Cold Steel: A Complete Draft

Today I completed a provisional, conditional draft of COLD STEEL.

It completes the Spiritwalker Trilogy.

It’s a first draft in the sense that this is the first complete draft of the book. Many sections are not first draft as they have been written, rewritten, and revised multiple times, but the full shape of the book is now “laid down” — rather, I suppose, as one might set up the frame of a house. Of course, I have a huge amount of revisions and cutting to do, but I cannot express how relieved I am to have gotten this complete draft done and the frame of the plot finally fully in place.

This has been an immensely difficult book to write. In fact, I can now safely place it with THE LAW OF BECOMING in the category of “most difficult first draft” books I’ve ever written.

I’m probably going to write a post about the process & difficulties later, but for the moment I want to thank you guys for the support you have given me (a lot of this went on in email, both my writing friends and my readers). I know you have been cheering for me through a grueling process, and it really has made all the difference.

18 thoughts on “Cold Steel: A Complete Draft

  1. Good to hear. I’m laying in a fresh stock of peanut butter in anticipation of its publication!

  2. Yay! I’m so very happy for you that you’ve got the overall book laid down. Will be happy to be an early reader, if you need any.

  3. Congratulations! I’ve just started reading Cold Fire, so I’m pleased to know the third book is on it’s way… even if it’s a long way. May your revisions go smoothly and may the publication process involve little stress.

  4. Thank you, Dani. It’s been a difficult book to write. I’m doing another pass through before I send it out to anyone.

  5. Thank you so much, Suzanne. I actually like to revise, although this will be a somewhat complex process.

    Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy Cold Fire.

  6. Cold Fire and Cold Magic (the first books of yours that I ran across, last year) were so mind-blowingly excellent that I am on pins and needles to read Cold Steel. Congratulations on this important milestone!

  7. Thank you SO MUCH! So thrilled you enjoyed it. Still a lot of revision to do, but theoretically I know what I’m doing now.

  8. I am so looking forward to this coming out, I had Cold Magic sat in my reading pile for months but when I finally picked it up I did not put it down for the entire week it took to read it and the same is true of Cold Fire, my housemate thought I’d turned in to a hermit only coming out of my room to go to work.

  9. Hetti,

    thank you so much! I’m a bit embarrassed to confess that I’m always thrilled to hear that one of my stories took over a reader’s life, for however short a time. That for me is a very great compliment. I thank you for your patience as you wait for Cold Steel.

  10. I am almost thru with Cold fire and will be anxiously awaiting Cold Steel. I have read the Spirit Gate trilogy (I think that’s the right name) and the Crown of Stars series and loved them all. I recently retired and spend hours reading every day. If you need another early reader, count on me.

  11. Your sacrifice and effort are so much appreciated! I am so happy to be a part of this world that you have created (by reading of course) and know that lots and lots of effort goes into it. But it’s all worth it in the end! Thank you for writing!

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