The Finish Line is in Sight!

Well the story is 'finished,' and now I'm working on filling it out a bit. I was happy that I came in not too far under a decent word count, since it is far easier to add than remove; but at the same time there is always the question of where to add more, and of what information. What is going to move the story along, or just be extraneous, albeit sometimes interesting, information? Especially in a fantasy novel, where not even the sky is the limit for what a person can create.

As a first novel I have to find the balance between a good story, good word count, and not going overboard on either. If you look at bookshelves in bookstores, you don't see too many first-time novels with the length of Terry Goodkind's or George R. R. Martin's. They are the exception, not the rule. Most of the series I've read have first novels that sit pretty between 63 and 70k words. Those series get larger over time as the author becomes more famous, and the publishers are willing to spend more on them.

The finish line is within reach, and hopefully I'll be querying a few agents this month!

Final Showdown

"Can I see another's woe, and not be in sorrow too? Can I see another's grief, and not seek for kind relief?"

 - William Blake


But what about your enemies? Do they deserve kind relief; especially when they're tyring to kill you?

This is the farthest I have ever written into my story, and it is both exhilerating and intimidating to be so close to the end. Finding the blanace between doing it justice, and not prolonging it into tediousness is a fine line. 

The final fight has just begun and I have the main points worked out. Now I just need to connect the dots, so to speak. 

I was invited to continue working with the instructor from my advanced novel writing course, still 10k at a time, and I am thrilled! She has been such an immense help in developing my writing skills, and I hope this is the continuation of my journey to be published!

First thing's first, though, to finish the story!