Another Year Had Passed Before I Knew It, and Also...

Another year had passed before I knew it, and also...

I uploaded the first chapter on August 16 last year. Today made exactly one year: more than 360 days and over 2.6 million words, averaging more than 7,000 words a day. That doesn't mean I'm diligent, but at least I haven't been slacking off. At least I've been sincere in my efforts.

My previous two books both ran to more than 2.8 million words. This one passing three million is already a sure thing. To be honest, I think even reaching four million will be difficult. I hope I can keep going, and do even better. Along the way, with you all by my side, we've had some wonderful results: second place on the monthly ticket rankings and third on the recommendation rankings. That's helped me press on with greater confidence and steadier steps.

Lately, the story has involved some rather oppressive material about the Anglers and the fish. After the climax of the great battle between good and evil, I've found it a little difficult to write, too. Neither Destroyer of Fate nor Journey to Another World had anything like this, or only touched on it briefly. How do you build up the darker parts without making them too painful, while still gathering strength for the eruption to come? It's a writing challenge. So recently, I've often struggled to find my rhythm, and revising and expanding my detailed outlines has become routine. Now, I'm slowly starting to get a feel for it, and I hope the writing will get better and better.

I'd planned to make up for a missed update tomorrow, but a friend is coming from out of town, so I need to look after them. There'll be one chapter at noon and another at midnight. On