So, no sooner do I hand in Stormlord’s Exile on Sunday – updated with editorial input changes – than one of my beta readers (Phill Berrie, bless him) points out a large plot hole towards the end that no one else spotted. Including myself. Sigh. Thank the magic for someone like Phill. Fortunately, although the plot hole is major in terms of the impossibility of what happens next, the fix will only necessitate a relatively small change: two waterpaintings have to be done where there was only one…
My delivery of the book was majorly late. It is book number 10, and it’s the first time I have overrun the schedule to the extent that the publication dates have to be changed, for which I apologise to all you readers out there. (And of course, to my wonderful publishers, neither of whom decided to hang, draw and quarter me, but reacted with remarkable restraint and unqualified support; and then — probably with much teeth gnashing — rescheduled and rearranged their publishing list.)
So what went wrong?
Who knows? Sometimes creativity to a schedule doesn’t work, it’s as simple as that. It’s not the time put in, it’s the quality of what is achieved.
Once the book was finished in its initial show-someone-this-draft form, I knew something was not right, but couldn’t put my finger on what exactly. The two initial readers – Karen Miller and my editor friend and neighbour Alena — took a look and applied tough love. Basically: Glenda, the beginning is ALL WRONG.
They were so right. I had to do more than the usual spruce up: I had to rewrite the entire beginning, 30,000 words, and start in a different place with different characters. And then dovetail that to the rest of the book, which is harder than it sounds. Sort of writing something backwards. The way I had written in initially simply didn’t push the story forward, but kept looking backwards.
Anyway, it is re-written now, and my editors are happy. Publication dates will be next year sometime. When they are definite, I will tell you.
Oh, and I have seen the cover art for the Voyager Oz edition. And no, I am not showing you, yet. 🙂
.
OO can't wait till it comes out! I have a customer that wants to draw quarter and hang me for letting her read books 1 and 2 when bk 3 was not out :O
I can sympathise with your customer. Glenda you have caused me much agony!!!
In truth, since I have been reading your blog as well as several other authors, I have come to realise writing a book is a lot harder than most of us give credit for. Particularly as life still has to be lived, you can't just ignore everything in favour of writing much as you might like to sometimes.
Glenda, compared to some other trilogy/series authors I could name, the wait time between your books is negligible.
It's good to hear that the "quality control" department at Larke Inc. is performing well.
Aspiring writers, this is why Glenda Larke is superlative. Nobody has a better attitude than she does. Her lack of ego and puffuppery is astonishing. All she cares about is the quality of the work. And she will do whatever it takes to get it right. I can't tell you how much I admire her.
What a lovely work Karen, puffuppery, it does rather make me think of a puff adder though.
I do agree with you however.
I also can't wait until book 3 hits the shelves. I can understand the arduousness of writing and your dedication to getting it right, but your books are so fabulous and flow so unbelievably well I can't imagine it didn't just drip from your fingers!
So pleased to hear it's on its way. Can't wait actually.
Thank you everyone. As readers, you all rock!
And Puffuppery has to go into the dictionary…!
Book 3 is done and its only next year away?
I am still waiting for the release of Stormlord Rising in the UK so that we can get it here in SA.
Feels like forever since i read the 1st book, but still clear enough to be going mad for the next book.
Might just re-read it sometime soon…
-Andrew
SA being South Africa, not South Australia? November 4th in UK, Andrew…and then however long it takes to get to SA. We have that problem too in Malaysia…
i cannot wait untill book 3 is out. i enjoyed both books and i cant wait to see how it all ends. i tried writing a book my self and its a lot harder than i would hane thought lol. so i do not that i have to wait a little longer because i no it will be worth it. thanks for the entertainment glenda and i hope you will write more books to keep us all entertained
robert chaplain uk
Thanks, Robert! I agree – it's a lot harder than it looks!!