Free to write another book!

Finally.

I have The Dead Spend No Gold done except for the final copy-editing.

I have Faerylander done, and ready to go out to the editors, right after that.

I have several books I could do rewrites on, but I want to alternate rewrites with new books and it is new books turn

So I may write another Virginia Reed novel, while I still have her in mind, or I may try fiddling with my Steampunk novel idea.  Or some other idea may come out of nowhere, as often happens.

I'm learning to be a little more prepared before I start first drafts.  Basically, I try to have all the proper ingredients, all the necessary characters, a theme, and a vague story arc, from which I know I can assemble a proper novel.

I'm going to try to stick to the following process:

1.) Think about the book in advance.  Make sure there is enough there for a book.
2.) Write the book quickly.
3.) Set it aside for a couple months, at least.
4.) Come back and rewrite it.
5.) Give it to editors.
6.) Do another rewrite.
7.) Have editor do clean edit.

I'm going to try to avoid these 3rd and 4th rewrites.  Sometimes the books are improved slightly, but it seems to me that I also can clutter up the story and writing, too.  There is a cost as well as a benefit.

I suppose it depends on how good of a job I do in planning the book and writing that first draft.

If I mess it up, so that the above process won't do the job, I'm beginning to think I might be better off just going on to another book.

Spending 3 times the time on rewriting as I do on writing seems like a silly thing to do.

I'm going to do some research on the Lost Blue Bucket Mine over the next week or two, and see if I can get Virginia Reed in trouble again...