Outlines and Previews

An update on my The Hope of Memory trilogy.

I've completed the detailed outline of Book 3, Rom Tar. I know you're wondering: Why I didn't have a detailed one from the very start? Well, I did have an outline, but it was very high-level, without any real specifics. I knew how I wanted it to end and the general way to get there. Now I have a 21-page document with plenty of background and a detailed summary.

I couldn't have written this before finishing the second book, Wilders, since as I've mentioned plenty of times, I always come up with new ideas while actually writing. So I adjust the story as needed. The plot points of Rom Tar changed as a result, but the end is the same. And now that I have that, I've been able to make a few adjustments to The Distant to reflect the future storylines.

I will say... writing an epic series takes a lot of planning and discipline. Just doing a trilogy is tough, especially with the way mine is structured.

The Distant Sixth Draft

The sixth draft of The Distant is complete. One more draft, I think. It has taken longer than I anticipated, but that's okay... it will be ready when it's ready. I hope to release the eBook version in August, at least.

I plan on doing a trade paperback version through CreateSpace. I need to do more research on that; haven't done it before and don't know what to expect, or the timings and costs involved.

Previews

Something I'm struggling with, is whether to put a preview of the next book in Books 1 and 2. I'd like to give readers a taste of what to expect in the next volume, but each starts from a different POV and contains revelations that change the way you view the story; I'm hesitant to reveal it right away like that.

So should I leave those to their respective books to kick them off with a bang, or entice readers to get the next book by giving them an interesting and unexpected taste of where the story goes next? Can't decide... can't decide... brain aneurysm!

Of course, some would say the story in The Distant should be interesting enough that you don't need a teaser for the next book to keep the reader invested in the series. And I do feel that it ends strong enough to do that. But still... reading the opening for the next book right away would push them over the edge, in my opinion.

So still thinking about that.