The alpha readers have spoken and their feedback is unanimous … We are expecting twins! No, this has nothing to do with a biological interruption to the writing. Let me explain.

Until fairly recently, splitting the book didn’t make any sense because of how it was structured – it’s something I mentioned a few times in previous posts. But without my realising it, the manuscript has grown over the past year or so into two distinct and almost equally weighted parts. This change has become so marked that reading from the first part and into the second has turned out to be like eating two different (and very filling) dinners in one sitting, rather than progressing through the courses of a single meal. The alphas also detected an issue related to this, namely density, a need to let certain parts of the story stretch out a little. But the book was already approaching the limit of what could be comfortably printed in a single volume without special thin paper and tiny text.

In spite of the problems with the single volume, I didn’t initially welcome the idea of a split. When working on a book for years, one gets attached to the image being built up, so massive changes are unsettling. On a more practical front, the labour entailed in dividing plot arcs and character arcs is not to be scoffed at. Secretly, I had hoped the alpha corrections would be minimal, but the feedback pointed to a need for detailed revision. After acknowledging that I would have to put in serious labour anyway, I set aside the objection of difficulty. The benefits of a split were immediately obvious.

The biggest factor was that constriction would no longer be an issue. A two-book arrangement would give the space to settle into better pacing, to bring back and develop some of the important characters from the first book who had been squeezed out, and to include a crucial exploration hinted at in book 1 and which wasn’t fitting into the timeline. This last possibility solved a major problem that had been gnawing at me for months. Even if it had been the only advantage, it would have been motivation enough. So the argument for a split was strong, and argument against didn’t have much to it other than a sentimental attachment to the old format.

Before committing, I needed to be sure it was possible. After about a week-and-a-half of brainstorming, I gradually saw how I could separate and re-weave the threads into a two-volume arrangement that actually worked better than the single unit – considerably better. I sat on the decision for a few days, creeping to the edge of high-dive platform, peering down, and creeping back. When I finally took the plunge of implementing the new framework into the text files, it turned out a little more complicated than I’d thought but the results were better than I’d hoped. I no longer have any doubts that it was the right move.

Now that the structure is in place, many of the new sections are filling out. In every measurable metric (other than breaking length records) this is already a noticeable improvement on the earlier version. The new book 2 looks like it will be slightly longer than Dawn of Wonder and will cover pretty much everything it was originally intended to cover. Book 3 will take us further into the story (further than the original book 2 manuscript) and it now has the space to round off some of the key trajectories initiated in book 1. This means that while the story doesn’t end with book 3, it has a kind of solid landing. By the looks of it, Book 3 is going to be around the same length as book 2, so the combined length of the two books will end up at around six standard novels. I hope that will prove a satisfying weight of pages.

The job at this stage is to finalise the content of both books before finishing up and releasing book 2. Focusing on only one of them now could result in problems later on because of how many threads run between them. After the release of book 2, the finalising and release of book 3 shouldn’t take very long.

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to represent the current work of restructuring and expanding on the progress bars. Leaving the bars static gives the impression that nothing is being done, so I’ll need to take them down to forestall an avalanche of concern. When this current reworking is done, I’ll update the site.

To those who have reached out through comments and emails, thank you so much for the understanding you’ve shown with the personal challenges of health and burnout. They have been more meaningful than you might think. My spinal recovery hasn’t progressed as smoothly as it began and sleep is proving to be something of a problem. Being woken by stabbing pain a few dozen times a night is no joke. By morning you’re exhausted.

In that context, the encouragement has been therapeutic, reducing the pressure and helping me settle into a routine that respects the present health limitations until the issue is resolved. According to the neurosurgeon, it’s simply a matter of time. Believe me when I say I’m deeply grateful for all who have chosen to recognise that the struggle is real and to support me in a context where the natural reaction is to vent frustration. As a writer, I consider myself truly blessed to have such readers.

I hope this short post answers the question of what is happening post alpha reads and that it leaves you as excited as we are about this new development. It’s a big step up for the series and I wanted to give you an early glimpse of what to expect. For my part, I couldn’t be happier with how the new structure has out. Though it will require a little more work, it will make for a better read and will actually result in more of the story emerging sooner.