Destalis "Reimagining" (Draft 5)

Posted 12/04/12 12:05 am by Greg

Due to the need for a fifth round of significant edits, I put Destalis on the shelf for a few years while I wrote BC9. I needed to do something new, and I also figured--correctly, it turned out--that I could write a second novel faster than I could rewrite the first one, given all I learned the initial time around. Now, with BC9 nearing completion, I've returned to my first project, determined to revamp the story until it demonstrates the greatness that exists within my head. Here are the major changes for what I'm calling the "re-imagining" of Destalis:

- Lynn's character has changed significantly along with her name. Lynn is now Lyana. Lynn was too modern-day. So, I decided to go with Lyana, which remains close to Lynn but sounds more unique. Lyana starts out at age seventeen instead of twenty-five, and since the story now covers multiple years, she will have time to grow from a timid, disgruntled teen into a confident leader. Gone is Lynn the philosophy student. Lyana still practices martial arts, though. Finally, Lyana's dreams are less abstract and more integrated into the plot.

- Complete rewrite of the first quarter of the story. Everything from the beginning through Lyana's escape from Dainichi plays out differently, and my goal is to get Lyana on her journey more quickly. I plan to rewrite much of the story, although in general, less rewriting will occur closer to the end.

- Shortened length and tighter, faster-paced writing. Draft 4 is 194,000 words. I plan to drop this done into the low six-figure range. Also, my ability to write has come a long way in the last half-decade. Draft 4 suffers from "wordiness," uses passive tense and adverbs, and isn't very tight in general.

- Higher-tech. Not that it matters terribly within the context of the story, but Destalis takes place about ten thousand years in the future in another galaxy. So, the technology needs to reflect that. Now, many characters, including Lyana and Lutar, have cybernetic augmentations. People also live for hundreds of years and can be revived, which affects the timeline and logistics of the story.