I put the final work in tonight on the third draft of Book Three, as well as putting away a few chapters of Book Four. A quick word count tells me that the book is right about at 151,000 words in length. Book Four has about 35,000 words in it . . . so I really need to get through it as soon as I can.
Because then I can start on the fourth draft.
It occurred to me earlier this evening while I was updating my deeply devoted/disturbed fanbase over at Twitter that all of this talk of “Chapter Four” and “the third draft of Book Two” might be confusing and, perhaps, irritating.
So here’s the basics, just in case you’re playing along from home…
The story is full length novel comprised of four books.
Book One introduces the characters — a boy and a girl, brother and sister — and gets them started on their journey. It is called “Exiles” and features a number of villains, a witch with iron teeth, a girl with antlers, a very nasty little fox, and a showtune-singing dragon. Also, near the end, we get to meet a very beautiful Queen.
Book Two is called “The Winter Palace” and it is all about resting up after everything that happened in Book One. Also there are cats. And tea. And more on the villains, sneaking about in the snow. And, at the end of it, almost everyone cries (including me).
Book Three has more cats with the addition of a man in a shaggy coat (hopefully to be played by Brian Cox, if a movie gets made). And the two kids strike a bargain with one of the villains, because it’s the devil you know after all. There is also a chapter that might (unintentionally on my part) offend every self-respecting Christian who reads it. And some really nasty business on a frozen lake. This book is called “Purgatorio” and bad things happen in it.
Book Four is when things get much worse before they get much better. It’s called “Coming Home” and, I’m sorry to say, I probably can’t say much about it without spoiling it all. Let’s just say that, when things are at their worst, it all works out for the best. And the girl with the antlers shows up again (chiefly because I have a little bit of a crush on her).
Finally, there’s an Epilogue which gives anyone who needs it a glimpse of a patch of green pushing up through the snow. Just to take the edge off of winter.
I won’t get into the whole process of the various drafts. Suffice it to say that I am on the third draft right now and my whole goal is to clean up any glaring errors and smooth over any major cracks in the foundation.
Essentially, I am reading it out loud to myself and fixing whatever makes me bored or confused or wince.
The fourth draft — what I think (and hope) will be the final draft — is all about polishing and cutting. Presumably, there a gemstone of some kind in there.
And then we’re off to the races.
If all goes well with the fourth draft, I will probably do a podcast — a few chapters each week — for anyone who’s interested in hearing me do all the voices. That way you’ll all have a chance to be bored or confused or wince.
But that’s all premature as I’m just rounding the corner into the third draft of Book Four now, which begins with this: If you wait long enough, you always get what you want.
It is true, you know.