Work on the sequel went well last night, so I'm getting over my weekend malaise. However, I have come to realize a big section of what I wrote has to be redone.
There's a few scenes involving Tristan and his trunk at the Lodge. If you've read the first book, you know what I'm talking about.
Anyway, there is a particular storyline involving the trunk that I want to start in Book 2 and carry through until the end of the series. The problem, though, is what I want to happen isn't what's best for the story.
My plan for the trunk actually prevents Tristan from growing as a character. The best parts of a story often involve a character changing, usually for the better. By focusing so much on material items in the story, I was prevent Tristan from maturing emotionally and spiritually.
Thus, I have about three chapters in Book 2 that have to be totally redone, maybe more. The prospect of doing that is deflating, but I think it's a problem many authors face.
In fact, I would hazard a guess that most authors have to rewrite significant portions of their books before sending them to print. It's just part of the process.
So there goes about 10-20 hours of work. I'll have to make sure continuity is maintained throughout the plot. When you change something early in a story, you have to make sure each succeeding chapter takes that change into account.
In the end, I think the rewrites I have to make will produce a more enjoyable narrative for the reader. Book 2 will be a bit gentler than I wanted, but there's still plenty of hardship for the characters to deal with.
Anyway, I've tried to describe all this without any spoilers. I just wanted to give an update on where I am with the sequel and to let you know I'm still well on track to release it in 2020.
Peace,
-Troy
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