Book - "Saved - Book 1 of The Circle Trilogy" - by me

[GORDON]

You should try being emotionless like me.

I've purged all emotions except anxiety.

Is horny an emotion? I have that.

I've even purged that. I had my fun, post-divorce... but I have zero interest in dating, right now. None.

If my unicorn shows up, I'll reconsider. But I don't have any expectations that'll happen.

[GORDON]

I was stalled for a week, editing a chapter in book 2. It was dark and I just couldn't.

But I powered through today, and now I feel better.

How goes the read of book 1?

[Leisher]

I said elsewhere I'm at 28%.

I'll probably read some more tonight, but want to save some for the return flight.

[GORDON]

No.word from neither Leisher nor Vince. I assume they loved it so much they're still in shock.

Book 2 is out within 2 months.

Join Stevie Scott's Facebook group, if you haven't yet. It's called "Arapaho County". Hopefully that name is unique.

I may be giving out the.first line of book 3, soon. It's forboding.

[Leisher]

I notice Vince has stopped posting, so perhaps you scared him off.

I am at chapter 20, but without travel it's hard to pick up a book. Usually I'd rather be playing video games and watching movies or spending time with my family (I know, I'm sick.).

I have an exam tomorrow, but I promise I'll go back, finish it this week, and get the review out there.

[GORDON]

Currently 108k words in book 2. Doing a partial rewrite, 30% done, wild ass guess is final count will by 100k words. Just putting that here to see how close I get.

Currently at 105k words, but I'm putting a book1 recap in the beginning. Book 1 is just too damned polarizing, for people who don't know what the story is going to do. So I'll not market it, and take "book 1 of the trilogy" off of it, and market book 2 on it's own merit, with the recap at the beginning. Then, if people want a prequel because now they love the characters, I can direct them to the back story/book 1.

[TheCatt]

Currently 108k words in book 2. Doing a partial rewrite, 30% done, wild ass guess is final count will by 100k words. Just putting that here to see how close I get.

Currently at 105k words, but I'm putting a book1 recap in the beginning. Book 1 is just too damned polarizing, for people who don't know what the story is going to do. So I'll not market it, and take "book 1 of the trilogy" off of it, and market book 2 on it's own merit, with the recap at the beginning. Then, if people want a prequel because now they love the characters, I can direct them to the back story/book 1.

Yeah, this is not a great plan. You need book 1 to sell the other twos, not the other way around.

[GORDON]

Everyone hates book 1, unless I spend two hours PMing the reader about it. Book 1 does not sell book 2.

A recap isn't going to hurt anything.

[TheCatt]

Book 1 does not sell book 2.

Then you're never going to sell any of them.

[GORDON]

The following post is a little spoiloery if you haven't finished book 1, yet. But not really. But kinda. It's mostly me crystallizing my thoughts, I have to write blurbs, soon.

edit - and even slightly spoilery for book 2. No more than a standard movie trailer, but still. You find out who the main characters are, and a sense of what they're doing in the next book.

++++

Spent a lot of time tonight arranging the structure of book 2.

Book 1 was mainly Erin's story. Even when it wasn't, when the girls are in therapy, or when they are putting their lives back together, it's all in Erin's shadow, because of what she did. Her reminiscing of the events in her life are difficult to read, but I think that makes her good works more poignant. Book 1 was about Erin.

But book 2 is a transition. Erin had her story, and she was left with nothing. Book 2 is her aftermath in the fall of The Circle, and her personal fall. But it's also the story of Mary. Her recovery, her growth. Book 2 puts Erin and Mary where they need to be to begin Book 3, and we see the final result of the damage John, and The Circle, caused.

The structure of Book 2 is going to be a little odd. It's beginning-to-end, unlike book 1, and is very satisfying in a storytelling sense... but it's Erin's fall, punctuated with moments of Mary's rise. Their timelines don't mesh perfectly, except at the very beginning, and very end. In the middle weeks might pass for Erin, but for Mary it's the next day, but that doesn't matter. Their stories aren't linked, per se... just at the beginning, and the end. There is one long Mary chapter for every 4 Erin chapters. And as Erin self destructs, the Mary chapters almost feel like a chance to breathe... to let a little light into the story.

John took everything from Erin, when he left. She's adrift, she's lost, and she has no one to show her a way out. She does the best she can. And when she hits the bottom, she leaves a crater.

And book 3 is epic, and triumphant. Until it isn't.

[Cakedaddy]

Did you know that Stevie Scott is an Indiana running back?

[GORDON]

Funny you should mention that. I just learned that last weekend. I addressed it on a post on Stevie Scott's facebook group, "Arapaho County."

[GORDON]

Currently 108k words in book 2. Doing a partial rewrite, 30% done, wild ass guess is final count will by 100k words. Just putting that here to see how close I get.

Currently at 105k words, but I'm putting a book1 recap in the beginning. Book 1 is just too damned polarizing, for people who don't know what the story is going to do. So I'll not market it, and take "book 1 of the trilogy" off of it, and market book 2 on it's own merit, with the recap at the beginning. Then, if people want a prequel because now they love the characters, I can direct them to the back story/book 1.

106.5k words. That's what's going out to the beta readers, tomorrow. Just wrote a bunch of pages off the top of my head, in the form of a faerie tale, recapping book 1. It's way easier to read that the "uncomfortable" book 1, and tells the reader everything they need to know. There will probably be grammar errors and shit in it, because I just wrote it.

For context, the first Harry Potter book was 77k words.

Going through book 2 in this final edit, a few scenes still sent tears down my cheeks, it's so god damned good.

[GORDON]

Forgot my rule about not writing late at night. Sleep was allllllll fucked up.

[GORDON]

Book 2 is in the wild, the beta readers have been given copies.

Now the waiting game begins where I pretend to not be offended when they're all too busy to get to it for like 3 weeks, even though it's the biggest thing I've got going on.

Leisher, there's a copy for you, if you finished the first book.

[TheCatt]

Leisher, there's a copy for you, if you finished the first book.

Here's the thing to really be offended about.

[Leisher]

Leisher, there's a copy for you, if you finished the first book.

Here's the thing to really be offended about.

Cell phones have truly annihilated my prime reading time...

I have not finished it, but just read another chapter Sunday. Meant to take my iPad to work today to finish the book, but forgot. Will do so tomorrow. I'm at 78-79%.

[GORDON]

It's not everyone's cup of tea, even without the child abuse. It wasn't even mine, until it spilled out of me. I've never read a drama/chick lit/let's talk about our feelings book, in my life. And I won't read anyone else's. I wasn't going to be offended about someone not reading it.

[TheCatt]

Meant to take my iPad to work today to finish the book, but forgot.

They have Amazon Kindle app on phones, you know.

[Leisher]

It's not everyone's cup of tea

It truly isn't due to me being offended or anything. It just never enters my mind to read it as I'm usually busy with family, games, movies, work, etc.

They have Amazon Kindle app on phones, you know.

But it was easier to play and beat Meteor 60 Seconds! while eating my lunch than DL an app.