NaBloWriMo Day 30 Book Two

I have been writing the sequel to my first book for about a year and a half. It is not coming along as well as I’d hoped. Not nearly as well as the first book, and that was an exceptionally painful experience… for everyone.

But book two has been troublesome in many ways. For one thing, I keep going back to check on the spelling of that damn pirate’s name. Was it Joachim or Joaquin? And, who helped Obadiah?

See, in the second book, I’m stepping back in time a little bit to show some activity from the Citadel’s side of the big event where someone send a sonic attack through an unauthorized portal, thus rendering a particular portal hub useless. It’s a good plan, and one I hope doesn’t confuse anybody. I just need to keep from confusing myself in the process and make sure my timelines line up in the proper sequence, lest I put off readers who pay attention to such things and make them put the book down and walk away. That would make me sad.

I must also work Drake’s escape from the Citadel into the plot, after all, I have a scene already written for him that I really like where he gets a sound karmic spanking. Readers will be introduced to some new characters, as well as get to know some others who were integral to the first book, but didn’t have a huge presence in that story. Theo, Jewel, Captain Malano (who will get a first name, along with General Kothe), that rake Joachim/Joaquin will be there doing his best to irritate Obadiah. Stella, Baby Sabine, a handful of Citadel Guardsmen who have found themselves on the dragons’ home world, a mostly dead Librarian, Viz (not her real name, it’s the last sound her victims hear before her sword relieves them of their heads), and the fate of Claire and Cole.

I had a complete first draft all written, then I made some changes because it really didn’t pack enough “oomph” and a book without “oomph” is little more than fire starter. So I made some changes, brought in a few characters, then realized it would “look better over here” so I dragged heavy items across the plot and came up with some fabulous ideas. They just bear absolutely no resemblance to that first draft. Or the second first draft.

But, it will open the door to more adventures and I’m rather excited about that prospect. Even though it’s going to be the third first draft of the second book and the mother of many gray hairs.