Wrapping 2013 on a high note

The end of Elevated is close enough that I feel it approaching every time I sit down to write. I've already started thinking about the rewrite and about what comes next.

Chapter 18 is done in a rough cut, waiting for analysis by my First Reader and my proofreader/editor. If I didn't have to go back to work Thursday, I'd probably have it done by the end of the week, but as it is, it will probably take a bit longer.

It's been a great return to writing and publishing erotic fiction. I'm looking forward to an even better 2014.

Mission accomplished

My goal for this writing vacation was to go back to work on Thursday with enough chapters of Elevated ready that I would have a three-week cushion of publishable work as a bulwark against missing a Friday. I've mentioned before how much longer each chapter is taking to write than I originally set aside for writing each week. Eventually, that will either catch up with me or I'll finish the book.

It's looking much more like the latter. I wrote chapters 14-17 during this vacation and published 14 on Friday. That means I have chapters in the can to publish on January 3, 10, & 17, during which I will hopefully be wrapping up chapters 18-21, which conclude Elevated (although they leave plenty of open questions for subsequent books.)

There are still some challenges left in writing the remaining four chapters and a chance that they might have to be split differently than I'm currently planning, but if they behave, the final chapter of Elevated could be published on February 14, 2014, Valentine's Day.

I'm hoping to return to the story of Corvus Gallicus in July or August of 2014 and already feeling out what I'll write and publish in the interim. There are a number of possibilities, which I'll probably discuss here soon. Also, once the entirety of Elevated has been published and the whole story has had a few weeks to settle in my mind, I'll be going back to fix typos, add a bit of polish, and fix inconsistencies (like my mixed-up map of Rio and Clover's blonde hair in the first couple of chapters.)

RetCon notes

Writing the opening scene for chapter 18 of Elevated, I realized that my twenty-five year old memory of how Rio de Janeiro  is laid out was a little fuzzy and as a result, the way I laid out Rio, the capital of New Rome, doesn't actually fit the geography.

This will teach me not to rely on memory when maps are available.

When I do the clean-up of Elevated, I'm going to have to move some things around. The most notable change is that there's actually no place that has the views described from Gaius's estate. Where I'd meant to put it, there's actually no ocean view at all. Also, the Imperial Coast Highway should be running northwest out of the capital, through what is actually Sao Conrado.

None of this requires story changes, but it may be a little jarring to anyone that knows the map of Rio when we get to chapter 18 because I need to make a continuity break, which I will go back and fix later.

This is one of the hazards of posting as you write, I imagine.

Chapter 17 refuses to remain Chapter 17

I started on chapter 17 of Elevated last night before bed and am just taking a break now to get outside before the sun goes down. There is an extremely minor spoiler below. So, if you like to avoid such things and haven't read that far yet (no one has as I write this. Even Boy is only on chapter 16.)

Last chance. Gone yet? Or are you still peeking?

Good. Anyway, chapter 17 is supposed to be the elevation of Corvus and Lucretia, the wedding of Lucretia and Gaius, and the wedding reception (the spoiler being that they do go forwards as everyone has been led to expect.) I just got to the end of the wedding and the current draft is already 27 pages. The reception is promising to be nearly as long. So, I'm breaking Draft 5 Chapter 17 into Draft 6 Chapters 17 and 18. There's no way around it other than posting a 60-page chapter.

Chapter 17 should be published on January 17 and chapter 18 on January 24, Even if I've finished the novel by then, I expect to stick to this schedule for two reasons: (1) the two chapters together will probably take 30-35 hours to write and, while I have the time now, I won't in mid-January and part of the point of this writing vacation is to have something to publish every week in 2014 and (2) the last time I split a chapter and posted both parts, roughly 1,200 missed that fact and only read the second chapter posted. It's taken over a month for those numbers to smooth out.

On the other hand, I promise that neither of these chapters is lacking in action, excitement, sexiness, or fun. I think you'll enjoy them very much and, in the end, it means one more chapter of Elevated before it's wrapped up.

One last time in 2013: Elevated Chapter 14 is submitted to SOL!

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It's a Christmas Miracle! (sort of.)

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20-December: Catch-up

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