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I love it when the zeros line up (or at least I wave at them as I go by…) I just crossed the 3o,000 words marker (that includes the chunk moved from Crisis of Vision), with page length at 153. New production (written in the last two weeks) is 20,905 words , and 103 new pages of manuscript. Usually I wouldn’t stop in the middle of a workday to post here, but could not withhold the good news.
Technically, what’s going on at this stage in a book? Well, whether it’s a standalone or a group book, the story arc for this volume is rising. For a book in this group, that’s about 17-18% of its total final wordage…in a standalone, you want all the major players in place by a third of the way through (often earlier.) “In place” can include “talked about but not home yet from the voyage”–but readers need to know major characters before the “turn” of the plot in midbook.
Group books are a little more complex, as they have both a volume arc and are themselves part of the long arc running through multiple volumes. With so long a story, new characters with important parts to play (but not protagonists) can appear in an interior volume and wander off again, to return or not in a later one, even past the 1/3 mark. However, the characters most important to the long arc should not be tossed in at the end.
So at the 30,000 mark, we’ve had chapters from three POV characters well established in previous books. Established secondary characters are in there, too, but since one chapter involves a journey, and journeys involve new people, some new one-volume characters have shown up. (Another Armsmaster…in a different royal salle. ) As usual I have a fairly good idea of where this volume should end up, but not how to get there, especially as it needs to move along the time-trail really quickly so that Book V really is the end.
Despite the first speed bump, the book’s still moving strongly onward and not yet to the tricky middle third, in which I sometimes have to throw everything into it, including much that will come back out, to make the right stuff float to the top.
However, it’s time to get back to work.
Comment by Alaska Fan — January 20, 2011 @ 11:13 pm
It’s strange and slightly disorienting to be reading about Volume 4 in a series when as a reader I have only Volume 1 in my clutching fingers.
It’s also disconcerting to read about the sausage making aspects of writing (“make the right stuff float to the top”). There went another illusion about one of my favorite authors
But it is good to see that you are avoiding one the Many Sins of Robert Jordan (dec.): introducing major new characters in Volume 10. And that the arc will go through five volumes, not a (still) moving target.
Comment by Gretchen — January 21, 2011 @ 2:53 pm
My first thought was, “Ooh, 30,000 plus so far!”
My second thought was, “Yeah, winnow and sift. Repeat.”
And my third thought wasn’t really a thought, but more an exclamation of emotion: SQUEE!!! Five books!!! *bouncebouncebounce*
My daughter will “squee” even more enthusiastically. Thank you for brightening the day!
Gretchen in MN (-11F on the mercury, brr)
Comment by Adam Baker — January 21, 2011 @ 8:23 pm
Glad to hear things are moving along!
@ Gretchent, I can almost relate to your weather. Im in Indianapolis on business right now, and it was 0 this morning w/ a -15 windchill. Ive never been this cold, and its miserable!
Comment by elizabeth — January 21, 2011 @ 9:59 pm
It’s at 31,685 this evening and I’m working on something else–even took some time to walk on the land and relax on the ground in the woods. Cooked a real supper of something I’ve never done before (butterflied a pork tenderloin, stuffed it with a bread-crumb/onion/celery/parsley, stuffing. Yay the new boning knife I got last fall.)
We did start the day with ice on the lily pond and horse troughs, and we’ll have that again tomorrow morning, but nothing as cold as you folks.
Comment by Adam Baker — January 21, 2011 @ 10:09 pm
Yummy!! That sounds good! I cant wait for this trip to be over, Im tired of fast food, haha.
You know, you oughta try writing a cookbook some day, haha. All these amazing & delicious food’s you talk about would go great in it.