The Scarred God has now been read by two of my three test readers and the feedback is positive.
I’ve got a bunch of inevitable corrections to do and I’m not sure it’s standing out enough from the genre that the idea germinated from, I was keen to try and move it on a little. So: a bit of tinkering still needed to iron out the creases and then…well that’s a good question.
I was asked, on the Arvon course I attended, what the novel was about and I have to say I pretty much fluffed the answer as well as talking down the story. This kind of thing is inevitable as I had just finished a lengthy six month rewrite and frankly didn’t want to see the thing again as long as I lived. However during the line edit I realised that I produced a perfectly readable novel that whilst perhaps not going as far as I would like certainly hits the mark in terms of the genre.
My plan – if it can be called that – was to use The Scarred God as a learning experience and then finish the other novel I have kicking around my hard drive (Forever – currently waiting a 2nd draft). Forever would be the manuscript I would use to try to secure an agent. Now I’m not so sure sticking The Scarred God on the shelf is a good idea. Maybe I need more test readers – for example no male readers have taken a look at it yet. Maybe I should give one of the peer review alternatives to the slush pile like Authonomy.
Decisions eh?
The agents will judge you on a book-by-book basis. Send them this one when you have finished tinkering with it. If they don’t like it, they may like your next one. If they do like it… wa-hay!
I would offer to read it but it sounds like fantasy, which is a genre I know almost nothing about.
Thanks GLP.
It is fantasy – heroic fantasy at that, although I’ve tried to give it a bit more depth as it has stuff in there around the role of religion and belief, why be good, what happens when we die and identity. You know the little stuff. 🙂
Also there are lots of swords.
Hey N, I know Matt would be happy to read it for you, he is an avid fantasy reader, weaned on Lord of the Rings and it didn’t stop there – so if you need a good man, you can brrow mine – I want him back though…
That would be cool. I’ll drop you an email.