A Writer's Week #85: Feeling a Draft

I got a lot done this week. For one thing, I was interviewed by my local weekly paper. It was a great conversation and the article should be in next week's edition. I also signed up for a show in mid-October, so I'll be hitting the road selling some books shortly. I'm also looking for some other venues in November. 

There are also plans in the works for a book signing. I got the go ahead from a friend of mine here in town. It will be on a Saturday from 1 to 3 in the afternoon. I just have to decide on a date between now and Christmas. Does anyone have any insight on which weekend is best for selling between Thanksgiving and Christmas? The day after Black Friday would seem to be most obvious, but I'm wondering if people might be away or flocking to the mall...

Now for the biggest news this week--on Monday I completed the first draft of The Golden Dragon of Ang!!! It turned out pretty nicely. I honestly think it's the best of the Deliverers Series so far. Of course, I know of two sections that will need extensive rewrites, and there are a couple of other elements I want to strengthen, but all in all it's a great story.

Here are the final statistics on the first draft (I know, bear with me. I'm part banker, statistics are important to me)--62,951 words, 62 chapters, and 273 pages. After the rewrites, the word count will probably be a little higher. Interestingly enough, this time I think I nailed the first chapter right out of the gate. Those of you who have been following this blog for a while may remember that I totally rewrote the first chapter of the first two books at least once. In the case of Sharky and the Jewel, it was twice.

This time around, I'm not sure I am totally satisfied with the final chapter. I haven't read it yet, and won't until I work my way through the editing process, but I didn't have a warm, fuzzy feeling as I was writing it. We'll see if my impression was correct when I get back to it. Artist Daniel Vogel has completed the maps and will be working on the cover in the coming weeks. If all goes well, book 3 will be out in February! As always, I'll keep you in the loop. Have a great weekend!