Updates and such.

Amidst all the excitement of Between Brothers, I have actually been working, believe it or not. Writing, plottering, scheminating, the usual fun and games. So here's a general update for those, not bored into comas by such things...

Nine Tenths of the Law is almost done. Odds are pretty good that it'll be done tomorrow. It looks like it's going to come up a lot shorter than I expected. It may not even hit 60,000. I have a feeling it'll end up getting an overhaul/facelift like Camera Shy and a few others have; that usually results in an additional 15-30,000 words. I don't believe in adding words just to pad the final count, but I'm pretty sure this story is a bit leaner than it needs to be. Not sure why, I just think something's missing. So, I'm going to finish the first draft, set it aside for a while, then revisit it with an axe and some tools of butchery and see what I can do with it.

As soon as that book is finished, it's on to the one that's been driving me to distraction for the last week or so: Behind Closed Doors. Unlike Nine Tenths of the Law, Behind Closed Doors is dropping hints about running a bit long. Most of my outlines have about 30-35 chapters listed when I started a first draft. This one already has over 60. Some of them may not make it into the final manuscript (I'd say I delete at least 5-10 chapters from every outline before they're ever written), but there's a good possibility I'll add some too (I almost always add at least a dozen chapters, including splitting some that get too long). Assuming I don't do some major slashery to the outline, it's entirely possible that Behind Closed Doors could take me past the 100,000 word mark for the first time since Sins of the Father. This is all assuming it makes it past the Milestone of Destinah of course.

So anyway, finishing Nine Tenths of the Law tomorrow, then it's on to Behind Closed Doors. I'm guessing that should keep me busy right up until some time in October, at which point I'll either start something new, finish an existing project, or hold off until November so I can start NaNoWriMo.

Also, keep an eye out for updates on the paperback edition of Between Brothers. I don't have an exact date yet, but it should be out very soon. Stay tuned!