My next semester is starting up soon. Originally I had intended to have a rough draft of my novel Divine Strength done by now, but that definitely did not happen. At least the realization helped me kick myself into making some more progress.

Part of that has involved me repeatedly posting about it on Tumblr, and answering some questions people have had about it on that website. I’ve shared a rough map of the story’s setting (it is by no means art, just there for reference), posted the names I’ve come up with for eight of the eleven queendoms, and with some help, have at least tentative emblems for all twelve Queens. I’ve also posted a few more story excerpts, and a few other miscellaneous bits of info. If anyone wants to peruse all this, you can check out the “Divine Strength” tag on my Tumblr blog, found here. It’s recently been sorted for easier access, details are over there.

I’ve just begun Chapter 5, and I’m rapidly approaching the point where my short stories left off. It’ll be interesting to see what I can come up with next, but I think I’ll be able to get together something decent. My new goal is to get a draft done by the end of 2014. If I can do that, then I can edit and whatnot in 2015 and maybe work up some courage to try to find a publisher by, oh…2020.

…That was a joke.

I do need to find a way to fake confidence and not be crushed by rejection, at least. But, I have time—I have no idea how long this story is going to run, but this plot surely has a reasonable number of chapters left in it. One idea I’m toying with is going back and adding in chapters from the point of view of other Queens during the early chapters. We’ve been exclusively following the Queen of Light thus far, and I want to give them all at least some spotlight. Though, that could complicate things, adding in additional plotlines that pile up and make it really confusing…well, hopefully not. If nothing else, I know I want to do something from the point of view of the Queen of War later—I have a particular scene in mind that I think will be important in defining her character. Also what I’m envisioning looks cool.

Anyway, I shall continue working. Slowly.