Right now I'm "rewriting" a book I wrote last summer. I've title it Queen because it's about one of the most famous queens in history. She's even heralded in the Bible. The process of rewriting is more intensive than I thought. The book is also getting longer, so I'm hoping that by the last one-hundred pages I'll be able to find stuff I want to cut.
But last night I dreamed about the new ending. So I've decided to write it down (in code so I won't give it away). It's not really anything too different, but actually an idea I had a few weeks ago.
Mind you, I didn't dream the scene like a movie, just the plotting/writing part of it. So it wasn't like some of those famous authors who say they just dreamed something and now they're NY Times Bestsellers.
My goal to have the rewrite finished was the end of June. But since that's today, I'm pushing back my goal to the end of July. It will only require a little missed sleep. Something I've done before. What's the rush? Well, I need to start writing a new novel for my publisher that will be released in Fall 2008. And time is ticking.
Here's my code:
Story Jade Tomb Queen
Salalah v. Muscat
Patriarch assassination
Well, it makes sense to me, and now I won't be able to forget it.
5 comments:
Queen is an awesome title. It says everything in one little word. I'm excited to see how it pans out for you.
Sounds great and as long as the code makes sense to you, that's all that matters.
It's amazing how different writers work!
So you're writing a story about the Queen of Sheba, contemporary to David King of the Jews set in the southern-most tip of Arabia in a captiall city known as Salalah where the buildings didn't have windows in the lower floors to prevent robbers from breaking in and stealing the owners posessions. And of course the intrigue surrounding the Queen of Shebah's burial tomb. Does she have a nam? Good luck with your writing. Hopefully there is an audience for ancient middle east historical novels. Not so sure about that. Doesn't something like this fit better into a cross-over plot, say something like using the Queen of Sheba lore as the key to some other mystery or intrigue. Take Raider's of the Lost Arc. It certainly wasn't a story about the ten commandments or the arc of the covenant, but the lore and mystery surrounding those relics was certainly useful in creating an interesting World War II period adventure. Are you writing something like that or is the story actually about the Queen of Sheba? If your using Queen of Sheba lore to spice up your story, you may have a winner. If you're writing a story about the Queen of Sheba, you better be a very, very, very good writer.
Here's My Code:
Story: Stolen Jewels
Location: Hidden in Queen's Tomb
Plot: Map of Tomb guarded by religious zealots living in Salalah
Plot Twist: Main Character finds Ancient Assasination attempt will lead him to map and jewels
Conclusion: I'm waiting for you to write it...
You're right, Anon. The story is centered around the Queen of Sheba's lore. I have a few chapters posted on my website www.hbmoore.com under "works in progress." I wrote 100,000 words last year, and now in my rewrite it's grown to 123,000. So I'm hoping to get a little cutting done. I've read that agents don't like books over 120,000. The genre is thriller and here's a quick blurb:
MEET UNDERCOVER ISRAELI AGENT, OMAR ZAGOURI, a man who hates his job and wants to kill his boss for stealing his girlfriend. Prior to submitting his resignation, he stumbles onto a tomb in Northern Jerusalem and is caught in a maze of corruption.
The tomb contains the lineage of three unknown kings—spanning the era of King Solomon. And encrypted on the ancient walls? The legend of the Queen of Sheba. But before the details are released and Israel can state its position on the new evidence, a renowned historian is murdered, and his life’s research covered up.
Omar is thrown into the heart of deception as rich collectors, seedy government officials, and ruthless archaeologists scramble to find the queen’s tomb. Will Omar be able to prevent the greatest discovery of the century from becoming the most deadly?
Post a Comment