WTLLM- Finished – 53 days – 72,150 Words

On June 15, 2023, I began writing the sequel and final chapter to what I now refer to as The Claire Saga – Where The Ley Lines Meet. The title comes from a clever line in an early review of The Wise Ass, and refers to the Ley Lines that intersect in the back of the property now known as Casa Claire. The Ley Lines are what drew all of the characters to that area.

I had a few hours each morning since then to work on the book and a couple of days where life prevented me from doing so. I had to incorporate a series of new characters, some picked up like hitchhikers along the way, plus bring back all of the beloved characters that the readers have come to know and love. Claire, of course, is central to this story.

Yesterday, I finished the book and The Claire Saga. It’s bittersweet.

I love these characters, like I love the family and friends that I built them on.

I openly wept throughout the writing of the third act of this book.

With any epic style story, and this is what The Claire Saga has become, you create worlds and create, evolve and resolve characters and storylines. You don’t realize as you are moving along just how complex the characters and storylines become over each installment. Strange but there is always a moment during the writing process when I realize that the book will be completed. The characters take control of the narrative and I just become a scribe.

Whenever I finish a chapter, I go to the next page and list what I think the next one should be about.

It’s been a 50/50 split on how many times the next morning arrives and the story goes off in a completely unexpected direction.

Over the past four years I’ve written five books, including WTLLM. That’s a lot of story to worry about.

That is why I so desperately depend on my inner circle of readers. Each one of them has read the prior four books, some multiple times. They know my existing characters and past storylines better than I do. Most also know the backstories to the reality behind the myth. All of them have developed well grounded suspicions and hypotheses as to what they do not know for certain.

I trust them to keep me on a tight leash so that I always show my readers the utmost respect in the story I present them. You see, I know my existing readers have invested themselves in the project. They have paid the fare and deserve the full ride. And if they have come along this far, they deserve my best efforts.

I produced one of two chapters a day, and my readers usually responded within a few hours with their thoughts on how the story was progressing and pointing out how poor my spelling and grammar truly is.

I own it, I am the Slip Mahoney of writers.

My inner circle of readers made sure I carried this story to its proper end.

And for that, I’m forever in their debt.

So, as I wean myself away from working on this saga, during the final editing process, I’ll be able to get back to my blogging. It may be sporadic in the beginning, but I hope to get back to a daily entry.

I’m probably down to zero readers, so it will take some time to rebuild.

For those that have checked in once in a while, I appreciate the loyalty.

Stay tuned, and thanks for the continued support.

Have a great day.