EJ2 Update: The Secret Army Marches On (And On, And On, And On…)

Here’s a quick (maybe) update on the progress on Earthman Jack vs. The Secret Army, for those of you who care.

I’m still plugging along, writing my little fingers to their wee nubs.  I feel as though I’m running a marathon on a treadmill.  The finish line is in the distance, and yet, it never seems to be getting any closer.  I’m 430 manuscript pages in, so I’d say I’m about 2/3rds done with the book’s rough draft, but man-oh-man, it feels like I have so much further to go!  Every scene and chapter I complete is like a shallow victory, because so many more loom before me.  Some days the writing is effortless and simply flows out of me.  Other days, I’d much rather wallow in the brain-dead simple comforts of Facebook, Twitter, and online pornography.  (Just kidding about that last part mom!)

For the most part, I’m happy with what I’m coming up with.  The adventure Jack and the gang are on this time around is very different from the first one.  This book is very much where the “space opera epic” nature of the story begins to kick in, and it has been a lot of work establishing all the people, places, and things I need to in order to create a believable world for the story to take place.  Writing for Earth is easy.  Writing for a made-up planet is quite the challenge, and I didn’t realize just how challenging it was until I sat down to do it.  Luckily, I had most of the worldbuilding mapped out beforehand, so I am able to refer to my notes when needed (which saves me so much time in the writing process, let me tell you!).  But finding ways to layer that information into the story that isn’t info-dumpy and flows in an entertaining fashion can be a puzzle at times.

My continuing concern is that the book is going to be much longer than I would like it to be.  I’ve always defended long books in the past, because I don’t mind reading a massive tome as long as its good.  However, while I’m writing EJ2, I keep fretting over how much set-up I have to supply in order to pay off some of the plot later in the story.  The book is divided up into 3 episodes, and the first and third episodes are both normal lengths, however, the middle episode is shaping up to be extremely long.  I’m not going to edit myself at this stage, because I think its best to get everything in my head down on paper first, and then when I go back and start re-reading what I’ve written, I’ll be better able to see what can be cut and what can’t.  That’s where I can begin tightening things up.  Still, the length worries me.  Createspace only allows you to publish up to 800 pages in a book, I believe.  Anything bigger than that, and the binding just won’t support it.  Earthman Jack vs. The Ghost Planet was 668 pages long, and that was pushing it.  I’m worried this one might be closer to 800 once it’s formatted.  I really don’t want to split it up, because I’d prefer to keep it as a single volume in the series, so my goal is to bring the book in at under 800 pages (preferably way under).  Luckily, I don’t think I’ll have this problem with book three, because I won’t have to do as much set-up after this book.  But you never know.

I was hoping to have the book done by the end of April, but unfortunately, that will not be the case.  The goalpost for the completion of the rough draft has been moved back to the end of May.  Because it’s taking longer to finish the book, it’s going to take longer to polish it and get it edited, etc. once all the re-writes are completed.  So my gut is telling me the book won’t be ready for the summer like I’d originally planned.  I’m thinking it might have to wait for a November release, depending upon how long it takes to get everything reader-ready.

Anywho, there you go!  Another update for all you Earthman Jack fans.  I know many of you are eager to find out what happens next, and I’m sorry you have to wait so long.  I really wish I could crank these books out in a week or something, but I just can’t.  I care too much about the story and have to take my time with it.  But look at it this way – it took me four years to finish the first book!  Book two will be completed a year after the first, and it is WAY longer and more complex than The Ghost Planet was!  So I’m not quite and the George R.R. Martin level of taking 5 years in-between books to complete them… yet. lol.  I’m hoping to do at least one EJ book a year until the series is completed.  Any and all support you fans grant me (all two of you who read the blog – hi mom!) is much appreciated and as always, inspires me to keep working at it!

Until the next update, stay frosty my friends!

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