Holly Lisle: Writer

Slogging Gods Revisions

I’m about to the end of the revisions for Gods Old and Dark — at least that’s what the ever-shrinking pile of paper to my left would attest. I’m doing a new scene right at the moment, setting up Raymond Smetty and Louise Tate for their eventual just desserts. (I left their fate hanging in the first version, and my slow-turn-around readers thumped me over the head for it.) Mark is downstairs either cleaning his room or doing demolition work: the sounds are identical and I haven’t the guts to go look. My other two guys are out raiding Toys ‘R’ Us to give me a chance to finish this thing, and I’m taking a five-minute breather while I figure out the next part of this scene, so I figured I’d make a note of where I am.

I’m having to come up with an end-of-series ending for Gods Old and Dark. I’m not sure there will be more books in the world, and I don’t want to leave readers hanging forever. So I’ll leave two carefully chosen threads wrapped but not clipped, so that I can pick up the storyline if I get the chance to do more World Gates books, but the rest get snipped and cauterized this time. It’s been making for a lot of rewriting. S’alright. The book will live through it, and the ending will be stronger than it was. And in a couple more days I’ll dive into Talyn and ten pages a day of Korre and alternating first/third and a couple of characters I just adore and thought I was never going to get to write.

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8 responses to “Slogging Gods Revisions”

  1. Wolfhardt Avatar
    Wolfhardt

    Hello from Germany

    I was eventually able to get a hold on Gods Old and Dark. Read it in two days and loving it. A great book, but no real conclusion to this excellent series.

    At first I was a little bewildered on the appearance of Heyr/Thor, but he is a great character and I grew to see him as a formidable addition to the cast. I like how you tie in our various myths into the backstory of these books.

    I sincerely hope you can come back to this world(s), so we can see the final fate of Molly/Baaraak of Silver&Gold, if there´s a conjoint future for Lauren and Pete and if the Nightwatch(Nachtwache in german)eventually can be shattered.

    In any case, keep up the good work and thanks for the good time you gave us with the World Gates.

    Reply
  2. Holly Avatar
    Holly

    Eitje—The WORLD GATES series, like the ARHEL series and the SECRET TEXT universe and the DEVIL’S POINT universe, hang in frustrating limbo. I could, perhaps, do some short stories in each world while hoping to write something so big that it would create demand for my other books. I’m just not sure where I’d make the time.

    I want to find out the details of Baanraak and his offshoots. I desperately want to get to Molly’s resolution. Maybe someday.

    In the meantime, I’m glad you found your way here. Welcome.

    Reply
  3. eitje Avatar
    eitje

    hi. 🙂 i picked up the whole world gate series at a discount book store two Saturdays ago. I’d originally read your words when I was thirteen, with “Fire in the Mist”, and thought I’d give this round a try, since I’d like FitM so much. 😉

    Well, I’ve torn through the series as of Sunday. I found your site while looking for more of your fiction, and I wanted to say two things in relation to this posting from more than 3 years ago, which is why I’ve given this introduction here and not somewhere else.

    1) I am not a fan of blogs. However, I have already become a tremendous fan of this place – which is, by far, NOT a blog! I’m mostly impressed by your openness in writing here. When I’ve found other author’s sites in the past (excepting John Varley’s ramble-icious pages), they’ve always seem pompous and over-produced. Personally, I like how you swear in your posts. XD

    2) I can’t wait to hear about Baanraak of Hunter’s Gold. I can’t wait to know how Molly re-grows a soul (and whether or not the silver-gold Baanraak grows one too). And I certainly can’t tell you how excited I am that the two of those things might somehow be important to each other. 🙂 Hopefully those are the two storylines you feel you’ve left open for interpretation, because those are the ones I’m running with! 🙂

    Reply
  4. Holly Avatar
    Holly

    Treesong: Baanraak of Hunter’s Gold is a critical part of the longer story arc. I hope I get to tell the rest of the thing someday. The real ending, the one that will still take me several books to reach, still gives me goosebumps.

    Reply
  5. Treesong Avatar
    Treesong

    I finally finished GODS OLD AND DARK yesterday, having recently acquired the first volume, and enjoyed it as much as the first two. One thing, though, left me itching so much that I tracked down this blog so I could ask. You say ‘So I’ll leave two carefully chosen threads wrapped but not clipped’. Is the fate of Baanraak of Hunter’s Gold one of them? Because after he wakes up on page 131 he’s never heard from again, as far as I can tell. Which seems more clipping than wrapping–my suspicion is that that section was supposed to go away in rewrite.

    Whatever the case, I hope you’ll do #4(+) some day.

    Reply
  6. Jim Woosley Avatar
    Jim Woosley

    I echo the hope that you can start a new series story line in the Worlds Gates series. I’m finding the series impossible to put down.

    (Of course, incorrigible me, I’m also still hoping that someday we’ll see more Devil’s Point novels, and at least find out what happened to Dayne Kuttner next. I still want to marry her — and I’m not afraid of the competition. ::winks::)

    Reply
  7. TLinkenback Avatar
    TLinkenback

    I’d certainly echo the hope that you get to do more. I picked the first book up for something to read on a train ride, and was back at the bookstore to get the second one the following day.

    Good luck with your revisions…

    Reply
  8. Krista Avatar
    Krista

    I don’t think I so much as thumped you as said…"hey, what about…"

    LOL

    Good luck with those revisions. And I really hope you get a chance to continue on with this series. I enjoyed Wreck of Heaven a great deal.

    Reply

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