8/10/2013 Lughnasa State Fair Moon
With the site down I forgot finishing the putzy work for the third revision. Ended yesterday. That means Kate will take it now and read it with an editor’s eye for grammar, spelling, sentence construction. My chief concerns for this revision lie in the main character’s voice, is it unique enough, in action, is there enough of it, and in the overall narrative arc, is it tight? In this version Missing is around 110,000 words, right in the sweet spot for novel length. Not too long, not too short, but just right.
Next up writing wise is research and writing on Loki’s Children, volume 2 of the Unmaking trilogy. I look forward to it. It represents a different challenge than book I in which world building, character introduction and development necessarily absorbed a lot of space. There will be new characters in Loki’s Children, but the core characters are now in the story: John, Leth, Graham, Constance, Merlin, Cromarty, Bragg, Gullen, Arton, Cernunnos, the Wyrm. The map of Tailte is clear to me, though it needs to be put on paper by someone who can draw. It will have additions in Loki Children, but the main continent is there, plus the oceans and islands. Loki’s Children will step up the action with various quests of critical importance.
Volume III, the Unmaking, remains fuzzy to me, but I’m sure it will become more clear as work on Loki’s Children goes forward. When the editing and rechecking is done on Missing, it will be time to start shopping it to agents. I’m ready to do this, even eager.
