Prompted by a query from an eager reader (hooray for those!!), I thought it time to post another 'here's where it's at' progress statement for Book 6 of the Light Saga, Hope's Light.
As of an hour ago, the draft just crossed 100k words. There's likely at least another 20k to go to wrap up (maybe more?), but it's on the rapid slide to the ending as things all come together. Current plan is to finish the draft by end of summer, and by end of autumn have the entire work proofread and ready to start posting on a regular schedule.
I'm also toying with the idea of posting this one chapter at a time (again on a fixed schedule twice a week or some such), with the 'Parts' delineated by book organizers. This way if folks used to the old way of posting in larger chunks wish, they can wait until a 'Part' is complete before reading - or wait for the whole thing. And readers who prefer the individual chapters as an easier way to keep track where they left off will have that available, not to mention the author's hope that it may be easier to comment on smaller pieces, instead of readers staying up all night pulled along by cliffhangers demanding continuance and thus being more overwhelmed by the time the end of a 15k-20k 'Part' is reached.
Thanks as always to those who have supported this ridiculously obsessive effort going on now for over seven years. After this upcoming installment there will be one more book to follow to complete the story. Somehow a series about angels, heaven, hell, the apocalypse, and the Seven Seals taking seven books to finish seems rather appropriate.
And remember, comments are wondrous things! Even if just to say 'wow, neat!' and thereby make an author's day! ;)
- Erisian <3
And if you have yet to read the saga - the tale starts here: Into The Light
Hope you enjoy!
Comments
Her Theme Song?
Take my hand
Tell me what you are feeling
Understand
This is just the beginning
Although I have to go
It makes me feel like crying
I don't know when I'll see you again
Darling leave a light on for me
I'll be there before you close the door
To give you all the love that you need
Darling leave a light on for me
'Cause when the world takes me away
You are still the air that I breathe
I can't explain I just don't know
Just how far I have to go
But darling I'll keep the key
Just leave a light on for me
Yes I know
What I'm asking is crazy
You could go
Just get tired of waiting
But if I lose your love
Torn out by my desire
That would be the one regret of my life
Darling leave a light on for me
I'll be there before you close the door
To give you all the love that you need
Darling leave a light on for me
'Cause when the world takes me away
You are still the air that I breathe
I can't explain I just don't know
Just how far I have to go
But darling I'll keep the key
Just leave a light on for me
Just like a spark lights up the dark
Baby that's your heart
Baby that's your heart
Baby that's your heart
Darling leave a light on for me
I'll be there before you close the door
To give you all the love that you need
Darling leave a light on for me
'Cause when the world takes me away
You are still the air that I breathe
Darling leave a light on for me
I'll be there before you close the door
I'll be all the love that you need
Darling leave a light on for me
Lovely
Thanks Kimmie! :) Haven't heard that one in awhile, had to go list again...
I'd be remiss if I didn't nominate this song too that Voldy kindly sent my way at the end of Book 4: The Impossible Dream:
To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
And to run where the brave dare not go
To right the unrightable wrong
And to love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star
This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far
To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march, march into Hell
For that Heavenly cause
And I know if I'll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I'm laid to my rest
And the world will be better for this
That one woman, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with her last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star
[Lyrics slightly edited. ;) ]
Absolutely looking forward to it!
Please give us a heads up a few weeks before putting any of the new book up - I would like time to go back and re-read the whole series from the beginning before starting the new book. It’s been a while and I want to refresh my memory before moving forward.
Thanks!
D. Eden
Dum Vivimus, Vivamus
Will do!!
I'll definitely post again when the whole shebang is drafted...and also within a few weeks of thinking it'll be ready to start letting folks read what's been cooking all this time. :)
Thanks!! <3
End of autumn
Well, that would be the Winter Solstice, it would make a great Xmas prezzie!
Sounds like your proofreader will be doing it around Thanksgiving and all of the holiday hub bub.
Time to break out the double boxes of Godiva to bribe for premium time ^_^.
Bribes
Oh definitely there will be cookies sent in quantity when the time comes. By then the temperatures outside where they live should be cool enough for safer shipping of such too!
Though if they aren't up to it...I'll have to offer to bribe you instead again. ;) -hugs!!!!-
Bribe
I am on to your sneaky 7 year plan !
Your offer of shipping said bribe is an effort to find the location of my evil lair from which I've been slinging all my toma ... erm comments at BC !
You can't fool me !
Bwaaaah ! Ha! Ha! Haaaaaa!
Well...
The problem of shipping cookies through an intermediary is that they have a tendency to 'disappear' en-route...
"Cookies? What cookies. Never got anything."
"But I sent them to the designated transfer agent!!"
