Bodacious Creed: Second Draft Done!

Yesterday, with two chapters left to go, I decided it was time to finish Bodacious Creed: a Steampunk Zombie Western. I sat at my desk and worked for hours to get those last 5,000 or so words done. Writers know how exciting it is getting the climax and wrap-up of the book done!

How long is it? Try a hefty 130,000 words.

To put that in perspective, pick up a fantasy novel by a first-time author at any book store. Good size, right? That's about 80,000 words.

So, Bodacious Creed turned out longer than I expected it to in the beginning and getting it done took a lot of work. However, I think you will all love it when I publish it.

It's taken about three years to get where it's at now. Does that mean it'll be a few more years before I publish it? Absolutely not. I'm going to wait a week, then go into the next phase.

Editing a Steampunk Zombie Western

The first draft of Bodacious Creed needed a heavy rewrite, in part because I changed the way the technology works, and in part because I dictated the last 50,000 words. I won't do that again. When I type, my prose comes out much smoother. I'll write an entry sometime about what dictation is great for. For me, however, it's not the actual prose of a book.

The final chapters needed the most changes. Think of it as the butterfly effect. Smaller changes early on in the story meant larger deviations later on. The climax, especially, needed a complete rewrite. When I first wrote that scene last December it was too easy. I knew it wasn't strong, but I got to spend this year, while editing, figuring out how to resolve everything. What I came up with is much more suspenseful and satisfying than before.

So, the next phase!

In a week, I'm going to read the book over again from the beginning. Instead of editing as I go, I'm going to take paper notes about what needs to change. I'll read it on my Kindle, where I can't make changes to the file. That could include passages to cut or move, details and hints to add, inconsistencies to correct, and so on. Then, with those notes I'll go through the file on my computer and make the changes.

Next, I'll go through it again to punch up the description, dialogue, and so on, really set the scene and make sure to draw you into the story.

After that, I'll read it aloud and edit. Then, I'll probably read it aloud again and edit.

By mid to late January, I'll publish this epic, steampunk western adventure.

What's in the story? Gunslingers. Outlaws. Steampunk technology. Automatons (robots). Prostitutes. Adventure. Danger. Suspense. Death and Mayhem.

You're going to love it.