It isn’t often when you finally get that glimpse into the culmination of one of your fondest -and long held- dreams.

Today I finished reading/revising on paper the 7th draft of 7th book in the Corrosive Knights series.

When writing my novels, this is the way it goes: I finish up a draft on the computer, print it out, then read the printed version carefully and put down any additions/subtractions by pen.  Once done, I transfer all those pen & ink revisions into the computer and once done with that I print it out and go over the print out once again.

So, as mentioned, I’ve read and done the pen & ink revisions seven times now and, perhaps starting tomorrow (we’ll see, got some workers around the house fixing some stuff up), I’ll get on the computer and begin transferring those revisions into the Word file.

For those keeping track, I started reading and proofing the book on 6/28, which means its taken me a little less than two weeks to do this reading/revision.  I suspect it will take perhaps another couple of weeks, give or take and depending on that work being done on the house, to transfer those revisions into the Word file and fully complete this 7th draft of the book.

Getting all this done to the 6th draft of the book took two months and five or so days, which means I’m speeding up the time it takes to finish a revision.  This in turn means there is less revision needed which in turn means the book is that much closer to being completed.

Again, if time permits and I can work in peace on the computer, I suspect this entire draft from printout to printout/start to end will take me roughly a month and that culmination of the dream becomes that much closer to being a reality.

So yeah, its fair to say I’m elated.  Not just because of this book, which I’m so damn proud of, but this entire series.

It has come out far, far better than I dared think it would, and, you know what?  I’m not just elated.  I’m freaking ecstatic!!!!!!

All right, calm down.

There’s still some work to be done.  There are parts in the novel’s mid section which need to be tightened.  The story beats are good, but the way I described what happens during these parts needs sharpening.  There are also a couple of small add-ons needed toward the book’s conclusion.  However, nothing very big.

The story itself, as they say in movies, is basically locked down.

When I started this novel, I hoped November 2018 would be my far end deadline to finish everything up.  Sure, I hoped it could be done and released earlier, but these novels do have a way of taking their time and this one, just like the others, certainly has done that.  I don’t believe I’ll get it done much earlier and there is the possibility I might take a little longer.

As with all things creative, it’s extremely difficult to predict with any kind of absolute certainty when this will be finished.

Regardless, it’s close, dear readers.  It’s very close now.  Another two or three drafts might just do it.

Keep those fingers crossed!