Nick Bryan's Blog, page 12
September 14, 2014
Novels By Numbers - How I Killed My Precise Book Structure
My novel - the urban fantasy one I am currently editing after intensive beta reading - has a very strict structure. Three parts (because I love the three act structure), each containing seven chapters (because... I'm not actually sure). I laid it out like that when I started, and have stuck to it ever since.
In my last edit, a few conclusive plot developments got pushed off the end of the final chapter - Chapter Twenty-One, obviously - and I put them in an epilogue. Because this preserves my precious structure.
I've continued this game of sevens all the way to the fourth draft, and frankly I think I deserve a medal. Or at least a giant seven-shaped cake. You can probably find one in shops under Birthday Cakes For Seven Year Olds.
Still, all good things are determined to come to an end, and I don't think I can sustain this shape any longer. I've planned out my new final third and am adding some major new sections to the book, important new bits, cool stuff, all thanks to good suggestions from my excellent beta people. But I don't think I can do it within the seven/seven/seven framework - not without writing chapters that are also ten/twelve thousand word novellas, at least.
So, with a heavy heart and a grim smile, maybe ever a cinematic single tear, I am waving goodbye to the sevens. I will miss them, but anything that makes the book better is probably worth it. And I still have sevens in the first and second third.
And, ditching the faux-eulogy tone for a second, let's be honest: if an editor, agent, publisher or similar entity says I need to add extra chapters to the book anywhere, further messing up the sevens, I'll definitely do it as long as I agree it'll improve the story. Hardly seems practical to get over-attached to these things. Not as if the chapter-counts are story relevant, it just worked out that way.
And it least it gave me something to work within while I got the book written. Let's not be ungrateful.
I'm glad I wrote this blog post, it was therapeutic.
September 11, 2014
Hobson & Choi #88 - "Victimhood"
Anyway, yes, hi! Hobson & Choi is getting dangerously close to #90 now - as in, it'll go up this time next week. We're really old now. Might have to stem that flow somehow.
In outside-the-serial H&C news, I did an interview on This Fleeting Dream about the first book, I linked it here the other week but am pretty pleased with it. And so I say again: give it a look, it is fun. And then buy my book, if you haven't already.
Otherwise, I'm off back to a cafe to work on my novel. Progress continues apace.
September 9, 2014
Interview with me about The Girl Who Tweeted Wolf!
It's a fun interview, I talk a bit about my inspirations and process, throw in a few jokes. Give it a look and report back.
And yes, the interviewer is also my girlfriend so there is a nepotism element in there. But don't worry, it's definitely addressed in the post.
Should reading that inspire you to pick up a copy of the book, below is the array of buttons enabling you to do so. And if it reminds you you've read the book and still need to write a review on Amazon/Goodreads/your blog/somewhere else, that's cool too.
Oh, and I 100% finalised my design brief for Book Two last night, so that's looming in the distance, ready to bubble over at any moment. But for now, let's focus on The Girl Who Tweeted Wolf. Read interview, buy, enjoy.
September 8, 2014
Hobson & Choi #87: "Drill"
Choi gets thrown unwillingly into ACTION in the latest H&C webserial chapter!
And yeah, we're definitely heading into late numbers now. The nineties beckon! And not in a cheap nostalgia way.
Spent the weekend putting together a design brief for Book Two as well, so lots going on in the H&C arena. And to let you all know how far ahead I am, I finished a first draft of #96 yesterday.
Wow. Treble digits loom!
September 4, 2014
Hobson & Choi #86: "Who?"
Yes, the chapter is out about an hour earlier than usual, due to it just being more convenient to get it done now. I won't be plugging it on social media until the usual 1-2PM type time, so those of you who happen to check the blog or RSS feed a bit early get a little treat. Well done, guys.
You can think of it as a reward for voting us to #1 on Jukepop if you like, or just a complete coincidence. Which it is.
Almost finished the bonus story for the second Hobson & Choi book, it's going to be another slightly grim noir tale, I think. Might attempt something cheerier for Book Three, I already have an idea in mind. Yes, it's scary how far in advance I plan this stuff.
September 3, 2014
Dealing With Beta Readers - An Early Report
It's been a few months since I last looked at my full-length fantasy novel about Faustian deals - I put it aside for a spell, both to let beta readers have a crack at it and to focus on getting the Hobson & Choi book launch in order.
But the first H&C book is all fired into the atmosphere, the Book Two work now with other people, and most of my beta readers reported, so time to start in that direction again. Yesterday afternoon, for the first time in a while, I opened up the novel Scrivener file, looked at various beta reader notes and thought about it.
So, how does it feel returning to a novel post-beta? Have I got any advice for other writers in similar situations? Let's find out!
Read more »September 1, 2014
Hobson & Choi #85: "Knifepoint"
But, much as I generally want people to care about my story - I will admit, the big news today is external as I was #1 on the Jukepop charts for August! Victory!
Thanks to all who responded to my social-media calls for votes, I'm pretty happy we finally made it there after nineteen months. Lots of other stuff happening in H&C-land too - this may call for a blog post, in fact. Might try and get that up in the next couple of days, but for now, just got time to notify you of the new chapter. Read it and think of victory.
August 28, 2014
Hobson & Choi #84: "Truth Merchants"
And yes, as attentive readers will note, I even managed to throw up an unrelated book-blog post in the last few days. Well done me.
More importantly, though, the end of the month is nigh, we're doing rather well in the charts, so if you have time to slip over to the Jukepop Hobson & Choi serial, catch up and vote for a few chapters, it'd be rather lovely. Cheers.
Oh, and in related work updates, I sent an edited draft of the second H&C book off to the editor last night, so that's coming soon too.
August 26, 2014
The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling) - Thoughts On A Book
Just finished reading The Cuckoo's Calling, the first crime effort by J.K. Rowling, best known for being written under the pen name of Robert Galbraith and concealed for a short period. Eventually, of course, the truth emerged, and although the fun ended, sales went through the roof.
But plenty already written about that, and sequel The Silkworm was released recently with the unsecret identity still in place. I read The Cuckoo's Calling as if it were a story (and in many ways, it is), how did it hold up? What thoughts did I have? (Some mild spoilers, though nothing explicit really.)
Read more »August 25, 2014
Hobson & Choi #83 - "Underground Shopping"
Hobson & Choi explore a whole new world in our untopical Bank Holiday Special!
Yeah, we'd definitely have updated today anyway, but you know. It's a public holiday in the UK, you might have some time to kill, why not read some H&C? Especially because we are within real reach of the #1 spot for August, so if you've got time to vote for some chapters, that'd be massively helpful to us. Ta.
And in wider blog admin - yes, I'm aware this is the third consecutive post which is just a link to a H&C chapter, I do feel kinda bad about that. I will try to return to my previous bare minimum of at least one proper blog a week soon. Fingers crossed.
But in the meantime, as I say, any H&C votes on Jukepop appreciated. Ta very much.
