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Sunday, June 30, 2013

Editing continues

I just got back from a vacation in Virginia, where I actually managed to do some editing on Fire Gate. I've managed to make it about a third of the way through the book now. I've made some major and minor corrections along the way, but I know that most of the heavy editing is going to be in the last few chapters of the book anyway. Still it is a good start, in a fairly short amount of time that I was working on it. The more I consider different names the more I think I like The Elorean. Out of all of the other possibilities that I have considered that seems to fit the best. There are a few problems with that title though. For starters it looks like it was meant to be about a car and someone just took of the 'D' that was suppose to go in front of 'Elorean.' The other problem is that the title is reminiscent of The Hobbit. While Hobbits and Eloreans happen to be very different creatures from one another, they are still unique to their respective worlds and their race would be the defining feature of the book cover which features them. As such I feel that it is a little too closely referencing a Tolkinian  work for it to be in good taste. While the Lord of the Rings may have influenced my writing to a degree I don't want to present my works as just a different take on the same kind of world. Using such a similarly themed title seems like a poor choice on my part. Yet I cannot think of a more important aspect being introduced in this part of the story, since the Fire Gate is hardly mentioned and there are few other major themes that have yet to come into play. I will have to keep brainstorming to come up with a better title, but the story itself is coming closer and closer to its final form.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Fire Gate Finished!

Well, okay, technically it isn't finished yet, but I have reached what I intend on being the conclusion of the story for this book. Now I am going to have to start editing like mad. I was planning on getting this far much earlier in the summer, but as always I'm running behind my own schedule. I have a fairly good idea of the sort  of changes that I'm going to make. A few minor characters are going to have to be introduced by name, and I think I will have to expand upon what happens in a couple sections where, "and then they sailed for two weeks," or "and then they trained for a couple of months." It will give me an opportunity to expand upon the cultures and characters in a more peaceful setting, which I don't take much time to do. I'm also considering some way of prolonging the beginning of the book to give a better idea of Elorean family life. I was thinking that Deshka might not try to hurry them along and insist on resting before heading out(or perhaps Athal is out on a long hunting trip and is not going to be home for another day or so yet). That would let me give an idea of what some of Gaelen's training is like. I also need to expand on Valedectus since several people have commented that they particularly like his character. I myself find him rather interesting and I don't think it would be wise to miss such an opportunity. I'm certain he will be showing up again.