I last wrote to you at the beginning of December when we were in the final stages of editing and proofing the book. In the end, there were 285 changes, none of which were substantive; mostly misspellings, grammar, punctuation and some incongruities in the text. Just before Christmas we completed that process. The next step was for the publisher to send Charlie No Face to a proofreader. The publisher considers the proofer to be an ‘Everyreader’, an example of the typical person who may buy and (hopefully) read your book. Of course, they are also skilled at recognizing mistakes that may have eluded the rest of us during editing. I hadn’t realized how much weight this person carries (and I also didn’t know who the proofer was). Whatever the proofreader doesn’t understand or doesn’t like, has to be changed. Although I disagreed with almost all the recommended changes, luckily they were very minor and didn’t affect the story or the style of the writing in any significant way. I think because of my concerns, the publisher has suggested that I take one final look at the book before it is released. That is the work I will undertake and complete in the next several days.
Long story short, Charlie No Face should be released later this month. I will let you know.
As for the next novel, Chimney Bluffs, I have reached the 200 page mark. With each of my novels, I stop writing at this point and re - read the whole book to see if it hangs together, if it flows, if it creates the right tension. It also gives me a clearer sense of what is left to do. At the 200 page mark, I never know exactly how the story will end. But by the 200 page mark, I usually know how it won’t end. By that I mean options for what the characters may or may not do begin to narrow the further you get into the narrative. I think to be honest in my writing I have to avoid a deus ex machina (an ‘out of the blue’ event that changes everything for the good) or a Hollywood finish (something sappy or maudlin that forces a happy ending even though the story may not warrant such an ending). I was pleasantly surprised by what I read and feel ready to pursue this final phase of the story (probably another 100 pages or so).
And there you have it.