164,510

There is now a full second draft. Longest single manuscript I’ve ever written.
Not entirely convinced by a keystone element in the last chapter/coda that answers an important question. Was much happier with the answer in draft 1, except draft 2 has changed so much draft 1’s answer no longer makes sense. This is the process of revision, you exchange big problems for smaller ones. In any case, the new answer will either grow on me, or I’ll think of a better one. All in good time.
Have probably overegged the thematic stuff like crazy. But what the hell.
(Now I need some willing victims to read it. Four very helpful people read draft 1, whose feedback was very useful indeed. There are a couple of people who put their hand up back then who I have saved for this, draft 2. Any other unsuspecting dupes out there willing to read an unpolished unproofread 160K ms and provide critical comment, and do it for the sheer love of the game? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?)

15 thoughts on “164,510”

  1. This is an automated response:
    I will be away from my desk today, I am going to a Cubs game and/or wrecking a Ferarri.
    I will be back tomorrow.

  2. god ferris bueller is awesome. actually, he is so awesome he makes me want to wag and take my friends to a fancy restaurant in my friend’s dad’s car, and to sing in a parade.

  3. “Now I need some willing victims to read it. ”
    Yes, certainly. Although, _164,510_ words? Are you planning on getting it published at that length? It sounds like quite a long novel.

  4. I’d love to read it… if you don’t expect me to say anything toooo intelligent or insightful:-)

  5. Yeah, is long… at current length would be about 600 pages of standard typeset fiction I guess. (But long books are always released with smaller typeset – not that unusual.) In any case, I expect a good 20%+ of the length would be shaved off by a professional editing process, such as what would happen if I can get this picked up.
    When I was 12, Ferris Bueller was the funniest thing the human race had ever created. (It is still up there somewhere.)
    Thanks Steph/Karen, your names are going on my little list…

  6. I’ll give it a once over my friend. If only to say I read that before it was a runaway bestseller, and back when he still talked to the little interweb users. Oh, he used to be ok you know, but, honestly, he’s changed. Got a bit taller I think. Yeah, back before he was a famous punditocrat he was short. Wouldn’t have been more than five five with boots on.

  8. I will volunteer to read it. I may even discuss it with other English Department luminaries, and suggest that we buy it as a school text when it is published 😉

  9. As long as the Werewolves and the gang of Korean transsexuals searching for the fabled golden monkey butt is still in there, YOU CAN COUNT ME IN!

  10. As a complete plebian and sometime reader, I’m happy to have a look. Going on holiday after Easter and would like something to read.

  11. I need RTBv2.0 to compare with RTBv1.0 – send it now (you know where!!!).
    Incidentally I think it was about this time last year that I was wading through the pages of v1.0; pages I still have and will be selling off on eBay one page at a time when you are all famous etc.
    No point in not profiting from this whole draft reading lark eh?

  12. A “standard typeset page” for regular-length contemporary lit is around 350 words, I think. (Plucks some books off shelf to check; seems about right.) Of course, any book of length is printed to 450-500 words per page because otherwise the printing costs would be outrageous. So I guess I’ve written two 250-page books, or one 350 page book 🙂
    Thanks for further offers. Sly, I had to change the golden monkey butt into a golden monkey foot, but otherwise all is in order.

  13. What ever happened to Young? I suspect this may of been covered off in earlier blogs, but I’m not gonna read them all. Or is RTB the new Young?

  14. Young (retitled In Move) has been shopped around unsuccessfully and looks destined to remain unpublished. Young adult publishers say it’s too reflective for their audience; lit publishers say it’s not reflective enough for theirs. I suspect they’re both right.
    So I’m not sure what to do with it really.

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