Writing Update: Vol IV Draft 4.3

…And I’m back! This will be short, so let’s dive right in.

Draft four is in the bag. Volume four’s a monster of a tome, and from its first iteration in 2017 to now, it’s been an arduous journey. It’s strange how the stories we write are time capsules of ourselves at a younger era, and the things that influenced us are quite prevalent. I’ve got to admit, there’s elements that crept into my books over the years from other folks, and while bad advice for me, they were done with the best of intentions. Luckily, I picked up on this years ago, with earlier books—Vol. II & III—and was able to remove or change the direction. Unfortunately, some of those elements were in book one, and once published … well, you get the idea. I’ve done my best to alter the course set from the onset, and I’m happy where its ended up. Volume IV will need one more draft before I send it off to the editor, but we’re on track for a 2027 release.

So, what’s the final tally? I’ve whittled and chiseled and sculpted this story down to its bare essentials, streamlining the story for a more impactful punch. A lot of people put emphasis on word count, but after reading a bloated and entirely lackluster Wind and Truth recently, I can confidently say that more words doesn’t equate to better. Much of it has to do with the quality of writing, not the quantity, and a good story. So, here’s the final tally.

Chapters: 56 / 56 Epilogues: 9 / 9Prologue: 1 / 1Total Words: 270,759Previous Drafts:3rd Draft: 285,567Cut novella: 319,8102nd Draft: 344,8541st Draft: 402,303

What’s next on the agenda? Volume V. I plan to go from books 4–7 for the foreseeable future. I might have to make a side jaunt to the second Maro Prakk novella to get it ready for the editor, but other than that, I hope to take a linear approach and ensure the story has cohesion, especially with all the changes. In the meantime, I have to ready myself for a personal task this week, and once that’s completed, it’ll be full steam ahead with the fifth installment, so stay tuned for updates on that.

If you enjoyed this content and want more or to support the cause, follow me on Patreon! If you want to read my works, check out my books on Amazon. All are available in eBook and print. Reviews can be found on Goodreads and Amazon. I shall return…