Saturday, April 7, 2012

Remembering Before Revising: Dragons of Blood and Stone


Hard to imagine, but it was in 2008 that I wrote the first draft of Dragons of Blood and Stone, the sequel to The Stone Dragon.

So why have I waited four years to revise? Well, I've learned how to publish and have three books out and one set of short stories--and I've learned a lot about how to market online.

The short stories are all set in the Dragons of Blood and Stone series universe and are published as an ebook: Who Listened to Dragons, Three Stories, for $ 0.99.

Now, after coming back from a bout with the flu virus and pneumonia, I'm ready to rewrite Dragons of Blood and Stone. After four years, though, I can't just jump in and rewrite it. To be perfectly honest, I don't even remember a lot of the details.

I remember some details:
  • two new dragons: Kubera, a dragon that has gotten too greedy and needs help; and Agnim, a dragon injured by dream magic and who wants to return to its lair of liquid stone and be left alone
  • a woman whose magic attracts men like a bee gathers pollen
  • a . . . slug, a slug-like dragon that lives in a river and consumes travelers . . . ?
  • a ghost, a madman, a scrier of cards, an army and a prophesy . . .
It's all vague recollection--but tantalizing. Here is my plan of action.

Buy Here
I'm going to read my novel and write a synopsis of every chapter. Events, conflicts, characters. Then, based on my experience of writing and bringing to publication two novels and a set of short stories, I'll revise and rewrite.

I'm curious to consider the rough-cut stone of the novel, curious to find the gem that can emerge if my key strokes are deft enough. In the meantime, try out the short stories if you want a sample--ninety-nine cents for a little over twelve thousand words.

Copyright 2012 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved

2 comments:

  1. I am looking forward to reading these stories. Thanks for them.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you. I intend, after finishing the sequel novel, to write more short stories for a book entitled Tales from the Stone Dragon Inn. Then I'll move on to a trilogy.

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