Another Novel, Peeps

I sent out a few queries for The Klown Kroo. That means a cover letter, synopsis and three sample chapters. We'll see if anyone bites. In the meantime, I have begun another, yes another, novel. In 2001, while living in Colonial Arms Inn, newly married and in close proximity to a Fendley, I wrote a novel called Deep Water. It was almost, and I mean almost, bought by a Canadian publishing house, but they ultimately sent it back. I no longer have a copy of the completed manuscript, but I remember the story well, and it could be much, much better.

I am going to write that much, much better version of Deep Water. Tonight, I wrote the first 1000 words. It's a fantasy novel with a jacked-up premise that unfolds with ever increasing bleakness. All will love it.

The Clown Who Falls Down

Completed another revision of The Klown Kroo. Lots of trims here and there to make chunky prose read more smoothly. But I also added a couple of scenes, which pushed the overall length of the novel to 123,760 words. Specifically, Karl aka Touches got a new poignant scene, and Vern got a new disturbing scene. I want to go back and reread the first few pages, though. I still think the opening paragraphs need work. The rest of it is pretty good, though.

Another Novel, Completed!

Finished the first draft of Mary of Shadows. Think of it, that means I've written two full novels this year. That's a record. Two novels in one year. And, yes, a whole heck of a lot of rewriting is now in store for me.

Anyway, Mary of Shadows came in at 99,500 words, nineteen chapters and an epilogue. It will probably grow in the rewrite. That is my prediction. First I will go through the manuscript looking for typos and major gaffes and then print a copy for Lisa to enjoy. She always gets to enjoy the mess and glory of the first drafts.

Dagnab!

Dagnab, I had to post this. After my last post, I went back (for no particular reason) and read the very first post I ever made on The Special Blog of Reginald McNard. Actually, I came across the second post, where I tell this convoluted story about how I wrote and published a short story called "Stick Boys" once upon a time.

Well, suffice it to say, in the course of telling that long-winded story, I mention that I was starting to work on a Stick Boys novel. Reading that made me curious, so I went digging through my hard drive to find that uncompleted novel. I did not find it, although I'm sure it's there somewhere, buried in a folder within a folder within a folder. Instead, I came across a novel I wrote in 2006 called Dreaming of Shadows. It is a completed novel, though it needs a heck of a lot of rewriting and word-love to make it acceptable.

However, what astonished me was how mind-numbingly long the novel is. 196,284 words, to be exact. Let's assume in paperback form I get 300 words per page. That would put the novel at 654 pages. That's a pretty big book for little ol' me. It might've even gotten published if I hadn't given up on the rewrite from absolute burn-out.

Interesting. I shall have to spend some time on this novel when I get done with Mary of Shadows. I already have some ideas on how I might fix the ever-loving stipple out of it.

Shall We Update?

I guess a bit of an update is in order. Still haven't heard back from the publisher about The Klown Kroo. When I get done with my current project, I will probably go back to the klowns and do some more rewriting and polishing. As for Mary of the Aether, the publication date is quite a ways off, so I haven't had any editorial work to do yet. I did join the private forum for Whiskey Creek authors. Not much else to report on that end.

I have been working a bit here and there on the sequel to Mary of the Aether. I'm thinking about changing the title of the sequel to Mary of Shadows. I am 86,000 words into it, approaching the climax. Chapters fifteen, sixteen and seventeen are basically one long chase scene through the town of Chesset. It was arduous to write. I hope it works. I just got to chapter eighteen, where sudden, surprising things happen, and then we'll build toward the final showdown and the end. I expect the book to come in at about the same length at the first book, possibly a little longer.

Latest chapter titles, for no particular reason:

Chapter Sixteen - Closing In
Chapter Seventeen - All Roads Lead to Chesset
Chapter Eighteen - Complications

I think my idea in this prolonged chase scene is for the town itself to become a kind of character in the story. We'll see if I pulled it off when I get around to the first read-through.

Anywho, that's all for now.

Th'Latest

Okay, so Mary of the Aether is in the editorial process. The publication date is July 2012, so I've got a while to go. I was told not to expect to hear from the editor for 30 to 90 days, as she works on the manuscript. In the meantime, I have been working on the sequel, Mary of the Darkness. I'm about 64,000 words into it. It just took a turn for the epic. I mean, a game-changing turn that transforms this book series from a relatively small story about a small rural town and the mysterious goings-on therein to an epic tale of mighty deeds. But I'll leave it at that.

The chapters thus far:

One - Uninvited Guest
Two - Lucky's
Three - The Worst Person in the World
Four - Soon
Five - Ruining Everything
Six - Ambition
Seven - Darkness Descending
Eight - Lost
Nine - The Shepherd's Tale
Ten - Facing the Music
Eleven - The Offering
Twelve - Friend or Foe
Thirteen - Terrible Things
Fourteen - The Setting Sun
Fifteen - Between Heaven and Hell

I expect there to be somewhere between six and eight more chapters, depending on how the upcoming battle plays out, and how many characters I want to be involved in that. Anyway, I can see a whole series unfolding here into ever-increasing glory! Not sure if I'll sell more than half a dozen copies, but I'm having fun writing it.

Update City, USA

I suppose I should post an update on all the various and sundry developments in the writerly life of Reginald McNard, aka secretly me. I will bullet point them, for this makes it more special.

-I sold my novel, Mary of the Aether, to Whiskey Creek Press. The contract is already signed. I have been assigned an editor, and she is supposed to contact me in another month or so. It will be an e-book and trade paperback. I already received a hefty Author's Handbook full of various things I have to know and do once the editor contacts me. Deadlines will be upon me like phantasms of the night.

-I completed The Klown Kroo, worked on it a bit and queried some publishers. The manuscript is currently being considered by one particular publisher. We'll see how that goes. Response time is slow, so it will be a few months until I hear back, I imagine.

-I am working on the sequel to Mary of the Aether. I am approximately 50,000 words into it. It's called Mary of the Darkness. I envision this as a four book series. But I'll get there when I get there, as the cuellos rojos say. Now that I have a contract for the first book, there is incentive to write the others.

-I also have a sequel idea for The Klown Kroo. It would take place primarily in the post-apocalyptic North American nation of Lakota and would involve a mime-like cult. We'll see if I ever get to that point. Got to sell the first book beforehand.

There you go. Every glorious bullet point you ever wanted to know about. The end.