It’s been a while since I’ve posted an update, and that’s because there’s been very little to tell.\u00a0 Still, I think it’s important that people know how far along the book is, and how well I am in my mind.<\/p>\n
Things are still on track for this book to be completed at the end of the month.\u00a0 I have about four more sections to write in the penultimate chapter, and then one last chapter that will reveal the secrets of the universe (of Tellest).\u00a0 I promise to explain why people are gaining these powers, and what that means to the other powerful beings of the world.\u00a0 <\/p>\n
After that, I’ll type the final part out, and then put the entire thing in a drawer somewhere for a month.\u00a0 Then, I’ll pick it back up, and do a preliminary edit on it before sending it out to someone who knows better, and can better strengthen my voice.\u00a0 After he’s done with his red ink, I’ll edit it one last time,\u00a0put the final touches on it, and commission a cover to be made.\u00a0 In May, it will be out and ready to be in your hands (or on your desk).<\/p>\n
I’m struggling with a couple of the details for when it is complete.\u00a0 This is going to be my longest book, by far, and because of that, I’m debating what I should do about the cost.\u00a0 When all is said and done, I’ve put the most work into this, and I would like to think that I should be compensated for it, so I’m thinking about raising the price compared to the last one.\u00a0 This one would be $4.99 as opposed to the $2.99 I’ve been selling the last ones at.\u00a0 If anyone happens upon this blog, it is most likely because you’re already a fan of the books in some way, so I’ll leave it to you.\u00a0 What do you think my book will be worth?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n One of the reasons that I’m questioning myself is that it’s been quite some time since I’ve received any kind of feedback on the books.\u00a0 Sales have slowed dramatically as well, so I’m getting a much smaller indication of how much people value my writing.\u00a0 Before, when I released As Darkness Falls<\/em>, I could tell what kind of attach rate I had with my readers.\u00a0 You can tell that I have about a 20% rate.\u00a0 That is, about 1\/5 of the people who read The Bindings of Fate<\/em> liked it enough to purchase the sequel.\u00a0 That may not seem like a huge amount, but, in my view, that’s splendid.<\/p>\n You see, I know that my first book has a sinister lull.\u00a0 I’ve talked about it before in one of my other blogs.\u00a0 There are a variety of people who will pick up my book, but a special niche of the audience will tolerate my journeyman flaws.\u00a0 Once people were able to trudge through one of the weaker moments in The Bindings of Fate <\/em>(specifically between Chapters Ten and Thirteen, if you’re familiar with the work), I believe they were treated to one hell of a ride.<\/p>\n You see, in those 20-some pages, I tried to force character development onto my protagonist.\u00a0 I wanted to give the audience a little more familiarity with him.\u00a0 Yet the whole time, it showed him as infallible and indomitable.\u00a0 Kaos became a man with no weakness (with the exception of spiders, of course), who was able to do in one day what eight men could not do in decades.<\/p>\n Of course, that was a weakness that should reflect on me, not the story.\u00a0 There were plenty of ways that I could have written those passages leading to the Valley of Kathka that would have made Kaos’ success seem more appropriate – more realistic.<\/p>\n I didn’t do that, of course, and it’s hurt my reputation as an author in some regards.\u00a0 It’s also helped immensely, because I’ve been able to identify some of my biggest flaws.<\/p>\n One of my lowest reviews has this to say about The Bindings of Fate<\/em>:<\/p>\n “Here is another issue that bothered me. The main character enters a tournament. Why? For treasure. In fact, he repeatedly calls it “treasure”. Not money, not gold, not anything specific. Just generic “treasure”. The treasure he gets? A treasure map to go find… treasure! And he’s so excited about it, he goes and finds this lost treasure that a group of eight other men could not find in their combined lifetimes. In. One. Day. <\/p>\n <\/em> And again, the main character’s flawlessness is brought under the lens as well – something I’ve not forgotten, despite that review being written a year ago yesterday.<\/p>\n Another reviewer actually threw down his copy on several occasions, and couldn’t even make it through the book:<\/p>\n Throwdown 1: Our hero won 4 gladiator battles, found a magic gauntlet in a lost city and then sleeps with the Duke’s daughter ALL WITHOUT TAKING A BATH. It wouldn’t be such a big deal, but the author mentions how Kaos has blood and sweat all over him and the guy changes clothes, but doesn’t even splash water on his face. Ridiculous. Also worth mentioning: all of the above happened within 48-72 hours. Really? <\/p>\n <\/em> It’s the comment about the cliche that actually makes me realize that I’m not<\/em> going to please everyone, and I’m alright with that.<\/p>\n All that said, however, let me further explain what is going on in my head as I near the end of these books.\u00a0 As I sat, quietly writing this morning, the creeping, nagging worry that I’m not as good a storyteller as I wish to be would ferment in my mind.\u00a0 The echoes of those comments, specifically the first one, still resonate within me.\u00a0 It has effected my confidence, and in turn has effected the speed in which I’ve proceeded along this last year.\u00a0 Everyone has doubts about their abilities, and most of mine are fostered from these admitted flaws.<\/p>\n In spite of that, however, I think that my writing has steadily improved since I wrote the previous two novels.\u00a0 In this third book, I wrote a very similar treasure hunting sequence as the ill-fated chapters 10-12 in BoF.\u00a0 It was because of that complaint, however, that I identified that weakness, and for that, I say thank you.<\/p>\n So it boils down to this:<\/p>\n As more information is ready to divulge, this blog will be the place to visit for the reveal.\u00a0 Thanks for your support!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It’s been a while since I’ve posted an update, and that’s because there’s been very little to tell.\u00a0 Still, I think it’s important that people know how far along the book is, and how well I am in my mind. 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As I’ve said before, the realistic chances of Kaos finding anything that eight other men could<\/em> not is a little beyond the realms of ridiculousness.\u00a0 I should have said that no one really bothered to try looking, or that they had just recently come into possession of the map that would have lead to the fabled treasure.\u00a0 The former is actually accurate to the story as well.\u00a0 With the Knights of Virtue recently developing the City of Wonders, who could blame them for not wasting time trying to find a city that may or may not exist?<\/p>\n
Now these complaints I take odds with.\u00a0 I’ve responded to the “your character never takes a bath” comment on other forums before, and frankly, it always strikes me as a little odd.\u00a0 Why should I ever have to mention that the character uses a washcloth or cleans himself in any regards?\u00a0 It should just be implied when he’s clean<\/em> in the next scene.\u00a0 I don’t ever<\/em> write about any of my characters taking the time to urinate, but is that supposed to imply that they never do it?\u00a0 Fake spoilers ahead: the antagonist of the story actually dies of a bursting bladder.<\/p>\n\n