It’s been a little while since I’ve provided an update on the Corrosive Knights series and, specifically, book #7 in the series.  This book concludes the main story line (though there will be a book #8, an epilogue, to the series).

So, what’s the news?

What you’re seeing in this photograph and lying underneath the previous 6 books in the Corrosive Knights series is the finished first draft of Book #7.  On Friday, February 24, I finished that first draft and printed it out so that I could get to work on the second draft.

Mind you, the first draft of this novel, as big an accomplishment as it is, is nonetheless still far from the finished work.  I’ve mentioned before how my two previous novels, Ghost of the Argus and Foundry of the Gods, required 12 drafts before I was happy with the overall product and deemed it good enough to be released.

However, let’s not rain on this particular parade: The fact that I’ve gotten to the point where I’m happy enough to print out this first draft, and it is as complete as it is, fills me with optimism that this novel will not take quite as long to finish as those last two books.  Bear in mind I started this novel in mid-November, worked through roughly half of December (vacations and kids coming home inevitably meant less work being done), then January and February.

To get a first draft of a novel done in what amounts to approximately three months -give or take- is extraordinary and bodes well for the book’s eventual completion and release.

Of course there are still plenty of things needed to be done.  The first draft clocks in at approximately 66,000 words yet I’m certain when all I get to that final draft this novel will be north of 110,000 words.  This means there are maybe 50,000 more words left to write.  Where will the bulk of these to-be-written parts come from?  From a subplot I decided to sketch out while sticking to the novel’s main plot in this draft.

Regardless, I’m incredibly excited by the book’s progress and intend to hit the gas hard in the coming months.  Will I get the novel done before the year is over?

Hard to say as I’m still so early in the book’s process but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t hope so.

Wish me luck!