Know the Novel - Part 3: Words Written
November is over, and that means we get the questions for the final link-up of the 2021 edition of Know the Novel.
Know the Novel is a 3-part linkup series for writers, one for each of the last three months of the year. Each part features ten questions you can answer on your own blog (or anywhere else on social media, if you’d like!). The questions focus on different parts of your novel and how the writing is going.
Created by the amazing Christine Smith, this link-up encourages us to share bits from our works-in-progress and do a little authorly introspection, as well! I love this link-up and am enjoying being able to participate this year, despite going all NaNoWriMo Rebel-Rogue this year and editing instead of drafting!
THE QUESTIONS
1. How did writing/editing this novel go all around?
It went really well. And a lot faster than I expected. I thought I’d be lucky to finish by the end of the year, but using NaNoWriMo to push myself in the first half of November really made all the difference. I had several record-breaking days, even for my editing, which of course does go faster than drafting anyway.
2. Did it turn out like you expected or completely different? And how do you feel about the outcome?
It turned out pretty much the way I expected. I’ll be interested to see what my developmental editor thinks. He always catches things that I don’t necessarily see, and so I’m sure there will be some changes still ahead of me. But for the most part, I like how this final book in the Turrim Archive is shaping up. I’m sure I’ve got some loose threads that need to be tied out, I know there’s at least one minor character I think I kind of forgot about halfway through the story… so that will need to be fixed in another pass of edits.
3. What aspect of the story did you love writing about the most? (Characters, plot, setting, prose, etc.)
With this book, it was the plot, really. By the time I get to book 5, the characters and the world are so well-established that they come really easily, and the plot just flows without much interruption, which is nice. I’m not having to stop and create things in the world anymore, or come up with new names. That is the up-side to writing in a series, at some point, you do get to the place where you’re not really introducing new world-building concepts or even a ton of new characters and you can just totally invest in the story.
4. How about your least favorite part?
I don’t know that I had a least favorite part of editing this book. Right now, my least favorite part is that none of these books are “ready” yet for publishing or readers, and I’m just so excited to get these stories into the hands of readers…. but I must take my time and do some more polishing.
I know that I will be happy later when I can just publish these closer together than I’ve done in the past, and I will enjoy having the time to work on new projects while these get released without feeling like so much time is going by… but at the moment, the mountain of over half a million words to polish is… daunting.
5. What do you feel like needs the most work?
I won’t really know that until I get notes back from my editor. But at this point, we’re out of the massive edits and getting down to the sanding and polishing and “finishing” process. I shouldn’t have too many big, sweeping changes to make.
…
I hope.
6. How do you feel about your characters now? Who’s your favorite? Least favorite? Anyone surprise you? Give us all the details!
In this particular book… oh, I just love all of them.
Grayden really shines in this story, and I love how much he’s grown since book one.
A couple of the characters who were kind of secondary characters in the first books really step up and take front and center a bit more in this final installment, and I really love that, as well. It’s been fun getting to know them better. I’ve enjoyed working with this cast of characters, and I guess I’m still just not quite sure who the Main Character is…. but you know what? That’s how I write. And I’m good with that.
7. What’s your next plan of action with this novel?
Well, I have my editor’s notes back on books 1 and 2 already, so after our Christmas break I intend to dive into his notes come January and start the second-to-last intensive pass of edits before I send them to my line-editor.
I’m really really really hoping that none of these books have any parts that need 12 different versions like the ending of An Echo of the Fae went through….. eheheh.
8. If you could have your greatest dream realized for this novel, what would it be?
A big-budget tv series or movies (where I’m allowed to have final say on any script/actor/directing decisions).
9. Share some of your favorite snippets!
I really feel like I can’t share a ton from this project without giving away all the spoilers, but I will give you my very favorite.
Grayden narrowed his eyes, completely baffled by Dalmir’s words. Clearly there was more to the story than what Dalmir had shared. “I don’t believe you.” He jerked his head at (redacted because SPOILERS). “She doesn’t seem to hold you responsible for any of this. I still think you should talk to her. All your talk of wanting to atone for everything that’s ever gone wrong in the world, I don’t think that’s how it works. It’s not possible for one person to bear all of that. Even you. That would take… someone…” Grayden fumbled for a pertinent example. “The Builder himself,” he finally said. He didn’t know if he believed in the Builder, but his parents had spoken reverently of him, the one who had built all of Turrim and held it in his massive hands. If anyone could carry all the wrong in the world and fix it, the Builder was the only one Grayden could think of capable of such a feat.
Dalmir shook his head, his face suddenly gray with a deep weariness. “I wish it were not so. But if there is one thing I have learned all too well in my far too-long life, it is this: the past is lost to us. There is no going back.”
“But you can move forward,” Grayden argued. “Maybe you can’t make up for lost time, maybe you can’t change the past, but you can decide what to do with this moment right here, right now. There is such a thing as forgiveness, Dalmir. There has to be, or we would all be lost.”
Dalmir hesitated. “I would like to believe that is true.” He glanced at (redacted because: SPOILERS) again and Grayden thought he saw a glimmer of hope lighting the man’s eyes, but then it faded. “But no. Not for me. I have fallen too far.” Abruptly, he turned and strode away.
10. Did you glean any new writing and/or life lessons from writing this novel?
“Just keep writing….”
But seriously, this series has been teaching me a lot about perseverance and patience. I tend to want that instant gratification of finishing a book and releasing it to the world.
It’s different, trying to polish over half a million words so that one can release them closer together. But I really do think it will be better this way.
I hope so, at least!
Do you have any big plans for Christmas?
I hope you are taking time to rest and relax, to hang out with family and friends, bake (or just eat) cookies, watch Christmas movies, listen to music… and just BREATHE.
That is what I plan to do for most of the rest of December. I have my Top 15 Favorite Fantasy Reads post coming later this month, but other than that, I’m going to be pretty silent online for the rest of the year.
Happy Christmas, dear Readers.