With the previous update, I stated that I had essentially finished the first draft of the Elizabeth story. However, over the weekend, I realized that there was a key scene I intended to add that I had forgotten. So, I went back and worked that in, and also wrote a new angle on the epilogue, and then rewrote that again, expanded on it, and added a final sequence that I was initially going to hold off on, but thought “Fuck it! Put it in there!”
So, the first draft is now truly done. However, the story is no longer a “short” story. It is equal in length to the novel (main story) part of Dan the Destructor. While I intended for it to be roughly the same size as the Eyes in All Shadows short story, it eclipsed that by 30-40 percent. Additionally, after the final proofing, editing, and beefing up, it will certainly pass Dan the Destructor in length. I guess this is a good problem to have, and not a problem at all.
Fans of the Barbarians of the Storm franchise will get much more to sink their teeth into with Elizabeth’s first story. In the end, it is the length it needed to be and I am really happy with it. It’s one of the best stories I think I have written and while it follows familiar beats, there’s so much unique stuff in it. It should also make it clear why I wrote and released Fenrik 1984 when I did, because this builds off of that book so much while also providing a lot of context and lore to the already established stories that take place on Terra (Fenrik’s world).
I didn’t just stop there, however. I quickly moved on to starting the Magnar (Fenrik’s brother) short story. I’ve been talking about it for awhile, but over the last two mornings, I knocked out the first two out of five (or six) chapters.
This is another story I am really damn happy with, having just penned the first act. This is a story that will call back to some things but also establish some important tidbits for the saga, as a whole, going forward.
For now, that’s it! I’ve got more work to do and I want to get this next book in your hand as soon as I can, after months of real life bullshit getting in my way.