Ascension
To any of my readers out there, I want to provide you with a more detailed update regarding the 12th and final book in The Verdan Chronicles series.
My original plan that started over thirty years ago was to write a story that would encompass 9 books broken into 3 major trilogy arcs. Somewhere around book 7 or 8, I realized there was still a lot more story to tell and thus I decided to extend the series to 12 books. That much has not changed.
Sometime during the 11th book, Balance of War, I realized that I could end the series with that volume, but would likely need another 100-200 pages to write the final act. Sometimes, you see a lot of series where the final volume is longer. But then I also realized that ending the series with Balance of War would not bring closure to a lot of the secondary character arcs, and thus I concluded that a 12th book was still warranted. I've always said that my primary audience for this book was "me" and "me" decided I wanted more character closure.
So, that brings us to Ascension. You've probably realized by now that every book was broken into exactly 40 chapters. That started out coincidental, but became part of my process by the 3rd or 4th book. I am not constructing the final book with any set number of chapters. I expect that it may be a little less than 40, but I really don't know for certain. I have a story I want to tell and the book will end when that story is told.
Where am I right now? I'm working on chapter 11. I know that doesn't seem like I'll finish this year, but then I traditionally spend more time on the first half of a book. It sets the stage for the second half, which mostly writes itself. I still plan to finish this year, but I can't guarantee it will be published this year. That will depend upon how long the design process lasts with my publisher. I will keep you updated on that.
What can you expect from the final book? It will tell the story of Verdan and bring to closure the destiny that was foretold as it relates to Celecia. The series has been driving toward a predictive future. Perhaps the ending is obvious, but there is still a twist or two some of you might not see coming. We'll see. I also plan to bring closure to a lot of characters that appeared during the series, even some you may not have heard from since the earlier books.
What does the future hold? I have a "spin-off" series in mind. It will be titled "Books of Rayne". It will primarily focus on a set of brand new characters. I intend to write it with no assumption that the readers have ever read The Verdan Chronicles. However, if you have read The Verdan Chronicles, there will be obvious continuity and a few familiar characters. The entire history of The Verdan Chronicles will be considered 'canon' for the universe I've created. However, the new series will be set on an alternate version of Earth. It will start out in a small town in central Wisconsin and we'll go from there. More elaboration when we get closer.
That's it for now. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave them here or on Facebook page. I tend to check Facebook more frequently, but will get back to you. And to everyone who has supported the series over the years. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Wednesday, July 14, 2021 at 9:05AM