AQATDR: And the winner is...

Nov. 26th, 2009 at 1:40 AM

Initially I considered the title "Alexandra Quick and the Dead," but that struck me as more cute than clever. Also, Alexandra is not Sharon Stone.

Sharon Stone in "The Quick and the Dead"

Sharon Stone in "The Quick and the Dead"

So, the good news is that the pace of my writing has picked up recently. I haven't managed any 5K-word days lately, but I have written over three chapters in the last two weeks.

The bad news is that I was feeling quite pleased with myself at having worked out most of the plot points, so that it was now just a matter of getting everything written out. Then, there I am at the gym, going over the story in my head while working out, when suddenly I saw a great, big, humongous effing plot hole yawning widely and threatening to suck my entire story into its inky black depths.

Unfortunately, this revelation occurred to me while I was pressing more than my body weight; not exactly the most opportune time to be exclaiming, "Oh, s***!"

Happily, I didn't drop the weight bar and crush my chest, and I think I've worked out a solution to the plot hole that won't require too much rewriting.

(The great thing about Harry Potter fan fiction is that you can fix a lot of things with magic. You just have to avoid pulling sudden convenient spells and magic items that have never been mentioned before out of your ass, and then forgetting about them once they've served their purpose. *cough* Time-Turners Felix Felicitas Fiendfyre Wandlore *cough*.)

Alas, I think my plan to have AQATDR finished by the end of the year is looking impractical at this point. I don't want to rush it just to meet some arbitrary deadline I made up months ago.

The current word count stands at 115,000. Right now, I am sticking to my prediction that book three will be longer than book one, but not quite as long as book two. However, chapters still have a habit of multiplying on me, and the chapters in this one are long, folks. (Right now, average chapter length is almost 7000 words.)

I am probably going to start letting my betas rip through the first half of the book pretty soon. Depending on how that goes, I still expect to complete Alexandra Quick and the Deathly Regiment by... well, I'll keep you posted.

LJ Video

Comments

( 12 comments — Leave a comment )

(Anonymous)

Nov. 26th, 2009 05:50 pm (UTC)

Felix Felicitas as well as the title

*cough* Time-Turners Felix Felicitas Fiendfyre Wandlore *cough*.)

Well, at least Felix is hinted at in book one, when Snape says "I can teach you to bottle fame ..."

And for fiendfyre, there was a good excuse, it being a hard to control dark magic stuff.

But for time turners, I must agree.

Now on about the title, what is that "deathly" adjective? If it is about what they do onto others, it should be "deadly," no? And if it is of dead souls (from the Lands Beyond?), shouldn't it be the "dead" regiment?

I look forward reading, cheers!

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fpb

Nov. 27th, 2009 10:17 am (UTC)

Re: Felix Felicitas as well as the title

Actually, the business of time-turners is very easy to explain. JKR made it clear that they are incredibly difficult to obtain - Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts, had to go through any amount of bureaucratic claptrap just to get one - and incredibly hard to manage. Even wizards who have one, if indeed any can be obtained outside the Ministry, will be very reluctant to use except in the most extreme of emergencies, or in cases where - as with Hermione's overload of work - it is impossible to see a risk or a downside. A major problem with fanfics is that elements that canon shows to be difficult and extremely rare are used over and over again; for instance, just how many animagi are there in fanfic, and how often is the Room of Requirement used without urgent reason? Personally, I would underline that magic is capricious and difficult, and that not everyone will be able to use a Time-Turner or brew Felix Felicis any time they need it.

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fpb

Nov. 27th, 2009 10:12 am (UTC)

I am going to publish a reworked version of Blackmail incorporating most of your suggestions, and unless you don't want to, I'll mention you as beta.

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inverarity

Nov. 29th, 2009 07:13 am (UTC)

Re: OT

I think all I did was provide a review with some concrit (if I were actually betaing, I'd be more brutal ;)), but you can give me credit if you want to.

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(Anonymous)

Nov. 28th, 2009 04:13 am (UTC)

Very interesting title. I wonder what it refers to (nothing to do with Deathly Hallows I assume). My guess is dementors perhaps...?

Anyway, keep up with the writing and I can't wait til this story comes out!

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(Anonymous)

Nov. 28th, 2009 09:10 am (UTC)

Here's my wild guess: an army of ghosts, possibly still haunting the world from the series of conflicts that gave the government control of the Lands Below. Obviously, both Abraham and the government are interested in them.

Of course, I'm probably wrong.

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(Anonymous)

Nov. 29th, 2009 07:42 pm (UTC)

I second this guess.

No release this year? ::pulls extremely sad face:: Maybe just chapter 1 as a Christmas gift/teaser? Pretty please? With whipped cream and sprinkles and a cherry on top?

-So this is real life

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(Anonymous)

Nov. 29th, 2009 07:52 pm (UTC)

Agreement.

I agree.

~DarkSov~

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(Anonymous)

Nov. 29th, 2009 06:15 pm (UTC)

Entitle...ment? ing? What's the verb?

Alexandra starts up her own dueling/defense club and begins accruing followers. She organizes them in a military fashion, in what becomes known as the Deathly Regiment, in an effort to...take down Larry Albo? :/

~DarkSov~

P.S. Of course, I'm joking.

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(Anonymous)

Dec. 3rd, 2009 01:30 am (UTC)

when you said that you couldn't have it done by the end of the year i first thought "oh no! that was already months, how long will it be now?" then i realized, IT'S DECEMBER!!!!!!!! now i feel so much better, with the idea that even delayed, it's probably going to be sooner than i thought it was.
maybe i need to keep track of what month it is? idk, probably not that important...

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(Anonymous)

Dec. 10th, 2009 02:17 pm (UTC)

That ghost dude

Is that the ghost of Dumbledore?! Please tell me it's not.

~DarkSov~

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inverarity

Dec. 10th, 2009 06:24 pm (UTC)

Re: That ghost dude

It's not.

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( 12 comments — Leave a comment )

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