Souldancer 3.0

Having gotten the manuscript for Nethereal in satisfactory form, I've started work on a new revision of the old version of Souldancer. Reading the second (chronological) book now, I can't believe I ever deemed it ready for print.

I don't know whether it was grad school, the number of books I've read between "finishing" SD v2 and now, or both; but my awareness of flaws in the execution of version two is now glaring. My main issue was having too many descriptive clauses modifying any one object. The book as it stands reads as if I couldn't decide between descriptors and chose to include them all. The result was very cluttered, as you can imagine.

Presently, I'm going back through Souldancer, intent on giving it a total overhaul. The text will be fully streamlined and revised while being brought up to spec with Nethereal. That means shoring up continuity between the two books, harmonizing established nomenclature, and almost certainly cutting a few scenes that no longer fit the narrative.

To those who might object to an abridged version, consider that rendering both manuscripts in double-spaced, twelve point text, Nethereal tops out at a respectable 780 pages, while Souldancer currently bursts its binding at 1340. Simply reining in my exposition should help make the page count more manageable.

In case you're wondering why I'm going to the trouble of revisiting a five year-old manuscript that took me two years to write in the first place, not including original revisions, the answer is that there's nothing else I'd rather do. The reason I started with the second book in the cycle is because I feel very strongly that Souldancer is the heart of the saga; the philosophical and emotional axis around which the whole thing turns.

Don't get me wrong. Nethereal isn't a throwaway piece at all. I wouldn't market a story I didn't believe in. I purposefully wrote the tale to be fully self-contained if needed. However, the fact remains that the first novel's primary job is to rack up the pins so the larger game can commence.

Having gotten the introductory story on paper (rather, on file via word processor) has greatly aided my improvement of Souldancer, providing the firm foundation lacking during my first go-round. Using Nethereal as a reference point, I have no doubt that SD v3 will proceed more naturally; the two texts forming a complementary and fully coherent narrative.

I'm not turning the second book into a clone of the first, either. The scope of Souldancer is still far broader, numerous new characters are introduced, and the stakes are raised compared to the conflict that drove the cast of Nethereal. How can a threat of already universal scale be surpassed?

Rest assured, I've got it covered.