G Younger: Blog

I consistently get three questions.

1) Why shorter chapters?

2) Why third person?

3) When the hell is A Better Man II being released?

1) Short chapters work if you read the whole thing at once or if you only read once per week (if it bothers you). It allowed me to focus on one major point per chapter instead of having to keep writing to fill another x number of pages, which seriously slowed down the writing process. So the chapters dropped from 20+ pages to 7-10.

2) I did third person for many reasons that deal with learning to write, allowing more flexibility in storytelling (you've seen what Cassidy is really thinking and his coaches, etc. In first-person David had to guess, which meant the reader doesn't know either), and was how I first intended to write the story but had to wait until SB was done.

The only real difference between First- and Third-person is how you refer to yourself. First-person is the point of view where the speaker refers to him or herself. Third-person is the point of view where the speaker does not.

The change to third-person is a stepping stone to a floating narrative, which I am using in a new book called The Valley. It allows for the point of view to change from person to person within a chapter. A scene ends not only when the setting (In the next room…) or time (Two weeks later…) changes, but also when a character's emotional arc ends. So I insert a line break and change POVs when one character's arc ends and another character's arc begins, even though the setting and time might continue from the previous scene.

Note that you have to know who is talking or when you refer to 'I' or 'me' you're left scratching your head. I have too many characters in my stories to pull that off.

3) I wish I knew. The plan was to have the next book cover a full year. Then my stupid muse said 'hell no we have to dive down and not jump ahead.' He or she kept coming up with ideas that had to be put down on paper before I lost them ...

The good news is that one of my editors says that ABMII is the best book of all of David's stories. What's not to like when he gets to be Ian Bond?

As of now, it looks like ABMII will only cover the summer (or I won't be done with it until this time next year, and it will be longer than War and Peace).

As of right now, I don't have a good answer as to when it will be ready. My unrealistic goal is January ... but it might be May. Let's hope for somewhere in between.

I will send out an email when I know something. I will also post it on my website.

Thanks

G Younger

My new series, A Better Man, first posting was today. These are shorter chapters so I will be posting three times a week Tue/Thur/Sat.

Book 1 jumps forward in time for the start of college.

Book 2 is a third done (35 chapters so far) and will start posting on SOL next summer (Once 1 and The Third Son are done posting).

G Younger

Until A Better Man Book 1 begins posting on SOL.

I will begin posting on my birthday, August 26. I'll post three chapters per week for this one.

Book 2 is being written. I've completed 20 chapters of what I anticipate will be around 90 when done. No set time for getting it done. My goal is for the end of the year, but these books are large and sometimes it just tells me to write more ...

I want to thank everyone for their kind words about Conclave. Before I write the next book, I have plans for something different. I hate it when a book idea keeps pestering me to write it, so I will cave and work on that first once ABMII is complete.

Thanks for reading.
G Younger

Wednesday will wrap up this story. Alex has been one of my favorite characters to write about. I am planning on two more books for this series. Don't ask when ... ;-)

I just put up an Advanced Reader Copy of The Third Son on my website. Growing up I read mostly fantasy and science fiction. While writing this book I found out how hard it is.

Thankfully, Old Rotorhead saved me with his medieval and military advice. So a special shout to him for his help.

The second A Better Man book has 20 chapters written. I am guessing it will be about 90 when done. That means I have no real idea when I'll have it completed. I would love to get it done by the end of the year.

Thanks
G Younger