Novel #2 Progress: Crunch Time!

As the end of  March approaches, I feel the pressure of a self-imposed deadline. I promised myself I would finish revisions on Novel #2 by March 31st, which means I will be working like a maniac in the coming week to finish what I started.

Word Count Progress:

Draft #1 Word Count:

• Start Word Count: 63,373
• End Word Count: 67,994
• Total: 4,621

Draft #2 Revised Word Count:

• Start Word Count: 65,883
• End Word Count: 70,551
• Total: 4,668

Writing Process Notes:

• I am officially two chapters away from completing revisions! As planned, I reached 90% completion last week, which puts me in a great position to finish the second draft during Spring Break.
• Thanks so much to everyone that contributed to last week’s discussion concerning the use of epilogues. So many great points were made and they are all helping me decide what to do. I am still pondering whether or not to include the epilogue I’ve written, though I am leaning towards keeping it in place. I like how it opens up a new story line and I think it will make readers really excited for the sequel.

Novel Tidbit:

 The Light Side:

One of the first promises I made during this journey was that Ian would not be a vampire or a werwolf. There are a number of reasons why I avoided this trend, (i.e. it’s overdone and the market is flooded), but at the core of my decision is my desire to prove something I profoundly believe. A good urban fantasy/paranormal story doesn’t necessarily need an element of dark evil to hold a reader’s interest.

As a reader, I’ve grown a bit tired of damsels in distress falling in love with dangerous boys. Not that I don’t love a good bad boy story, but it doesn’t hurt to try something a little different without losing the tension created by the conflict between good and evil. The vampire thing was fun (Twilight) and so are devil fighters (Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices), but my muse and I want to see if there’s another way to give a fresh spin to the mortal vs. supernatural world. The trick is making sure the conflict is still there and the stakes remain high.

While Ian’s true identity is shrouded in mystery, I can assure you he is not anything remotely sinister. The entities in his world also are not evil or blackhearted. In fact, the so-called villains in my novel would actually be considered the good guys just about anywhere else.

So, how do I create conflict with characters who are technically on the same side? Easy. I added an element of danger beyond everyone’s control. Ian’s world is held together by ancient creeds and traditions that are considered unbreakable. Even those with a heart of gold are bound to carry out the rules and the punishments associated with iron clad edicts. Throw in a life and death situation for those involved, along with a mystical feud and you’ve got a heck of hook for a story.

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c.b.w. 2013