Still not done. Little chunks have come out. Bigger chunks of new material have appeared. Sequence tangles have been extricated, laid out, and put in order, with necessary transitions. It’s taken this long to get the first thirty-two days of the story cleaned up, and to introduce things that were left out. It’s gonna be a long, cold winter of work, not the relatively easy re-write I’m more familiar with. But it’s better. It’s already a lot better. In my probably still imperfect opinion.
Plotwise, there are now connecting lines to two previous plot elements from the first two books of Vatta’s Peace…skinny little lines so far, but connections that are part of the pull-through, the tension that will cross the keystone and pull the whole thing together. One connects to the deep history and one to a period in Slotter Key’s history that generated the conflicts of the current day. Now to start tugging…I would love it if these two opposing lines crunched everything together in one volume. Otherwise it’s a couple more years of work at least and I’m not sure the time is available. Not with other work pending.
Well. Time to get back to work.
Keep tugging! So fascinating to for you to reveal your process and it helps to feel a bit involved. I have to admit I haven’t read any of the Vatta books. I took a break from fiction while working on my doctorate; once that was finished in spring 2019, I discovered Paks. Now don’t have time to fall into another series because I’m trying to be a better science professor. It’s been too many years since I taught a one semester course that is supposed to cover physics, chemistry, astronomy, weather, and geology.
If you ever have a moment to discuss Paks’ World. I have a question: eight Kingdoms. Is Kolobia considered one of the kingdoms? Are the Horse Nomads a kingdom? or does Lyonya count as two? I look at the map and count 7. Or maybe one of your other commenters knows and can answer my question.
Have a great day with your ponies and revisions, this week my Mom (age 88) wants to pack Christmas stories and gift packages for 48 kids who attended our Sunday School before the shut down. So that’s what I’m doing today.
Fintha, Tsaia, Lyonya (human), Lyonya (elven): Ladysforest, Pargun, Kostandan, Dzordanya, Prealith. Lyonya is actually two kingdoms not all that merged until Kieri got to work on it. All the human lands around it think of it as Lyonya, a decorative little place with some elves in there somewhere, but the elves (a significant fraction) think of it as the Ladysforest with more grubby human intrusion than they would wish. Kieri is changing their minds, but it’s a work in progress.
The horse nomads are not a kingdom because they’ve never needed to unite against a common enemy, not even the blackcloaks, the iynisin. There’s some competition between the tribes, but no open war (yet.)
Another thought after re-reading your first paragraph. Better is awesome progress, and remember, it’s the journey; enjoy those characters and their experiences. Hopefully the rest of us will get to enjoy them soon too, but for now, for you, enjoy, don’t stress. Life is too complicated to spend time stressing. That’s my new motto, and I’m a queen of stressing!
I’m glad the revision is coming. I’ve read, and enjoyed, all the Vatta books, but my first love is really Paksworld, which is one of my go-to comfort reading series when poorly or depressed!
Of my invented “story-univrses”, Paksworld is my heart home.
I hope you find the catalyst that will allow the strands to come together smoothly in this book. May all your untangling run freely into the future…
With best wishes for Christmas and the new year, from over the pond.
Thank you…it’s coming along. And best of the holidays and new year to you, too.