I'm about halfway through the final draft and I'm having so much fun! As I said in the last blog post, editing affords me an opportunity to read the book with a fresh set of eyes and see if all the parts are working correctly, and so far it seems to have really come together!
Of course, there are always changes needed, and I've found myself combining certain characters (if two characters can be combined into one, it's always better than littering the pages with throw-away characters that exist only for exposition's sake or to bring about some plot device). I've also come to realize that certain events or character arcs weren't properly set up in the first draft, so that's been another thing requiring some adjustment.
I've also surprised myself with certain parts of the story which have come across more humorous than I intended. In most cases, I've found, that's ok, as it provides needed levity to an intense (and occasionally dark) story. It also humanizes and grounds the characters, something which has always been one of my primary goals for the series.
So overall, I'm happy with this manuscript. I feel like it's tied up all the loose ends of the other books and brought about a satisfying conclusion to the series. I can only hope you all will have the same reaction to it!
In other news, I was shocked to find the other day that the EKJ Podcast channel on YouTube just reached 100 subscribers! The subscriber count has never been too important to me and I've never asked for subs, but I was happy to reach this milestone because it means that YouTube's custom URL feature is now enabled. This feature allows me to use a more memorable and succinct web address for the channel, and I've chosen youtube.com/c/EKJonathan as mine. (Glad there aren't any other "EK Jonathans" already on the platform!)
For the last month or so I've been tinkering with a new podcast episode, but with the completion of STAND looming on the horizon I haven't had time to put on the final touches. If all goes well, it should drop sometime within the week, so stay tuned!
Can't wait to share this new book with you all!
What a great milestone hitting 100 subscribers on Youtube!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear about the surprise humor coming through in this manuscript, your sense of humor is one of the best parts of your books imo.
Lastly I don’t mean to sound selfish, but I hope you continue to sacrifice the new podcast episode if it means we get the new book faster ;)
Thanks again for all your efforts.
PS. I took your advice and fully enjoyed every day of the Regional ... just what we needed, as always!
Thanks for your encouragement! Sometimes I need the break from one type of mental process (like editing a thick manuscript), and I've found that working on a podcast is often just the breath of air that I need. Both are coming along well!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to new reading material. Always enjoy your podcasts!!!!
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