Today, I’m sharing news about my writing and I do so as a way of sharing my writing journey with readers and other authors – the latter especially for newer authors. My work continues to progress regularly and I’m gaining some momentum for what’s to come for the year. I’ll share at a later date why I’m at this point but I want to focus on where I am and where I’m going over the next few months.
The Bow of Destiny is off to my editor today. While it has received substantial editing previously it’s now time to progress with another edit. The work done before this time occurred back in late 2010-11. At the time, I was in the middle of some life changes that proved difficult for writing. We experienced months of repairs to our house due to damage from the tornadoes of 4/27/11. Very jarring and distracting to progress on the book. Additionally, my father became ill and went downhill for about a year until he passed in mid-2012. It was a longer event which sapped my creativity for months.
But other the last year and a half I’ve made significant progress with the book. First, I took the original edits from my editor and made changes that I understood clearly. After that, I began considering deeper changes for the book and decided on fundamental structural change for the first third of the manuscript. This re-organization was easy to visualize with the help of Scrivener’s binder but a daunting task otherwise.
Along the way, I received some critique advice to make my character point of view much deeper. It was good advice but I was unsure what to do with it. By June of last year I received clearer direction which I’ll share about in another post this week. Again, in July I got further instruction that led to my series about using deep POV. However, the required 
revision was daunting to say the least. As a writer, I was not pleased to overhaul my manuscript once again but I slogged through it and finally finished last November. Now I’m glad I did it because I gained so much experience from the labor.
At this point, the work with the editor will occur in two parts. First will be a structural edit to work out any remaining kinks in the plot. Then, depending on the editor’s schedule, there will be a second, detailed edit either in mid-March or May. Again, there will be heavy lifting but I’m much better equipped for this than I was several years ago. The schedule delays me some but that just gives me the chance to work on the drafts for the second and third books in the series as well as the beginning of the parallel series. I’m also working on my short fiction while I’m waiting on the editor’s schedule and work to be completed.
So there’s a window into being an author and dealing with editing. The learning curve and distractions of life can really hold you up. However, these can serve to hone you as a writer. I certainly don’t think that I’ve “arrived” as an author let alone mastered the craft but I can say I’ve come a long way. I’m much more confident about approaching upcoming projects as well as actually publishing The Bow of Destiny. The best part about the delays is that I’ll be so close to releasing the rest of the series in a shorter time . In this case, the waiting is a good thing because I will have content out in bulk and, hopefully, with high, page-turning quality.
I hope this gives readers and insight into the writing process. If you’re and author, what trials and growth have you experienced along the way to publication? Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. I’d also love to connect with you over social media so check my Contact page for that information. See the News page for announcements and remember to sign-up to receive news and posts by email. I’ve added a new sign-up tab on my FaceBook page to simplify the process. New followers can download The Black Bag via free coupon today! Also, the cover of my book, The Bow of Destiny, was revealed recently so take a look.
Clip art licensed from Microsoft Office.
Cover art provided on commission from Chris Rawlins
2 thoughts on “Fiction Update: The Bow of Destiny”
Hi Peter…First off, my condolences on your Father’s passing. Making it through a tornado must have been harrowing, but being in the construction trades myself, I know that having major work done on your home can be even more harrowing.
I’m working on the final book of my trilogy and am also going through a major relocation. We were supposed to move to Hialeah, Fla. At the last minute, our housing deal fell through. So with everything packed away and no place to live in Long Island we had no idea of where to go. A friend offered a spot in her home in North Carolina until things could get back on track which was cool. Unfortunately, you can’t possibly know the level of craziness of people until you’re on a daily basis, soooooooooo…we are now living out of an extended stay motel.
The wifi there is horrendous so all my research takes forever. Such are the trials of writers, but I feel confidant that every rotten moment of this experience will find a way into a book somewhere down the line. Especially the crazy friend.
Oh yes…I found out last night that my wife is pregnant…it just keeps getting better.
Chin up Ed. Keep plugging away. That tornado literally went past the back of the house that morning as an EF3. The structure was largely untouched aside from the need for new siding, roofing, gutters and fencing. The deck furniture didn’t even move. But there were trees everywhere. I figure – like you – I’ll find a way to put the experiences into some fiction somewhere. Best wishes on housing. Congrats on the baby!