Sword of Chaos Update

I am in the editing process, as you may have seen in my previous post, on my current novel, Sword of Chaos. I don’t think I need to tell you, but editing is not easy, especially editing your own work. Cutting out scenes, sentences, and even just words that you’ve labored over can be, well, downright traumatic.

Honestly, I’ve been putting it off a bit, too much, really.

While I have come up with some ideas to enhance certain scenes, enrich a character or subplot, I haven’t done much to actually edit the manuscript. Let’s just say progress is slow.

Part of me wants to make my story rich, with vivid characters and detailed scenes. But then there’s that little voice in me, taunting, Naw, it’s good enough. Who needs all that detail. You know the story.

And there’s the point. I know the story. But I want to share it so that reader gets to know the characters like I do, cries when they suffer, sympathizes with their desires, becomes enraged at their betrayal. I want the reader to get lost in my world, waiting to see what creatures will be hiding in the forest, guessing what treasure might await beyond the Void, and hoping that the myths and legends are true!

The road to publication is long – and being made longer by my delaying – so I am toying with ideas to share at least some of my story with the world. Some writers share chapters of their work regularly (wasn’t The Martian originally published online that way?) I am not sure if that is the best way for me, as I tend to go back and change parts as the story evolves.

However, I feel I need some accountability, at least to myself.

My hope is, without spoilers if I can help it, to find ways to share snippets as I edit, for your comment and/or enjoyment. So please, if so inclined, leave constructive comments when I do post excerpts. And I will do my best to make regular updates…