Tag Archives: Intercontinental; sydney; Book 2

Today, I finished.
“Roger Spoffin and the Return of the Venger Knights” (working title) is done. At least Draft 1 is. It was a full year ago that I began this adventure at the Algonquin on 44th Street in the heart of Manhattan, home of the famous ‘Writer’s Table’. I peaked early. That first day I wrote 4004 words – my highest ever word count. Today I pumped out a mere 456, but that was all the final chapter needed. I chose the Intercontinental Hotel because it was here I worked throughout my University years. I remember I always had a hotel pad and pen in my pocket during the long shifts and I took any opportunity then to write. The hotel is still dramatically beautiful, twenty years later.

Clearly I got carried away with Book 2. My 4 Act structure was meant to total 100,000 words, allowing for 20,000 or so to be chopped. Instead, it’s rounded out at 133,000 words. Roger evidently had more adventures, more tests and trials, more romantic complications (yes, you read that right) and more bewilderingly bizarre experiences to deal with than even I could have predicted. From London to Alexandria to Jerusalem to Persia and Scotland; from the Wentwillingley Christmas pantomime and the passionate embrace of Miss Justine Beedingslump (remember her?) to a tear-soaked farewell from Anna in the desert outside Shiraz, there’s a lot to keep the readers turning the pages in this one. That, at least, is my hope.

And what of Book 1? Well, I’m midway through what can only be described as a challenging re-write working closely with a UK author who is acting as a mentor. I’ll say no more. Stay tuned.

Thanks for reading these posts and commenting on them and encouraging me onwards. Roger, Doff, Marty, Anna, Melphisolees, the wicked Sinsamene and even Justine and Jillian Beedingslump are more real to me than ever before.

Today’s word count: 456

Final word count: 133,181

Location: http://bit.ly/1Pi1mlO