My goodness, things have been absolutely bonkers lately. I have some things going on which I will tell you about in my next newsletter, but basically, I’m swamped. As such, my progress on The Keeper of the Wild Places has been very slow. I really love this book, and can’t wait to share it with you, so I’ve been a little disappointed in the lack of progress. Most of it has nothing to do with my writing ability, but is all to do with other life events, but even so, lack of progress is a bit sad.
So! I did something dramatic.
I planned out the remainder of the book.
I’m what people call a pantser, most of the time. I always have a very firm idea of where the story is going to go, but it’s never written down. This way, my brain can run through different scenarios, see if things work, etc. Very rarely do I feel the need to actually outline a story beyond this mental map. But, with progress being so slow on Keeper, I wanted something a bit more concrete so I coul see just how close I was to finishing. Therefore, I mapped out all the things that still need doing in the story and officially set an ending point. The conclusion? Only SEVEN chapters left!
Each chapter for Keeper is about 2k words, which means there are about 14k (probably more like 15k) words remaining. That will bring the total word count to about 75k for this book, which is just perfect. I can’t say how long it will take, since I have so many things going on, but I can definitely say it should be done by end of May! Then, there’s just editing, sending copies off to ARC readers and a whole lot of happy dancing.
I’m really excited to share this story with you. If you’re interested to know what it’s about, I’m including the blurb down below. I would love to know your thoughts!
The Keeper of the Wild Places:
They say that the last wild places in this civilised country vanished nearly two centuries ago. They say that the wild beasts, the magical creatures, the faeries and fauns, the little people, the wisps, the dragons and the wolves, all vanished when humankind spread their cultivation from sea to sea. The forests became tame, no mysteries hidden under their boughs. The hills became quiet but for the whistling of the winds. The lakes were emptied of those beings who would whisper watery dreams to you.
The wild, they say, disappeared.
But they would be wrong.
The wild places still exist, hidden amongst the cultivation, the gardens, the streets and the gas lamps. They keep to themselves, taking the magic of the land with them as they pass. When the wild places vanish in truth, then will the spirit of this beautiful land pass beyond the veil also.
All that will be left is the facade of social graces and the memory of the Keepers.
Humans, imbued with the ability to listen and to speak to the wild places, they have guided the conquerors and their kin for centuries. They have told when to hunt, when to plant, how to live in harmony with the forgotten magics. They are not the ancient druids, who hold such power in their fingers and looks. They are just watchers. Observers. Those who listen and wait.
This is the story of one of the last Keepers known to memory, and her place in the world of memory. This is the story of life, of love, of the heart and of the mind. It is the story of the Wild Places.