Editing a novel is a big undertaking. Have I mentioned that before? Well, trust me, it is. Trying to comb through a 71,000 word middle grade fantasy novel is tough stuff. I want to make sure the plot threads are tied together correctly before I start sending this thing out to the wonderful world of agents. I’ve spent quite a few hours working through each chapter, taking time to make notes and try to answer the new questions I keep bumping up against. I’m hoping to have this thing edited by the end of the month.
In other writing news, I feel like I’ve been generating so many ideas for stories and novels lately that I’m having a tough time keeping track of all of them. As soon as an idea comes to me, I’ve rushed to my computer to type it out or if I’ve only got my iPhone handy, I’m busy tapping up a new Note. Some of the projects I’m currently working through:
- An Arabian Fantasy Novel. Back in 2008, I wrote a novel set against the backdrop of ancient Arabia. I loved that book a lot, but as I spent time working on it after that initial draft or two, I realized some fundamental pieces of the book were broken. It had been written as a middle grade fantasy novel, but the protagonist was a 20-year old Arabian Prince. The general rule for lead characters is to make sure they are at the most 2-3 years older than your target audience. Since the rest of the book was geared for middle grade readers, I realized my main character would have to change ages, but that would affect so many other threads throughout the book that I decided to start from scratch. So I’ve gone back to the drawing board, and I’m about 20,000 words into the story, and loving it.
- An Adventure Novel. Way back in the day, I created a character named Chip Fields. He was a favorite of mine and appeared in a few short stories I had written, but I had never done much else with him and the menagerie of supporting characters that filled his world. Well, the other night, an idea came to me as I was working on some scripts, and I knew that the world of Chip Fields had finally found a home. Right now, I’m in the plotting phase (I’ve realized I love outlining books and writing from the outline), and hope to start on Chip after I finish the Arabian novel.
- A Pile of Novelettes. I’ve got a bunch of old scripts that I’ve written that I’m currently in the process of converting into novelettes and novellas that will be released exclusively through Amazon.com. First up, my personal take on the Sherlock Holmes mythos, and then I need to write the third Dack & Zara novella.
In the business side of things, I now have three ebooks available on Amazon.com for download. Stars: A Viking Christmas Tale, has been my most popular ebook yet, with over 400 downloads since it was released on Christmas Eve. It’s been so much fun to watch the progress of that little novelette and see the response it’s been getting. If you have read Stars, please take the time to leave me a review on Amazon! I would greatly appreciate it.
That’s all for now. If you write, keep writing. If you read, keep reading.
Until the next story,
Shaun Stevenson