Progress Report

I'm into Chapter Twelve, but not by much. I got there some time early last week. Then I got the big critique at Evil Editor on Wednesday and I haven't got back to it. I meant to. I just haven't. No excuse. A lot of reasons, though. None of them good.

Anyway, I have now cut nearly 32,000 words from Pawns (a.k.a. Flames of Hatred), leaving about 50,000 to go. Important (but minor) characters are being removed. This means the sub-plots are taking a beating. I suppose that's good. In doing this I was able to cut my monster chapter by more than 40%. I'm more than half-way through. It's still possible for me to finish this by the end of the year.

Unfortunately, simply reducing Pawns' size is not going to be enough. I got more than 50 detailed pieces of advice from Evil Editor and the Minions. As much as it pains me, Pawns is going to have to suffer another rewrite. Sometimes I fear that my most angry critic might be right after all.

To elaborate - twenty years ago, when the first story was The Prophecies of Madatar, someone wrote that not only was my book unpublishable in its current state, but there was no amount of work I could put into it which would change that. He said it reminded him of Lord of the Rings and cited a series of random examples which made no sense. He was quite nasty, attacking not only the book, but me for writing it.

Well, needless to say (but I'm saying it anyway) I was shocked, crushed and generally not feeling too good toward either him or myself. I was really pissed off at myself because I had paid this SOB over $300 to critique the book. It didn't make me feel any better when someone else told me this guy had a reputation for taking money from writers only to flame their books. Apparently, some books which actually did get published went through him. I kept the critique. It's somewhere in the archives. When I recovered and began writing again (several months later) I determined to get the book published and then send him a copy with a phoney autograph. On my "up" days I still think about doing that. Other days - well, to hell with the other days.

Writtenwyrdd (one of Evil Editor's Minions) suggested I join Critters Writers Workshop. She said it would not only help me understand the problems others find in my writing, but it would help me learn to better critique my own work (by critiquing other works). I'll be doing that. She also encouraged me to not give up on writing. She was a heck of a lot nicer than the SOB - and I never paid her so much as a dime.

Speaking of that SOB, it just amazed me that his reason for hating my work was because he felt it was like Tolkien's work. Well, in the first place, I don't think it is. In the second place, why would you say a book has no chance of being published if you thought it was like one of the most successful books of its genre ever? He was just a creep who stole my money. The hell with him.

I can do this. I have lots of help from some very qualified people. All I need is time. I hope I have enough of it left.

Well, back at it. This week's goal is to reach Chapter Sixteen. I can do that.