Wednesday, December 3, 2008
I Have Issues
This is no surprise to anyone, ha ha, but in particular I mean that I have a problem with this giant beast of a book. As of today, I have a 500 page manuscript with still the final chapter and an epilogue to write. This is very bad. My editor and my agent will both frown in stern disapproval if I deliver such a monster.
Too much action! That's the issue at hand. I do love to blow me up some helicopters and nuclear warheads, don't I? Yes. Yes, it's true.
Now it's time to buckle down. I'm very happy with the characters and their personal growth, tensions, hopes, failures, and dreams. The plot is nicely tangled and full of high points and reversals. It's the running around shooting each other in the head that needs to be boiled down and tightened up. Still... what to do with those pages?
I was thinking about adding a short list of Deleted Scenes to the Free Fiction page on my web site. But if anyone read them now, it might ruin Mind Plague for them. No sneak peeks allowed! ;P
Too much action! That's the issue at hand. I do love to blow me up some helicopters and nuclear warheads, don't I? Yes. Yes, it's true.
Now it's time to buckle down. I'm very happy with the characters and their personal growth, tensions, hopes, failures, and dreams. The plot is nicely tangled and full of high points and reversals. It's the running around shooting each other in the head that needs to be boiled down and tightened up. Still... what to do with those pages?
I was thinking about adding a short list of Deleted Scenes to the Free Fiction page on my web site. But if anyone read them now, it might ruin Mind Plague for them. No sneak peeks allowed! ;P
Labels: Mind Plague, the writing life
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You have issues? If I told you what the voices in my head were calling you right now...
You can get that behemoth down to size. You could post the deleted scenes to the web page after the book was published, or save them for the 10th Anniversary Edition.
Oh, and the cybernetic ninja battle will probably have to go. ;)
You can get that behemoth down to size. You could post the deleted scenes to the web page after the book was published, or save them for the 10th Anniversary Edition.
Oh, and the cybernetic ninja battle will probably have to go. ;)
Lately, it looks like my readings have constantly around 500 pages, if not more :) So no issues here ;)
No, no, the CNBs simply *have* to stay, Bob. It's not *art* without CNBs.
Dark Wolf, if I had my way, the manuscript would remain at 500 pages; it's a big story with a lot of characters, and there are parts of Plague War that I feel are at least slightly rushed for the same reason -- my contract calls for 100K words. I'm at 125K in first draft. Big problem. It's a production and marketing thing.
At my request, my editor fought for and secured an extra 10K words for me for War; it's 110K in final draft, whereas Year was only 98K.
If you compare the published editions of Year and War, they're exactly the same length... but War has wider lines and more lines per page. Magic! Trickery!
We're expecting the same for Mind Plague. The publisher wants the books nice and thin so more units fit in a box (and more units fit on the store shelves), and I can't argue with that. Their profit is mine, too. But I want the story to SING! The characters to LIVE!
It's no secret that I like my writing tight and fast-paced, but, still, I find myself chafing a bit at these restraints. It's become an interesting part of the challenge of writing a novel -- can I give it that epic feel in the space allowed? Sort of like cramming a 500 piece puzzle into 350 pieces if that makes sense?
Dark Wolf, if I had my way, the manuscript would remain at 500 pages; it's a big story with a lot of characters, and there are parts of Plague War that I feel are at least slightly rushed for the same reason -- my contract calls for 100K words. I'm at 125K in first draft. Big problem. It's a production and marketing thing.
At my request, my editor fought for and secured an extra 10K words for me for War; it's 110K in final draft, whereas Year was only 98K.
If you compare the published editions of Year and War, they're exactly the same length... but War has wider lines and more lines per page. Magic! Trickery!
We're expecting the same for Mind Plague. The publisher wants the books nice and thin so more units fit in a box (and more units fit on the store shelves), and I can't argue with that. Their profit is mine, too. But I want the story to SING! The characters to LIVE!
It's no secret that I like my writing tight and fast-paced, but, still, I find myself chafing a bit at these restraints. It's become an interesting part of the challenge of writing a novel -- can I give it that epic feel in the space allowed? Sort of like cramming a 500 piece puzzle into 350 pieces if that makes sense?
Dear Mr. Carlson: In your books you have killed characters and critters, blown everything up, wiped out most of the earth. Why do you have a problem drop-kicking 25,000 words? Maybe you need a exploding bomb feature as an editing tool. Ka-BOOM! Or a little gun instead of the pointy cursor? "Bam! Bam! Bam! You words is DED!"
# posted by 
: December 5, 2008 at 5:39 PM
: December 5, 2008 at 5:39 PM
I can only imagine the problem and with all that marketing of these days I think it is an issue. Still it will be nice to come without major cuts :)
I wish you and "Mind Plague" the very best of luck ;)
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I wish you and "Mind Plague" the very best of luck ;)
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