cks you designed to be ~exotic~ or whatever, and those rabid jerks at Disney can only grit their teeth now!
Oct
2nd
2015
Dark Horse status update with a bit more meat on the bones this week · 10:43am Oct 2nd, 2015
I'm still mostly focused on the new, more polished final-arc outline (21624 words) but I've also started a bit on the V2 of #8. (4372 words.)
Interestingly enough, it does seem like the story will be 12-14 chapters long right now. Something I've been hoping but not banking on.
The numerology of all three amuses me quite a bit—harmony/completeness, bad luck/change/death and great luck/great misfortune/greatly magical, especially 14, but I'm not going to force it if the story ends up a bit longer or shorter than that...
Not like I was going for a numrological motive from the start, so if things do line up like that its just a happy accident. 
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Lord Of Dorkness · 643 views
· Story: Dark Horse — A Five Score Tale From The Dresden Files
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#Status Update
I'm not particularly invested in the numerology, but the part of this that translates into "half again as long or more" is something I can absolutely get behind.
That estimate including any epilogue, assumng there is one? I know the Dresden Files endings don't have epilogues in the same sense as other stories, more like converging threads and previews of what is to come.
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Yes,
I'm not quite there in the detailed outline yet, but the big 'beats' of that is one of those things that's been more or less in my head since the start. No spoilers obviously, but I think its shaping up very nicely behind the scenes.
Good news, happy to hear it is coming along.
On an unrelated note, I got to meet Jim Butcher yesterday and this seems like a good place to brag about it. He is every bit as cool as you would imagine in person and more. Now I just have to get to work reading his new book.
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By the way, once the latest chapter is released, I would very much appreciate it if you shot me a copy of the "beta version," as it were. I really don't want to spoil myself on what will happen, but I have to admit, I am honestly curious on what was going to. Hope it's no bother to you.
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Oh, a bit envious, I must admit. And yeah, I've heard he's a really cool dude.
That Baiten Kitos but with more steam-punk one? I've heard a few whispers already about it, but no details. I think I've mentioned that Codex just wouldn't click for me, but I've got some hopes for the Spire series. It sounds neat.
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Sure, I'm always looking for more pre-readers/editors. I'll add you to the list.
You want a link to the failed version V1 for comparison? A bit too many spoilers for posting publicly right now, but I don't mind sharing it behind the scenes.
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That's exactly the part I was talking about, yes. I wouldn't be able to read it now, without having seen the finalized version, but I would very much like to contrast and compare.
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I've sent a PM.
Again, it had some nice moments but just didn't work in practice, so you might want to start now and pace yourself.
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Will do.
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I'll admit, the first book of codex is the only one I have no real desire to reread in the near future, in the same way I don't really feel the need to read Fool Moon again any time soon. Much like the Dresden Files it gets much better as it goes. If you start with the second book of Alera you won't miss too much and it just keeps getting better.
3436787 The most relevant editor notes (the ones that laid out the reasons to scrap v1 of the chapter and how to fix it) are at the end of the gdoc. So if you are curious and want to have an idea of the discussion that led to him scrapping the chapter, without completely spoiling the many great scenes that will likely be moved to a later part of the fic, reading those notes is the way to do it.
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Again, I think I've mentioned this but I fell in love with the Dresden Files all the way from that first scene in Storm Front.
I mean, how many series starts with the mailman mocking the main character for being a creepy loser?
It really sold me on that, yes, Dresden really lives somewhere on the edges of the real world. No other urban-fantasy series aside from Ghostbusters has really managed that for me. It really helps give every crises threatening Chicago a bit more 'oomph' I never got from, say, Buffy's ever doomed Sunny Dale.
Oh, things from the Jim Butcher Q&A that might be relevant to Dark Horse.
Dresden's spirit of intellect daughter is apparently going to be named Bonnie and will be very pleased to discover that pancakes are inanimate! in the next book. Apparently this is more or less where Bob started out.
Maggie does actually have a crippling social anxiety disorder and panic attacks (it isn't just an excuse to have Mouse with her.) Except when everything is on fire and she is suddenly in complete control.
Thorn manacles work by shunting excess mana (painfully) to the Never Never.
Jim doesn't have a good idea of what exactly Mac's beer is because he is more of a cider guy. (One of the guys at the book signing was a brewer trying to replicate it.) Ok, probably not relevant, but I thought it was neat.
Aww... He named her beautiful/good/sweet.
That's adorable.
I think I'm sticking to Susan to drive home the time-line split slash what a big shock... well, turning into a pony was for Dresden, but I'll make sure to mention that in the notes. Thanks for telling me.
