Writing Progress

Not been a writing update in a little while, so here it is for all you readers.

I now have the beginning all sorted, with the first 2 chapters all written barring a few minor re-writes. To me it is essential the book lays down the foundations on which the rest of the book sits, the tone, flavour and feeling is vital for things to develope nicely.

The characters I have created are living and breathing, and while I know each of their fates, I am more than willing to up the ante, and make their lives even more hellish or change certain ideas. I know the end of the book, but I've no idea who will be standing.

My biggest challenge is presenting the world, and characters and their backgrounds in the shortest space possible. Although the book has historical basis, it still needs explaining events that act as a backdrop to the story.

So, 1 chapter down, 30 odd to go.

I have knocked up an excel spreadsheet which calculates the likely size of the book in page numbers. Its more vanity than anything, as Ive used The Lord of the Rings as a comparison in the number chapters, and pages per chapter. Im expecting my book to have around 600-700 pages, but right now with what Ive written so far, Im on target for a paltry 160 pages! Must write harder. To be fair, the actual number of pages I have written so far amounts to 84 pages, but that is over 8 chapters, of which only 2 are finished. Early days.

Because my book is based on an existing IP (intellectual property), I have to be careful in how I approach a potential publisher. I have already approached the IP holder, who while they are not interested in publishing books themselves, would be willing to allow the IP to be used (for a sum or royalty) should I secure a publishing deal for the book.