Doubling a novel means adding a lot. About 40,000 words to be exact. While this might be a moment of panic, as I continue to edit and read I've learned that there's always more to add. There are plot gaps to fix, scenes that can be elongated, a world to develop and characters that have to grow. All of these are concepts I've been talking about for the past year or so as I've been continuing to work on Guardians. The other day I decided to change the plot. Not dramatically, but rather I wanted to add drama. For a while I've felt that the plot was moving too slowly and that parts of the book might not be engaging enough.
Once in a while I get brainwaves. They're exciting, enthralling, and energizing. (Yes, that's a lot of e's.) Over the summer I talked about the feeling of having things fall into place. The new plot idea was one of those moments. There will be a bit more mystery, a stronger villain, and a lot more tension. True, I love books that feel like every day life, that really make us feel like we're living with the characters. BUT...when I read I want something that's not like real life. I want mystery, adventure, and magic. So I'm amping everything up to give myself, and hopefully others, what they want.
To provide some back story before I give an excerpt: Helvor, the crazed magician who created the portal between the two worlds in the first place, is trying to merge both universes back together (even though it will actually kill everyone.) In this scene he has Ben and Shana in his clutches.
Shana was furious. No one controlled her. To find out that she was part of some twisted scheme to merge the Anchor and Other worlds was not only enraging it was terrifying. Still, being angry was better than being scared.
She turned (as much as she could while in chains) to let Helvor have it.
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