Oh. I'd already gotten that vibe after, well, Changes and Skin Games, but its still a bit
seeing it black on white like that.
A bit darkly adorable that the apple haven't fallen far from the tree on dealing with freaky shit, though.
Interesting. Not sure that will effect what I'm planning, but interesting.
...Huh.
I know that you don't have to live it to write it, but I was sure Jim was a beer guy given how often it pops up in at least DF as minor plot-points and character moments.
Yeah, kinda neat.
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I will say the brewer looked awfully put out, almost betrayed, that Jim Butcher himself didn't have a good idea about what kind of beer Mac Brewed.
Additionally, the friend I went with asked, "So in Summer Knight Mab said that if Harry fulfilled his side of the 'three favors bargain' he would be free of winter influence, is that why Mab doesn't really ask him to do anything as the winter knight, she just tells him to do things, so he won't be 'free of' the Winter Mantle?" Jim's response was to the effect of, "that isn't the only reason." (I hope I'm quoting him correctly.)
Of course, Dark Horse is AU after all. I would expect nothing less.
About his spirit daughter, apparently Bonnie will be able to tell us everything about the color green in terms of wavelengths and particle information, but not be able to tell us that grass is green. Apparently she is where Bob started out, and Harry will be having the 'Dad with a shotgun' talk with Bob.
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I'm not a big beer guy, but I'd bet its a variant on dark ale given what stickler for serving it warm Mac is and how Harry goes on and on about the flavor.
The odd blue-moon when I get beer cravings I usually go for a bottle of Hobgoblin, and that fits that general description in how you're supposed to drink it, at least.
I SO CALLED THAT BARGAIN IS STILL A THING!
And I'd bet Harry figures it out himself, just when it will cause the most problems for him in the long run!
Now that's interesting.
Butcher really hes a rare skill in making his non-human characters actually feel that way but still stay relatable. I can't wait to actually read the next book.
3441549 Oh! and one last juicy one I remembered today.
The question was: How much of Hannah Ascher's pyromancy was her and how much was Lasciel?
The answer: While Hannah provided most of the power, Lasciel provided nearly all the control. While Hannah is a competent pyromancer on her own, she isn't even close to the level displayed in Skin Game that so impressed Harry.
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Oh, that's neat.
It does explain why Lasciel is so pissy about Dresden slipping the net, though.
Man, can you even imagine that level of arcane horror?
3445126 Jim Butcher Q&A
Ok Found it. I was standing about 10 feet to the left of the guy recording it thinking 'damn I hope that guy uploads that to youtube.' He did. Enjoy.
My friends question about the Mab deal is not included since that was while Jim was signing his book.
Edit: Another highlight I forgot to mention is that Jim will be writing a short story set in Larry Correia's MHI universe about the janitor at Monster Hunter International. Not sure if you are a fan but I can't wait
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Oh. Really?
Seems weird to actually have even a preliminary end like that. Wonder if its accurate or not? I've heard about the 'end trilogy' but still feels a bit strange hearing an outright number like that.
Oh god, its a running joke now for all Jim's stuff.
Oh, cool. Good to see them trying that again.
Hmm...
Considering what I know about the originals, that sounds interesting.
Well, that's one way to do it, I guess.
That's rather sad if true. Typical Hollywood bullshit, though, so sounds quite plausible.
Hopefully the newer one gets a fairer shake once it happens.
I laughed way too hard at those two!
I'm not a fan at all of the 'born special' origin of a chance of becoming a wizard, but fair enough. His universe.
I do like the nod to being able to beat your head against that wall until things work out anyway, though. Would be interesting to see such a self-made sorcerer.
One more towards the 'Harry' side rather than Butter's 'batman with enchantments' thing, I mean. The second's cool, but I'd like to see Jim's take on the first since D had so much weirdness in his life all the way from the start.
Kansas City, huh? Interesting what could have been, given how Chicago is almost a character to itself in the books.
Wonder what the equivalent to Demonreach would have been then, though? Missouri and elder horrors just doesn't quite jell the same as long lost island and the great lakes does, at least not in my head.
We do have some nice ciders around here. Nice to hear he enjoyed himself, though.
Huh, Jim and I have the same exact method on that.
I genuinely don't know how to feel about that.
Guess 'that one ring thing' explains quite a lot.
Its not that they're impossible to contain, they're just very patient and nasty little inmates if you do that will keep scraping away until they're free.
Google Street-view strikes again. Heh.
Thanks for sharing. That was a cool.