 5458
Chapter 27: 3715
Chapter 28:
Chapter 29:
Chapter 30:
Chapter 31:
Chapter 32:
Epilogue:

So, next, Chapter 28. It is a Bran chapter, and as I've said earlier its a chapter I've known since the very beginning. I am super excited to write it. I am now in the thick of the climax and it is full steam ahead. God, I love writing this book!

Chapter 25 & 26

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn C. Speakman) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 23:37:00 +0000

Every holiday season it is difficult for me to get work done. From just before Thanksgiving all the way to the first week of New Year's recovery, I struggle with getting any writing done. It should be the easiest time; The Signed Page goes into a weird hibernation since authors don't usually tour during the holiday season. But there are too many distractions—family or otherwise—and I revel in them like a kid.

Unfortunately, that also means my word output suffers.

The good news is I am at the end of The Dark Thorn. As of last week it has been a year since I started writing it, and that coupled with the reality I tossed away three months in the summer for fun and games, I'm fairly happy with where I am at right now. But some interesting things have happened as of late, and I must bear down. My future is there, waiting, and it is time to grab it and make it mine.

As all writers should. Right? People who dream to write need to write, damnit, and put themselves out there!

First off, I have finished Chapters 25 & 26. That means I have a total of 29 completed chapters. The chapters ended the way I expected them but two characters in particular grew in the telling a bit, which I liked. As you can see those chapters are a bit longer than those that precede them; hopefully that won't happen in the next few chapters where the hard-hitting climax must be quick and furious and kick all sorts of extraneous ass.

Gotta force myself into shorter sentences, shorter paragraphs, short dialog, and lots of action. I don't think it will be a problem.

Chapter 26 ends with Bran in some serious trouble. He has some major choices to make coming up, choices that will shape him from here on out. To those of you who read this blog, I really do try to have my characters evolve and develop. Without character development a book is nothing in my opinion, and I hope I will leave Bran and company drastically changed by the end of the book compared to its beginning. Time will tell, but I'm fairly happy about it.

That's the first news. Here is the second of three.

Artist Todd Lockwood, who I've become good friends with over the last two years and who I respect a great deal, has agreed to create four or five pencil and/or paint sketches of key scenes in my book—all before I submit to my agent and to Del Rey. In return I will act as a sounding board to his own writing efforts, something I'm more than happy to do anyway.

Not sure if the sketches will be pencil or paint. Here is an example of what it could be like:

As you can see, I'd be happy with either. Using the sketches when I submit will hopefully do two things: 1) It will help focus the agent and/or editor on certain parts of the book and given a visual representation of what a cover could look like... as only Todd could paint it, and 2) It will remind the agent and/or editor that I have dozens and dozens of professional contacts in the industry, many of which I call good friends who will help in any way they can to make my project a success. I want those I submit The Dark Thorn to to be reminded of my strong marketing platform and what better way than to have one of the best artists going show he is my buddy.

I know, egotistical. Presumptuous. Does it really matter at all? Well, I'm leaving nothing to chance. As I wrote to one of the blog comments this morning, a submitting writer's job is mostly trying to remove as many roadblocks to the process as they can, and I want that marketing platform to be obvious to the agent and editors I send The Dark Thorn to.

Now, for number three. Random House is bringing me to New York City to cover the NY Comic Con in February 2009 for Suvudu and I can't wait. I'm super excited about it! That also means I need to finish up The Dark Thorn by mid-January, give it a good edit, so I can meet with a few people about it. We'll see, but timing is everything in this business and sometimes Luck is a wind being choked by a closing window.

As the word count stands:

Chapter 17: 5441
Chapter 18: 4725
Chapter 19: 5651
Interlude: 3687
Chapter 20: 4122
Chapter 21: 4537
Chapter 22: 4220
Chapter 23: 4275
Chapter 24: 4468
Chapter 25: 5046
Chapter 26: 5458
Chapter 27:
Chapter 28:
Chapter 29:
Chapter 30:
Chapter 31:
Chapter 32:
Epilogue:

So, the next chapter will be Chapter 27, the 30th of the book. Chapter 27 is the second to last Richard chapter. It is a chapter I've known from the very beginning of this process almost, one of those sets of scenes that I was shooting toward as I outlined the book. When I began the outlining process I had this climax in mind and I had to move Richard in that direction, telling his story as I went, opening him up to the reader—or closing down to the reader, as the case may be for some.

Chapter 28 I've also had in my head from the beginning. There are two writers out there who I have confided in about this chapter and both of them loved what I want to do. I'm fairly confident, in a subtle way, the scene and its direction has never been done before in Celtic mythology. We'll see if I can pull it off.

So, off to outline Chapter 27. Thanks for reading this blog. It's nice to know some people have been following me along my own journey. Let's hope the fun continues!

Chapter 20/24

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn C. Speakman) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 23:28:00 +0000

Yes, odd subject heading. After I went back and looked at the development of all of my characters, I saw a gaping hole in the transition for Cardinal Cormac Pell O'Connor. That required me going back and writing a between chapter. So the I chapter I wrote is Chapter 20, which means the chapters above it get a +1.

It took me two weeks to write Chapter 20. It required a lot of research I hadn't done yet, but I'm really happy with how it turned out.

As the word count stands:

Chapter 17: 5441
Chapter 18: 4725
Chapter 19: 5651
Interlude: 3687
Chapter 20: 4122
Chapter 21: 4537
Chapter 22: 4220
Chapter 23: 4275
Chapter 24: 4468
Chapter 25:
Chapter 26:
Chapter 27:
Chapter 28:
Chapter 29:
Chapter 30:
Chapter 31:
Chapter 32:
Epilogue:

Now what? Back to Mr. Bran. Basically all heckfire breaks loose beginning with Chapter 25 and it should be great fun writing the rest of the book!