Friday 11 July 2014

My Novel with Two Endings: House of the Dark

During my four years of BIC (butt-in-chair) gonna-be-pro writing focus, I wrote House of the Dark.

A decade ago I'd toyed with a couple of scenes, playing with a few ideas.  However, once I'd completely written Bride of the Dark, I threw those scenes out and started again from scratch.

So glad I did. It's a much, much stronger novel because of it.

The original outline called for one particular ending. But when I wrote this draft, I changed the ending. Then I thought, maybe I should write the original ending as well?

So now I've got this novel with two eucatastrophic endings, both wrenching in their own way. Then I thought, which ending made me cry more?  Which one had me bawling as I wrote it?   

That ending is the one I pitch with. It's a beautiful, bittersweet ending. Honestly, I wept for days.

Am hoping my beta-readers also cry for days. (Earlier plot neeps have already kept one up half-the night.  Sorry, Jen.)

You know, I would absolutely love to tell you about this novel. I really would, I love the plot, I love the characters. This is the novel I've been aching to write since the very beginning of my career.  But it's so chock full of spoilers.

I completely believe in the whole Of The Dark trilogy. I do believe it will be published.

This novel also settled to me, irrevocably, that I must be an author. I cannot be any other thing unless I am first an author.

I hope y'all get a chance to read it--  No, wait.  You all will get a chance to read it. One way or another, this will be published.  I believe in these books so much.

I've written other novels and then happily trunked them without a further thought.  But these won't let me go.

Availability will simply be a matter of time.

______________________________
Her Grace would love to write another series as powerful as Of The Dark. But this series will always be her first love.

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