Hello Bloglandia!
It seems like it’s been ages since I’ve done a writing update…that’s because I’ve been too busy writing. Is that a conundrum or a paradox? Either way, it’s time to catch you up.
The Osteria Chronicles Books 5 & 6 – Getting Closer to Completion!!
Way back toward the middle of August, I finished up Draft Three of the final two books in my historical fantasy series The Osteria Chronicles. Draft Three is usually when my books start turning into something that strongly resembles the final product so it’s always a relief to get over that hurdle.
Most plot strands have been woven together, the timeline is mostly sorted, the settings have gotten bulked up, and the multiple story lines have finally meshed. To give you an idea of how it’s going, here’s the word count stats from the drafts so far…
Book Five
- Draft 1 = 39,555
- Draft 2 = 83,771
- Draft 3 = 101,014
Book Six
- Draft 1 = 31,257
- Draft 2 = 73,813
- Draft 3 = 87,905
As you can see, both books have come a long way from their anemic first drafts. Still, after hammering away on them for a few months, I needed a break from these two so I closed up the file and left the land of Osteria for most of August and all of September.
Oh, and very soon I’ll have an announcement regarding something very special happening with the other books in the series!!
Something New – Zombies, Magic, and Mystery
During that break from Osteria, I wasn’t just lounging poolside enjoying the final days of summer. I wish. Instead, I pulled out a trilogy I drafted sometime last year and dove head first into Draft Two of the first two books of the series.
Let me just say I LOVE these books. They’re a completely different tone from my historical fantasies which can be quite grim and serious at times. Much like some of my more recent short stories, this series has a fair amount of sarcastic humor, has really tapped into my imagination, and it’s simply been fun to work on.
The trilogy (which doesn’t even have a working title) begins in a funeral home where the main character works. When her “clients” start waking up, she thinks she has it all under control until one tells her he’s been murdered. When she takes him home with her (because obviously she can’t just let him go wandering around), she soon discovers she kind-of-sort-of might be responsible for his death and the key to figuring out what happened is ticking away in her closet.
I’ve been plunking away at Book One off and on, but the past six weeks were the first time I sat down and worked on an official Draft Two. Since events in Book Two need to tie in well with Book One, I decided to work on both books in one go.
Anyway, here’s a little nibble of the first lines from Book One….
What’s Next?
I finished up the drafts of the New Project yesterday and have to say I can’t wait to jump back into them…which is strong motivation to get The Osteria Chronicles done!
Next week, I’ll be spending most of my working hours reading Books Five & Six of The Osteria Chronicles. I’m crossing my fingers that there are only minor adjustments needed, especially as the release date for Book Five seems to rushing at me like a bull with anger management issues.
Hopefully, I’ll get the read through done before heading out on The Big Vacation in mid-October, then in November I’ll crack through the corrections of Draft Four and, if all goes as planned, have the books up for pre-order by late December with expected release dates for Books Five and Six coming in March and June (July?) 2020, respectively. Phew.
What about you? What’s keeping you busy lately? I love hearing from you, so don’t be shy about leaving a comment!
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Tammie Painter 
You’re busy!!
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I know!! It took writing this blog post for me to realize I’m working on four books at the same time. What was I thinking? Going between the two series is tough.
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I like that your first drafts are so short but were greatly expanded in later drafts. I fear the first draft of my first manuscript will be similar and am glad to see there is a precedent.
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I have a tendency to do a writing marathon just to crank out the basics of the story as quickly as possible, but sometimes (usually when I come across a major plot/timeline issue in draft three) I wish I could tame that instinct and hammer out the details better in the first draft. Ah well, it’s all a learning process, right? Best of luck with your manuscript, and don’t be scared…there’s always room for rewrites!
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