Here's a Novel idea...

Okay, time for the Novel update that I know you've all been waiting for (I'm sure all your e-mails demanding such were lost because of the crush of sheer numbers). The Novel is... Half Way Finished... Again!

No, but seriously, after a long stretch of zero mental activity, the Novel has gone back into production over the last two weeks. I don't know that I've gotten very far with it, but I have written solidly for two weeks and I don't see an end in sight, so that's good.

Currently, the Novel is half way done and stands at about 220 pages. If I were to simply take the rest of the material written and tack it on (without editing or any modifications or additions) it would be about 345 pages. In theory that puts me more than half way, but in reality, its about the half way point of the book. Last night I stayed up really late and mapped out the remainder of the book - including all the new material that I wanted to add - and I realized that another 220 pages is closer to how this draft of the story will end.

I am hoping to complete the first (new) draft by my birthday - approximately 22 days away. So, for those of you keeping score at home, that's an apparent average of 10 pages a day. However, many of those pages are already written and merely need to be edited or enhanced. So, its not quite as much a stretch. And, most of the remaining pages are action pages which write faster (trust me on this... I can't explain it otherwise).

Once I am done with the first (new) draft, I will go immediately into the second (new) draft since I already know what major change I need to make to the whole book. That major change will dictate more than anything else what stays and what goes in the final draft of the book. Then I will dissect the book and cut away the fat and I should have a final version ready for reading of about 300 to 350 pages by the middle of September. Honestly, I won't survive past that point. I need to finish this before it finishes me.

So, now that you all know you can stop pestering me with all of those phone calls, e-mails, smoke signals, biblical signs, and other forms of communication asking me for the completion date and a signed copy for their ailing mothers. The rumor that my novel will bring about peace on earth was just a really good bit of PR. So, keep spreading it, won't you?