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Well, in a fit of excitement, I emailed edit or die (on your recommendation, Fiona) and presented my dilema concerning the length of book one and the trouble that would cause for getting it assessed....

The reply I got was that I had two or three books in one and that I should probably split it into a trilogy or get the word count down to under 200,000. I forgot to mention that this is book one of a quartet.

So, splitting it into a trilogy is out of the question, unless I want to do four trilogies just to finish my story (but thinking on that, I could probably do it in three trilogies... now I'm starting to sound like George Lucas). OR I have to somehow cut out 300,000 words to get it down to 200,000 at most. And that is even worse for book two, which is a smidge longer than book one.

aaaarrrrrgggghhhhh!!! Oooooooh the agony!!

I'm going to go back and do another word count on it... maybe the stupid comp didn't count it right to start with.

Asteroid B-612

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Ab this is good news. I have to tell you, plenty of authors are probably scratching to fill their trilogy at times. Yours is the good sort of problem to have. The other type is the sort that is depressing. Why not do a Jordan - just keep em' coming? Can you find a suitable cliffhanger or place to stop in book one which is around 150-170,000 words in? Don't slash away anything until you've explored how many books may well be in this. If the writing is good, the story is good, the publisher will get dizzy knowing there's more than a simple trilogy in it - it could be two quartets.

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Actually, after posting that, I got majorly inspired and did go through it, roughly finding where it would cut into thirds... and what do you know?!?!?!?!?!?!? Those rough thirds turned out to be spectacular places for it to be divided up!!!

I couldn't believe it! Still can't almost. Things don't usually go this easy for me.

So, now I am dedicated to the trilogy idea, but it will be a trilogy of trilogies, to get the idea finished. I have already done the dividing thing on book two and guess what?? Same thing! It split into thirds really easily again. Man! It must be fate.

And I panicked over names for them all. I couldn't even find a name for the first book (when it was one book) but last night, while tossing and turning in bed, I came up with three names for the first 'trilogy' (still having difficulty thinking of it as three separate books). The second 'trilogy' is causing me grief, but I figure I don't have to have them yet.

And with the NEW book one reduced in size, I finally managed to write a half way decent synopsis of it.

Can you tell I'm over the depression and am rather pleased with myself at the moment?? I'm shootin' from both barrells now!!!

Thank you so much for your advice and support, Fiona!!!

Asteroid B-612

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You go get 'em girl!

I've done nothing. You are doing it all but I'm thoroughly enjoying hearing how it all happens.

And I love that shooting whizzy thing! F