At the moment, I'm working on MAY THE DEAD SPEAK, the first story in OF THE MOON AND SUN. This was the one I worked on this past NaNoWriMo, but I actually started working on it before EDEN. I think there was a total of four pages (1.5k words). When NaNoWriMo started, I went back and rewrote what I had, adding 10k. Of course, I was derailed in my NaNo attempt . . . life happens and I couldn't discipline myself into keeping my 2k a day word count. And when I mentally see a snowball picking up speed down the hill, I tend to buck under the pressure. So I mentally rebelled. But I'm back now, free from the pressure of a deadline; however, I have placed a new, albeit flexible, deadline on myself. By the end of February, I hope to have the first draft of MtDS finished. Next will be ROSLYN, the second story in the book (MOON & SUN).
I gave my stepdad a brief outline of the larger story within this series and where things are planned to go, and his reply was, "You've got a lot on your plate." But that's what I love. I love stories and characters that continue on after one book is finished. I love to immerse myself. I look at it like a TV series. There's so much I want to explore with these characters. I could never write a single book and end the characters and universe in one go-around. I can, however, read books like this.
My plans for this series . . . (Hopefully spoiler free.)
EDEN kicks off the rollercoaster. It's a large book, I'll admit to that, but I kept it moving fast. I also made a conscious effort to steer clear of heavy details in descriptions. I wanted to give the reader just enough to keep the coaster moving. I'm not doing this to write the next great American novel. I want to entertain! The book may end in a cliffhanger but things will be revisited soon.
OF THE MOON AND SUN begins with the story MAY THE DEAD SPEAK. It takes place during the events in EDEN, using characters introduced near the end of the book. ROSLYN is the second story in MOON & SUN and takes place two years before EDEN.
THE BROTHERHOOD is a glimpse at the villain in this story arc.
S.E.V.E.N. takes place in the 1870s and shows the beginnings of this powerful organization.
WISDOM OF A WARRIOR will contain two stories, each one delving into the history around two characters introduced in EDEN.
BLOODLINES will explore the past of two prominent characters in EDEN.
THEORY OF TRUTH is planned to contain two stories. The first one will explore the missing six months that happened to one of the characters. The second story, though introducing two new characters, will have lasting effects within the rest of the series.
SHADOWS AND SILHOUETTES will be two stories that take place right after EDEN. They will fill in the blanks left by the first novel in the series.
THE DIABOLICAL SYMPHONY picks up right where EDEN left off. Everything boils down to the chaos delivered to my beloved characters.
And this will be the end of the first story arc. The next story arc will pick up twenty years later, beginning with the book SOLACE.
Why do some of these books contain two stories? I feel that it organizes the series better, and some of these stories would be considered novellas if published alone. I also want to give my possible readers more for their money and support.
So yeah, I guess I do have a lot on my plate, and I haven't even factored in the stuff I want to do with FOUR CORNERS. In the long run, EDEN will probably contain much more than FC. Which is fine. FC is a whole different ball game.
I may not be seen as a professional writer to some (or even to myself), but I like to think of myself as a career writer. I love to do this. Good or not, this is me. I tell stories.
And to stay focused, I surround myself with everyday reminders.
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