Research, Research, Research

Man, if there's one thing that I both love and am frustrated by, it's how much research I'm doing for this book. You'd think once I typed the words "The End" I'd be done looking stuff up, but nope. Rewrites. Edits. Double-checking that words and concepts are what I think they are. 

Its intense and feels so amazing to learn something new, especially when that information fits perfectly into the story's narrative, but... I hate it when I'm actually writing and I have to stop to do an hour long research session on the twelve tribes of Israel to make sure that one, TINY reference is correct and won't come back to bite me in the end. 

So, when I first started writing, I casually opened up a side window and started jotting down a few notes. Potential characters, some dialogue I thought would be cool for future chapters, maybe a couple ideas on real life locations to base story settings on. It was a couple pages. Now, it's forty-three. And you know what, that's not including cut content that I've set aside, my outline(s), and visual references. What's more insane, apparently, for most serious authors, that's not even very much!

I have to say though, I've learned a lot over these last couple years. So many times I've had a faint idea in my head, wrote it out, then did a little research and had to change everything. Still, those changes have always been for the better. I like to think I'm a humble man, but I have to say this: every draft of The Paladin is better than the last and I LOVE this story more and more as I keep writing and editing. 

Guys, I have to be upfront. I'm excited. I know about the flaws in my story, my betas have been more than forthcoming about those failures, but the story, hell, just the idea of this novel, I'm excited about it and want so badly to share it with all of you. Every time I take a research break, this story gets that much better. The plot flows that much more smoothly. I love this story and I sincerely hope you will all love it, too.

​Be Excellent to Each Other!