The faces of Khaila's world

There were too many problems with Coração de Lobo. I decided to take a break to gain some perspective on it.

I've been revising the outline to try and work out the kinks and I've also been thinking of actors I can see playing my characters to get a stronger notion of them. I'm done "casting" most of the major characters, and am really pleased with the results. Apparently, so are the characters, because the ones that are in Coração de Lobo are talking to me again.







I'm especially pleased with Ightryn and Ember. And Skarsgard ended up being an unexpectadly good match for Lorean.

Update

All right then, maybe a week was too optimistic. :D

I've interrupted the writing ofO Anel das Estrelas. I was stuck (probably out of boredom - one of the risks of spending way too much time on your first draft) and, anyway, people were asking me about the sequel to Sangue de Dragão; so at the moment I'm completeing the preparation for Coração de Lobo and I plan to start writing it still this week.

Speaking of Sangue de Dragão, this Saturday, the 14, at 16:00, there'll be a book signing at the Livrododia bookstore in Torres Vedras. I'm a little panicky about it.

The book is already available at FNAC and Bertrand (both the stores and online) and at Wook.

Sangue de Dragão hits stores

The book is now available in some of the Modelo, Continente, and Worten stores. Possibly, also in the book.it stores, but I haven't had confirmation of that one yet.

Update

This blog has been inactive for a while, but, from now on, I should be able to update it at least once a week.

Sangue de Dragão is going to be published by Ulisseia, as some of you might already know. The official release date is February 26th, but the book is going to be available is some of the Sonae group stores before that.

Meanwhile, I've been slowly writing the first draft of O Anel das Estrelas and outlining Coração de Lobo, the continuation to SDD.

Frustration

Writing can be immensely frustrating at times.

Dragon's Blood will need a far deeper revision than I had anticipated. It will make it a better book, but it's a bit frightening. I had a finished book, now I don't anymore. So I've been procrastinating a bit. Or a lot.

I guess part of my frustration also comes form the fact that I've been establishing my working routine. It's a trial and error process and it sometimes feels infinitely long. I have learnt a lot about the way I write, about what I need to be at my most productive, but sometimes I just feel like screaming, throw whatever I'm working on out the window and give the whole darned thing up.

One of the things I've had a hard time accepting is that I can't work on more than one project at a time. I wish I could do what some people do and work on three projects on different stages: doing research and outlining one; writing the first draft of another; editing a third, all at the same time. Sounds very productive, but not for me.

So, it's Dragon's Blood and Dragon's Blood alone from now on and until it's finished. The ideas for the changes it needs have been coming steadily, I also had some ideas for the sequels in the mean time, so I'm rolling with it. Afterwards I'll get working on finishing The Starlight Ring's first draft. I thought I could do both at once, but I wasn't doing either, so better this way.

And my muse doesn't help, always dropping great ideas in my brain at the worst possible times. Just added a new one today to the Future Projects folder.

Sangue de Dragão/Dragon's Blood

A little over a week, another one of mySangue de Dragão submissions was returned. This made me ponder my options not only for this book but for my career.

I reread the book this weekend, marking the bits that need some improvement. ~It's been a year, maybe more since I last read it. It's a good book: the story is solid, the narrative is well structured (except for a few minor flaws). It made me laugh at some moments, and brough tears to my eyes at others, despite the fact that I already knew the story.

However, it's becoming obvious that it will not be published by a Portuguese house. Also, it occurrs to me that, if I want to be a full-time writer, the Portuguese market isn't the answer. The international market might not be either, I'm not delusional about it, but the odds are certainly much better.

So, starting today, I'll be making the corrections I found necessary to the book and translating it into English. I really believe it is the best to do at the moment.

Sangue de Dragão

A Synopsis and three excerpts from my fantasy novel Sangue de Dragão (Dragon's Blood) have been added to the Projects page of my website. The excerpts are in Portuguese. A translation of all three will be available at a later time.