Wednesday, September 18, 2013
The Third Quest Completed
A long journey I have been through. Hard research that has swirled my head many times and worn my head into head aches. But at last it is complete. The first draft to my trilogy is now finished. With about three years of work, there are of course corrections I have to make and things I have to change as well as add in. But relief has come to me. An exhale of relaxing. I have often heard that the relationships of the characters is what makes a story. I read accounts and letters from some of the more well known participants in my story and I began to feel that I knew them, the more I wrote about them. More than 3,500 pages has been written down on paper. That's a lot of work, not including all my research across the internet and in books about this story. The Final Journey, over 900 pages was the easiest of all the trilogy for me to write. I spent much time in other things during the process of working on it including open air preaching and it was yet the quickest of all my books to write. I started my third book on January 21, 2013, and completed it on September 18, 2013. I will eventually be going over the trilogy to rewrite it. Someday I would like to do a fourth book on King Richard's return to England, dealing with some of the same people that were in this trilogy, but that maybe far ahead of now. The good news is that the third book is now finished in it's first draft. The hard work a writing this trilogy now begins to smile at it's accomplishment!
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That does indeed sound like a lot of work. Or maybe I should say a LOT of work!
ReplyDeleteThree years is a long time in most contexts, and certainly qualifies in this case. I can only imagine how much you must have learned through the process. That alone is of such great value and will no doubt shape you from here on out...and even into eternity. Everything is purposeful and is being used by our King to shape us for the coming eternal adventure.
Of course now, the "fun" part begins, as you mentioned: Editing.
Much can (and will) change from draft for to final proof, and even after that you will no doubt find things to tweak here and correct there. I just finished a fourth revision of Fire Breathing Christians nearly three years after the first "final proof" went to print. It can be a never-ending process. I mean that in the best sense and I have appreciated even the opportunity to tweak and correct myself these years after first launching my first book. The other four that have subsequently rolled out there will no doubt follow similar paths, but there is something special (and especially fun) about that first book.
I hope that you find continued joy and growth as you roll through the editing process.
One bit of advice from a guy who can get too wordy (Me): Quality trumps quantity.
While there is nothing wrong with 900 or 1,000 or even 10,000 pages of high quality material, 100 pages of quality is infinitely better than 1,000 pages of mediocrity.
I am constantly having to remind myself of that.
So, with that, I wish you "happy editing!" and look forward to your next update...
In His grip and for His glory,
Scott
Of course, although I haven't begun the editing process yet. A good break I've taken from writing my trilogy. I want to refresh my enthusiasm and I will. I'm currently working on another story set in eighteenth century England and the surrounding countries. I agree exactly what you said about quantity and quality. To me Shakespeare brings out unforgettable dramatization in the few lines in each of the scenes in his plays. He captures the reader with few words, as a writer should try to do. I can't believe you did four drafts for Fire Breathing Christians. That's pretty amazing. Slapping a book together like some many writers do today to make another New York Times Bestseller does not make a masterpiece. J.R.R. Tolkien wrote drafts to Lord of the Rings over and over again. Sixteen years of work until it was completed.
ReplyDeleteVictor Hugo worked on the 5,000,000+ word novel, Les Miserable for twenty years. No doubt some writers spend years and years to make a masterpiece.
Thank you so much for your encouragement. God bless!