If you've been in this little asylum of ours for any meaningful length of time, you've likely noticed a severe lack of tongue-wagging about a certain The Divided Region sequel.
Have I abandoned the series like a certain man who shall not be named (**ahem ahem** I'm looking at you, George)?
Have I lost all grip on my cognitive faculties, thusly forgetting I even have a sequel to publish?
Or am I simply dragging my feet with writing?
NO ON ALL COUNTS.
The reason is actually a little more embarrassing.
Seasoned Legionnaires will remember a couple of months ago, I announced that I was doing something different with Book 6 that, frankly, I had never done before.
That thing?
Writing without an outline.
Many authors I know and trust have roared about the benefits of this approach for years, from the speed of their writing to the explosive creativity it unlocks, and for the first five chapters…
It certainly felt that way.
Then I encountered my first misadventure as I wrote myself into a particularly tight corner.
"No biggie," I told myself. "Nothing a couple of days and some grovelling to Milo the Muse can't fix."
Only, it happened again a few scenes later.
This vicious cycle repeated itself several more times until I finally lost my stride and had to step away from the manuscript before I sought the warmth of my whiskey decanter.
Worse still, every time I dared to peek at the document…
I SHUDDERED.
It was like staring at a bunch of tangled headphones that couldn't be saved, so I eventually threw my hands in the air and culled half a dozen chapters (which may or may not come as bonus content for Storehouse buyers when it is released, if I can somehow salvage them).
Believe you me, it wasn't fun scrapping that many words — especially after weeks of toiling over 'em.
But it was necessary.
I've since produced a coherent outline for the rest of Acts 2 and 3, which has cleared so much of the fog that blighted this manuscript.
Now, like a steady mountain stream, the words are flowing again.
The characters won't stop yapping in my head.
And while the outline may end up being tweaked as I go, there is a real gusto that wasn't present for most of my time spent "writing into the dark."
That doesn't mean I'm giving up on the idea, however.
I just should have known better than to conduct such wild, creative experiments on a series nearing its climactic conclusion.
(And climactic these last two books promise to be!)
Such is life. I shall chalk that up as a valuable lesson learned.
Anyway, I hope that explains the lack of noise coming from my end. I shalt not keep you "in the dark" going forward, my dear Legionnaire.
DJJW
P.S. While I work through the latest instalment with fervour, now's as good a time as any to re-read or re-listen to the series (or traverse it for the first time, should you be new around these parts).
Get Exiled: here:
https://djjwatsonstore.com/products/Exiled
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