"Huh. They don't seem to be answering their phone..."
<3
7 years
im still enthralled by this story so much research and time spent i have went back and reread the entire story 3 times now and will probably be doing it again right before the release of the new book thank you for giving us this update
Rereading
I've reread it countless times now too. I think I will save it for around the holidays when there is more time. It does take many hours to read after all.
Thank you!!
Thank you Lisa!! Knowing wonderful people like you are still interested really helps encourage the focus and drive to keep on going! Massively appreciated!!!! <3
how long
i have been bugging your for the next book for months and ill be the same for the next book .sorry im impatient on second thought not sorry at all lol
Hooray!
Given the magnitude of your effort (both in words and in complexity), I’m content to “receive” your Book 6 one chapter at a time. When you begin posting it, I know that I will have to re-read (5th time, perhaps?) your first five Books to brush up on the Light Saga, and that will take a couple of weeks. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll understand one-tenth of 'Hope's Light'! :)
Voldy
Impressed
Whereas I'm impressed on how carefully you've re-read the books to tease out as many details as possible. :)
Thanks Voldy!!
Yay, update
I was just thinking of this story arc a couple of days ago.
Anne Margarete
Thinking
If I didn't have to work or entertain the kitties - and okay, also spend time with human family, then I'd probably be thinking about it non-stop 24/7. (I'm convinced the subconscious works on it while sleeping too!!)
Thanks Anne! :)
Comments
I’m pretty sure I didn’t leave comments on every part of the first five books when I binge-read them last year; I’ll have to pick up the ones I missed on my second read, looks like in November? ;-)
As to your posting schedule, I guess I would say, you spend a year and a half writing each of these wonderful books; you should have some more time for the fun part — posting and getting comments! One added advantage: when you end parts on a cliff-hanger (like you so do), comments tend to focus on that last thing, and people are less likely to give you feedback on something they really liked from the beginning or middle of the part. You might have spent a week on a scene, and everyone may love it, but recency bias diverts the comments you might have gotten.
Generally I’d say you get more reads on bite-sized chunks of 4 or 5 thousand words, but let’s face it. Your saga is a unique case. It’s tough to draw in new readers when the buy-in is reading five already-complete novels (though, I did, so there will always be exceptions). But on the flip side, you have a devoted audience that will crawl over glass to read new chapters.
Regardless of how you post Light 6, I can’t wait to immerse myself in your world once again. Thanks for the update!
— Emma
Hmm...
I think you did comment on every part! It was absolutely fabulous and an incredibly happy thrill to watch you speed through it all.
As for the audience, good grief - no crawling over glass needed! Please!! None of that!! Lap kitties / puppies, mugs of preferred coffee/tea/beverage, and cozy blanket or cooling fan - weather depending!
My hope though is that on re-reads readers will forgive the writing mistakes, especially in number one (first book I ever tried to write!!). On one hand I'm glad that after this many years I can spot so many more areas needing improvement, but on the other...eep!! The list continuously grows as to what will need fixing when the eventual re-write arrives...
Thanks Emma!! You're awesome! <3
Don't blame me, I left
Don't blame me, I left Erisian alone this time :)
Glad you're making progress, hopefully the personal issues you were dealing with are at least mostly behind you (and your SO).
I've been listening to the Decemberists - Burial Ground. Very 60's feel to it, but it's very recent.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
Thanks!
Thanks Bibliophage! At the moment (knock on wood!) things are alright, and my dad is doing better. Work stress is still nuts and will go through some churn over the next couple months - but hopefully for the better long term.
yay!
ahh, so this is where all the readers/commenters are! i couldn't believe there weren't any on the whateley site. excited for book 6! thanks for all the hard work, and you're probably all set up already but just in case—if you would like any extra proofreading when the time comes lmk! (don't judge my comment section grammar, i can also do the grammar good c: ...)
Hi!
Hi Violet!! Welcome to BCTS!
And yeah, the forums at the Whateley site have gotten quieter and quieter over the past number of years. I still greatly thank that community for the support getting this story started. But this saga being 'What IF' and not canon I think reduces any commentary - and any reads from the canon writers as that was stated policy / intention. Ah well.
Thank you for the offer to help proofread! If the time comes and my friend who has been my 'primary' proofreader can't...and the amazing Kimmie here at BCTS (who has helped a ton with all this!!) is too busy too...I may reach out!! :)
Hard to believe we're heading towards the end of July already, and there's still more to go to finish the initial draft!! Ack! However the first two 'Parts' recently had a 'test-read' by my friend to answer this crazy author's frenetic question of 'Is this any good still???!?!', and in their typical minimalist style they commented back, "Is a fun start!" lol Can't wait to get it done and start posting!!!
<3