Editing, Editing!

I've finally reached Chapter 31 in my editing of Ransom of Tartarus. Only four more chapters to go! And possibly a couple new scenes to be inserted in places that seem to beg for a little extra. Sometimes in the heat of writing, a gap is left that needs to be filled later. Usually this isn't a big deal. And some minor continuity problems may crop up and have to be dealt with.

These are good reasons for self-editing your work. No other editor has the right "feel" for my books; what may seem important/insignificant to that person, no matter how skilled they may be, may not be so to me.And it is, after all, my work. My name goes on my novels---not theirs.

Here's a small "for instance": Since the Adz-tzl, the Holy Scepter of the Law, plays a significant role at the end of Book 2, I had to make darn sure that it was mentioned, described,and it's purpose explained early on in the book. If I hadn't done so, readers would've justifiably responded: "Huh?"

The one exception to resorting to an outside editor is that your English skills aren't up to par, and in this case an editor can save you loads of embarrassment!

Hope to be home from NH late Weds. Take care all.

MRTighe





.

A Bit of a Breather

Now that True Son of Tartarus has been finished and left in the capable hands of the publisher and the printer, I am taking a bit of a breather, which doesn't mean that I'm not writing/editing---just that I'm under less pressure than usual. I've already begun the process of editing Ransom of Tartarus, which will be Book 3 of the trilogy; as soon as True Son becomes available online, I intend to start the whole publication process over once again.

If things go smoothly ( and they often do not! ) "Ransom" could be published as early as February of 2012. I just have to work hard and keep my fingers crossed. There's a lot to be done in that short time. Fortunately, Ransom has already been written, and I'm happy with it; it's been transferred to my laptop, made into a hard copy, and edited somewhat. But it still needs a final edit, transfer to a USB, layout, proofs and corrections of proofs, and coming up with a satisfactory cover design ( which can take 2-3 tries! )

As you can imagine, this all takes time and patience---even in the age of e-mails, pdfs, and priority mail! At this time I have no intention of succumbing to the temptation to turn the trilogy into a "series", as many authors have done---unless you count the creation of two prequels as making this into a series. Do I know how the story ends many, many years into the future? I do---but that telling is a very long way away!

All for now,
'
MRTighe

Are We Having Fun Yet?

To answer that---yes, we are! It's been quite a while since I read Ransom of Tartarus through, so it's like reading a new book! Always exciting! Even writers tend to forget what they've written, and I'm no different. So even the difficult first edit has become more fun than usual! Whether future edits will find me so enthusiastic remains to be seen, but for now I'm a very happy camper.

The plot of Ransom is a bit more complicated than the previous two books, more intrigue, more characters involved (but I try to keep them to a reasonable number, almost all have been introduced in the previous books, and some meet their demise before the end! ) There's also a lot more action than in the first two, so, if I could hazard a guess, I'd say it's a bit more of a "boy's book"! So far, I must admit, no one has accused the other two books of being "girly"---maybe because I've never been a girly-girl, but a tomboy who loved hunting and fishing and climbing trees ( despite a huge fear of heights! )

So, must get back to work now---deep in part three ( Prophecy Fulfilled ) and nearing the end of the trilogy.
I can't wait to hear readers' reactions when True Son comes out and, finally, when Ransom is published!

All for now,

MRTighe

Glutton for Punishment?

Here I am again. Today I took up work on Book 2: True Son of Tartarus.This book is finished except for the nit-picky stuff: editing, title pages, etc. Not as much fun as writing, but, heck, somebody has to do it--and, well, there's only me. I have a few fans in the wings waiting for a copy of Judgment to read. I thought at first Book 2 would be longer than Book 1, but at this point it looks as if they may be dead-even. But, for anyone who likes Book 1, I can only say from my point of view, I think Book 2 is slightly better. I'd give reasons, but I don't want to give away the plot of Judgment! Anyway, in a few months hopefully, you'll be able to read both and compare.

Back to work,

MRTighe