I ran into some serious issues early on with book 2. Got them sorted out a few months ago and now it’s down to editing (and maybe add an epilogue). I’m just not sure how fast I can turn around this book given how long Twisted Magics took to come to completion.
Yeah, I know, no book is ever completed, but you get the idea.
It took close to three years to get the first one to where it is. The first draft was horrid. I scrapped the whole thing a year later and rewrote it. Learned a ton from my critique group in the process, but I still make a mess on first drafts.
Holy crap do I make a mess. There were sentences that I must have been flying trying to get down in November during NaNoWriMo because I was missing a number of words for it to make sense. Others I obviously changed my mind while writing and didn’t back up enough so trying to make heads or tails of that was fun as well. I have sections that are purely dialogue that I need to go back and fill-in. I could keep going.
There is a strong preference from a few that I try to get it out about a year from when Twisted Magics launched (if not sooner). I’m not sure if I can and I’m afraid of letting people down with the next book. Especially given how small it is right now.
For this month at least, I’ll be tackling book 2 in revisions during Camp NaNoWriMo. With any luck I’ll get to the point of being able to have it printed before leaving town for a few days so I can start attacking it with a red pen.
Anyone else get worried over non-existent deadlines?
And now for the new IWSG Day question: What’s the best thing someone has ever said about your writing?
Um…[insert long pause here] Did we have to start with a hard question?
Most recent is “where’s the next book?” But the one that has stuck with me for a while is about my characterizations. Since I let my characters drive the plot (I probably shouldn’t as some of them don’t even have a license), it meant a lot that I gave them each unique voices and have them be full creations rather than flat.
Even so, I still had to fight with one to get her stubborn streak to override her natural shyness and insecurity. I still have a lot to learn, but it did help in those early days of the first drafts to know I had nailed something.
About the Insecure Writer’s Support Group
J.C. Jackson 
Heh, you’re doing much better than I am. It’s been almost three years since I released my first book and another since I freed This World Bites into the public. I’m desperately trying to finish writing Murder Most Fowl just to have something to release soon, but it’s not looking hopeful. So, yay for good progress!
You do have good characters. And who cares if they don’t have a license?
You can do it! Hopefully my schedule is going to not be as packed soon and I can help look stuff over if you need it.
I only make fun of the ones that don’t have licenses (or is questionable how they obtained theirs) because all of a sudden they do something I completely didn’t expect, but end up keeping it (ie Silver and Rathal actually getting into a fight).