Dromost Gate Progress Report

Cover art by the awesome Dallas Williams

Just finished writing the rough draft of The Dromost Gate last night. At 192,000 words it is my longest novel yet. It will probably lose some weight in editing, but for comparison...

Eternal Knight: 117,000
Child of the Knight: 125,000
Shadow of the Knight: 145,000
The Dromost Gate: 192,000

Looks like I have joined the fantasy writers club. That's the club where every novel is fatter than the previous one.

I wrote 75% of The Dromost Gate using Dragon Dictation software. Instead of sitting at the computer banging away at the keyboard, I put on a headset and dictated the words onto the page. I liked it, but never achieved the big increase in word counts that other authors have. I think I think too much as I write! Big dictation word counts require you to keep spilling it out.

Dictation is faster. It is also more relaxing. I found myself less fatigued after dictating for a few hours compared to the same amount of time typing.

Fatigued? Give me a break! Try a day of landscaping. 

Yeah, I've done both. It's definitely a different type of fatigued. Personally I like both. Whether I've gotten a lot done with my hands or with my brain, both types of tired feel good at the end of the day.

What's next?

1) A lot of editing. The rough draft becomes the first draft. Dictation might be faster, but it also produces more mistakes. It's a net gain, but it means that there's still a lot of work to be done.

2) Critique. I give the first draft to my critique partner for story feedback.

3) More editing. The first draft is modified based on the critique. Spelling, punctuation, and grammar get more thorough attention. The first draft becomes the second draft.

4) Alpha readers. A few alpha readers take a look at the manuscript. I'm looking for both story and writing advice.

5) More editing. The manuscript is becoming more refined. I can call it a novel now.

6) Beta readers. A larger audience of beta readers looks at the novel. I want to know what works and what doesn't. Have I made any glaring mistakes? Have any typos slipped through.

7) Editing is fun! It should be easier now, right? We've caught all the mistakes, right?

9) Proofreading. Last chance before the world gets to see all the dumb stuff you let slip through.

10) Publication! Fame! Glory! Fortune! You know - all that good stuff.

When will The Dromost Gate arrive in stores? This winter. (I'll have a better date for you in two months.)