It's been a while since I've shared a progress report on my current project. So here you go!
The Halls of the Fallen King, is progressing quite well (finally)! The original draft has been done for what seems like an eternity, but the original version was just... lacking. So it has been my task to go through the entire story, from front to back with a fine tooth comb.
So that is exactly what I've been doing. It is not just an editing and consistency revision, but actually a rather involved rework. The majority of the content was already there, but there are parts that have needed extensive work. At this point I've finished 1/3 of it. The good news is that I feel really confident about the current direction, and feel that everything is down hill from here. I am actually hoping to have this revision done by early/mid May.
Why so much rework? Well for those that not only know my work, but my personality, you understand that I am very much a type A personality in many regards. I am generally direct and to the point, and I often like to get things done in a quick and efficient manner. Which might be great when you are writing non-fiction, but when you are crafting deep, rich stories—it can become a bit of a challenge.
So? If you want to write enthralling stories that allow readers to form deep connections with the people and places in them, you often need to take a more meandering route. Fiction, and the readers who read it, is often best served by taking the scenic route.
In my upcoming novel, The Halls of the Fallen King, this means that I have to slow down and allow the readers more time to get to know the cast of characters more, at a much deeper level. That scenic route doesn't mean no frantic chase scenes or chaotic battles, we've got those in spades.
What it means is that you'll dive deeper into understanding what is haunting a certain hammer wielding, orc behemoth.
It means understanding that sometimes good people will go to any lengths to protect the people they love, even when it could spell their doom.
It means that some chapters that were ~5,000 words have no become ~10,000 words, and some other chapters might have been rewritten all together. Since the beginning of my writing journey, I've strived to give my fans stories that were dark, epic fantasy that dares to hope.
I'm doing everything I can to keep that promise. Sometimes it just means taking the scenic route.