A Proper Sendoff? · 6:50pm Jan 9th, 2021
The next chapter I'll be publishing is not only the end of my latest novel. It's the end of the whole trilogy. The trilogy I started in 2011.
There may be additional short stories set in this universe featuring some of its characters, but this is definitely the last novel in this chronology.
Because of this, I'm making sure that every single important character's story is adequately concluded in the upcoming release. And as I'm working more and more on that, I'm realizing something.
This last chapter is probably going to be very long.
I'm not interested in splitting the denouement into multiple chapters. The story reached its climax in chapter 19, and I feel the most appropriate storytelling move now is to put what remains into one final chapter. And I can't be sure until the chapter is fully drafted, but I'm starting to suspect it might be somewhere in the ballpark of 26,000 - 30,000 words. Maybe some of the later scenes will end up shorter than the earlier ones have been, but I won't know until I try to turn the outlines for those scenes into finished text.
One thing is for sure; after working with these ponies for the last decade, it's very important to me to give their stories the proper closure. So I will be making sure they say everything that needs to be said... even if that results in an extremely large final act. So just giving you guys a heads up about that. Chapter 20 and the epilogue will be published simultaneously, but I don't have a planned release date yet.
Thank you all for your views and comments so far! I hope when the conclusion finally arrives, you all find it to be a satisfying ending.
~PRB
This is going be pretty exciting, having followed the series since shortly after Shipping and Handling started.
Also, fun little detail that I just noticed, but the first story comes in at over 100k words, the second at over 200k, and this last will--assuming your final chapter estimates are close--fit comfortably in the 300k range. And yet, each of them are about 20 chapters total.
Oh. Well. Congratulations!
...
I should really get started on Hocus Pocus, then, huh?
You've always told this story exactly as it should be told, PRB; with passion and feeling. You have brought these characters to life and made us love Ditzy and Dinky and all their friends. I know the ending will be just as amazing as the beginning! Take your time. Your stories are well worth the wait!
Well shit, I probably need to start reading it. It'll probably be a comment light run, I don't have the stamina for the number and size of comments that I used to leave.
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Hocus Pocus and Magic of the Heart are immeasurably better, from a narrative standpoint, than S&H was.
If you've only checked out Shipping and Handling so far, you're in for a treat if you get time to read the sequels.
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Any comments are appreciated, even if they're fewer than in the past.
Comments or not, thank you for following my work!
I loved both S&H and Hocus Pocus. Magic of the Heart, just based on the first 4 chapters I've read, is going to be amazing.
I've been holding off on reading the story until it's complete, so I'm looking forward to this. However this last chapter/epilogue turns out--whether 10,000 words or 50,000--I'm sure that I'll have another story for my favorites list.
Yes! I can finally start reading it! This is gonna be awesome!
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I'll be making another post or two with some final info, so readers like you two who have been waiting patiently for me to finish will know when it's available.
I hope you'll tell me what you think once you finally get to read it
Possibly 30K words, huh? Sounds like that's gonna be intense.
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That's actually a result of me being really bad at predicting how many words it will take me to write an idea.
Shipping and Handling was written with no set length in mind. When I created the outline for Hocus Pocus, it was created with the intent of being as long as S&H. It ended up twice that. When I wrote the outline for Magic of the Heart, I was intentionally shooting for the length of Hocus Pocus. As as you can see, we're gonna hit nearly 350,000 words instead.
I'm a bad judge of my own long-windedness
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Do you see any of us complaining though?
Wow! that's the length of a short book! Amazing. I'm so glad to be able to read all your content. It's sometimes amazing how long fanfics can be!
I'll be looking forward to it!!! This trilogy has been absolutely incredible so far, and seeing that it's over will feel like there's something missing in the world, but I'm sure that cou can create a wonderful ending to this amazing trilogy <3
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...And also I might write short stories about some of the characters. Similar to the Bonus Chapters in Shipping and Handling.
The novels are done, for sure, but the characters don't have to be gone for good
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Even if there weren't for any short stories, these characters will always live on in our hearts ❤️
Seriously, you have written such an amazing and memorable world and cast of characters that I don't think I'll ever forget ❤️
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Thanks so much for the compliments.
I hope the grand finale lives up to your expectations!