So, I didn’t get much writing done at Pennsic. That was sort of expected. What I didn’t expect was to get much writing done at Steel City Con this past weekend. Not only did I write a lot, I was finally able to work through the last parts of the book. Meaning, the first draft of The Single Deed of Emeril Battles is complete!
The first draft is DONE! #amwriting #novel #ya #superhero @ Monroeville Convention Center https://t.co/BCIA3CHulG
— Brian Hagan (@windsmith) August 12, 2017
That’s such exciting news, and it means that editing can finally begin. The first step was running spell check (I’ll correct spelling in grammar as a write, but I don’t always catch everything). Wow, there were a lot of mistakes that needed fixed. Then, I started writing in parts that got missed or needed details changed. It’s startling how, once you reach the end of a narrative, all these little problems and inconsistencies pop up.
By the end of the weekend at Steel City Con, I had added over a thousand words to the manuscript length after I declared it done. That’s just how editing goes, and will continue to go. Who knows what the final word count will be. For The Horrible Plan of Horace Pickle, I removed about 6,000 words during editing… but then I added in 7,000. No wonder this stage of writing takes so long!
One thing is for certain: I’m feeling a renewed drive to finish this book, and I want to have it out no later than next summer!