Chork (Lye Tella’estela Hummien’dulin)

Took a much needed 10 days off, what with the holiday and the struggles of the never-ending Book 3.

Thanksgiving was the best in years, featuring our little extended family and the best turkey Terri has ever roasted. We laughed and ate well, laughed some more, played ‘31’, and laughed until my laugher was tired. This Saturday, we polished off the leftover turkey in a soup rich with flavor, noodles, and chunks of turkey and vegetables – perfect for this sliding-thermometer weather of San Antonio.

Started back in a few days ago (though I did add a sentence or paragraph here and there when none were looking). Rearranged a few chapters, fleshed out few more, and finished off two new ones.

What’s the hold-up? We thought you had the entire story mapped out, you say. Why is Book 3 taking so long?

Well, there are two reasons.

The first is that Book 3 was always intended to finish the story of Chork’s ‘childhood’, to get him to the point where he begins his ‘more formal and regimented’ pursuit on Gunter’s Island to become a knight. However, along the way, Chork has drags his feet and meets new characters. Though the book continues Chork’s story as the main protagonist, that ‘bastich’ Emperor Rhince (just had to get in a Johnny Dangerously reference) and his sorcerer-agents continue to wreak havoc on the realms of Brehm.

Those new characters, a host of both good guys and bad, are the second reason. Once they appeared as planned, they demanded their own special times on stage. Afterall, they argued, what fun is to be had by just showing up in the middle of our story? (And yes, the characters do talk to me 24/7).

I caved to their un-ending nagging but suggested a compromise. No long back stories, guys. And, since most of you are headed to the same dots on the old map, I’ll explain how you get you there.

So, the number of chapters in Book 3 continue to add up.

The good news is: There’s a lot happening in Book 3. You’re gonna need a scorecard.

The better news is: I’ve developed a scorecard.

Though started in the print version of Book 2, I’ve finalized the icons for chapter headings, ala Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time epic. Those icons clue you in to who the chapter is about. If you don’t give a hoot about Shatayir and his sandwich making skills, you can skip that brief chapter (though I caution you because some of these characters play a key role later in the story).

More news: These new icons will make their way into an updated edition of Book 1 while my editor, the incomparable Arlie Marx, rips apart Book 3.

You can view these icons on my website here.