Drum roll, please! The End Times have arrived! The End Times! The End of waiting for me to finish The Reefs of Time.
Yes, I have reached the end! The Reefs of Time is substantially DONE. That’s right—I’ve finished the major rewrite of the 268,000 word manuscript! Most of those words, I now believe, are the right words, and in the right order. That works out to about 1327 manuscript pages in Courier New, with two spaces after many periods, and one space after others, because habits die hard.
Ten years in the works, this novel has been through the fermenter, the extractor, the refractors, the distillers, the boilers, the oven, and aged in camphor-wood in the cellar. Here’s what the manuscript looks like, with its tired but happy progenitor.
![Drum roll, please! The End Times have arrived! The End Times! The End of waiting for me to finish The Reefs of Time. Yes, I have reached the end! The Reefs of Time is substantially DONE. That’s right—I’ve finished the major rewrite of the 268,000 word manuscript! Most of those words, I now believe, are the right words, and in the right order. That works out to about 1326 manuscript pages in Courier New, with two spaces after many periods, and one space after others, because habits die hard. Ten years in the works, this novel has been through the fermenter, the extractor, the refractors, the distillers, the boilers, the oven, and aged in camphor-wood in the cellar. Here’s what the manuscript looks like, with its tired but happy progenitor. [CUE “cheers” and more “cheers,” and maybe a few “huzzahs”!] “But wait!” you say. “Is that some kind of weasel wording, ‘substantially done’? What are you trying to pull here?” Trust me, I’m not trying to pull anything. Over the next week or so, I’ll be cleaning up some edits I’ve made notes to myself about, and responding to final suggestions from my stalwart (if annoyingly discerning) writing group. And then off it goes to the editor. The editor will edit, and I’ll do a polish pass over the whole thing as I respond to his editorial suggestions. And after that? Why, you get to read it! At last, at long last!](https://i0.wp.com/www.starrigger.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/JC-Reefs-final-ms-5-19-18-elbow-smile_sm.jpg?resize=520%2C390&ssl=1)
“But wait!” you say. “Is that some kind of weasel wording, ‘substantially done’? What are you trying to pull here?”
Really, I’m not trying to pull anything. Over the next week or so, I’ll be cleaning up some edits I’ve made notes to myself about, and responding to final suggestions from my stalwart (if annoyingly discerning) writing group. And then off it goes to the editor.
The editor will edit, and I’ll do a polish pass over the whole thing as I respond to his editorial suggestions. And after that? Why, you get to read it! At last, at long last!
(Photo by Allysen Carver)
Martin Girouard
I’ve read the other boos twice already… can’t wait 🙂
Thanks again !
Martin
Fran Giuffre
Cheers and more cheers! Congratulations, Jeff. I eagerly await the publication!
Richard Bowker
I just read the final chapters, and the unexpected coda, and I am so pleased with it! In the rewrite, don’t forget the subplot I suggested with the intelligent whales. And the mud wrestling scene — what happened to the mud wresting scene? OK, maybe those weren’t my best ideas…
Jeffrey A. Carver
Thanks, everyone! Especially Richard, who reminded me that I’ll need whales in the final novel, so as to link it to The Infinity Link. The mud wrestling I cut because too many mud microbes were likely to be injured in the inevitable film version. Sorry about that.
Semora
Yay! Congrats on finishing the revision! I’ve been eagerly awaiting this and can’t wait to hold the finished book in my hands. I’m definitely going to have to do a series re-read (though I remember a lot, maybe even most, of the first four books – as this is one of my all time favorites book series).
James richardson
These final edits…they won’t take another 10years. Tell me that won’t take another 10 years. That’s enough time for the bogum to regroup
Jeffrey A. Carver
It won’t take another ten years. We will NOT let the boojum regroup. Promise!
Carl Waisanen
Sir, I also am vey happy of your progress. The wait has been hard. The best story I have encountered in my long years of sifi reading.
Drum Along with Jeff |
[…] it’s happened. The need for a respite after finishing work on my monster book project, combined with the local drum store having a closing sale, led me to a practice pad. And in the way […]
Ted Davis
Got my credit card warmed up.
Reg Caton
The question is “when will this be available?” This thread saying it’s finished goes back to May 2018.
I must say the Chaos Chronicles are a fantastic read and if the “Reefs of Time” are as good it will have been worth the wait.
jeffreyacarver
I’m working with my editor on the final edit now. No pub date yet, but I will post the info as soon as I know!
Martin Girouard
Good morning Jeff, have you decided to go with single or two books for the “Reefs of Time”?
Reg Caton
Well done Jeffrey. Looking forward to reading your book soon. It is hard to believe it’s been ten years.
Reg