originally posted by Konran
I'd love to do a reread but I'm still stuck in the middle of Steven Erikson's Malazan series 
I haven't done a lot of reading lately; settling into a new job and expanding my jewelry business on the side doesn't leave for a lot of reading time! I do, however, plan to drop everything once Initiate's Trial hits the shelves 
Talia Barnes - I am remiss; welcome here, and thank you for joining us!
originally posted by Clansman
Any chance of an update on the fine editing, oh tailspinner? Been out of circulation myself for a while, and am just a little curious as to where my most hotly anticipated book of 2011 is at.
Cheers.
Fine tuning Set 12.
originally posted by Sleo
Yay! Only two more!
originally posted by Annette
quote:By Janny Wurts on Monday, December 13, 2010 - 09:28 am
Brian, some of the hints are in the satellite short stories; SOME.
Could hope some of you would point up some of this stuff in the in depth discussion at GoodReads; which is mostly new readers.
Janny I actually had a question about the Reins of Destiny I might as well ask here. The Kings Glade in Lithmere, did that part of Havish actually have a forest back in third age 5018? Or is this glade unlike some not actually part of a larger forest but hidden else where?
originally posted by Annette
Janny gave us some hints last year.
quote:Here's some hints from past volumes to charge you up, meantime: a quote of Lady Maenalle's. A mayhem scene in Havish. A mystery in the map. A banished grimward…well, I could go on, but that should occupy you for a little bit.
I was just re-reading Curse of the Mistraith again and one quote of Lady Maenalle's stood out.
Maenalle said, "If you want my earnest opinion, there can be no remedy for Etarra except to raze it clean to the ground."
Would explain why Lysaer would need to build a new city. Mind you I would expect the new one to be razed by Seshkrozchiel before we get to the end of the series.
I must have missed that thread last year!
The only mysteries I can think of on the map would be the Ettinmere Settlement, another city which is marked with the symbol first mentioned in Stormed Fortress, and the strange central location near Crater Lake that isn't a part of any High Kingdom.
originally posted by Sleo
I'm currently rereading Stormed Fortress with an eye to picking up hints to events to come. So far have found several - One is early in the book about perhaps an impending role for Arithon in dealing with the free wraiths.
And a recent eye-opening realization that Morriel/Selidie was practicing necromancy when she pulled her body switching trick made me wonder if that might be a big element in future books.
originally posted by Annette
The clues were actually in this thread Brian, and Janny dropped a few other hints while she was writing. I also think since the armies attention seems to be mainly set on conquering Havish that we might finally find out a bit about the Ettinmere Settlement. Jarde in West Shand was another city that never fell during the rebellion. The area in the middle of the map near Crater Lake we will probably not find out about till the last book, pretty sure it would be a spoiler for the ending of the series. Bet you it starts with A and can easily be confused with Araethura if you are not paying attention. 
I think Arithon will leave the Morriel/Selidie problem to resolve itself. Everything bad that happened to her she caused herself trying to cause harm to others. If her ending involves Arithon and the waystone, it seems a possibility she might be undone by her own promise that she made to Elaira.
Status: 12 set is OFFICIALLY polished. I am now keying in the changes for proofing.
Two more to go; only two more sets to go!
originally posted by Clansman
*Clansman does a little happy dance* (a warm up for the big happy dance when the final draft is turned in).
Git'r done, Janny! Git'r done!
originally posted by John Parsons
Hi Janny,
As we've been kept fully updated with your progress (which is great if a bit like turning the screw of anticipation!!) I've wondered about the actual process of 'polishing'. Do authors normally do as you are doing, or do they have editors to do it for them. Alternatively, is there going to be another stage after your polishing for someone else to further refine the text?
John
originally posted by John Parsons
Regarding Koriathain Obligations
SPOILER
SPOILER
(just in case someone hasn't yet read SF!)
In SF there are two instances where Koriathain obligations are mentioned, one was the healing of Sidir where Arithon took on the obligation as Sidir's friend and the Masterbard. The second was the recall of Arithon where the obligation was bound against the Crown of Rathain.
How those obligations are paid seems to be the key to what happens in Initiates Trial, but I wondered (Janny please!) if there are any limits as to what the Twisted Sisters can/do demand as repayment?
Hyperbole: You have an infected toe, the Koriathain heal it and then years later demand your child's life service as repayment - surely not! - but how is it limited?
John
originally posted by Mark Stephen Kominski
Go, good Tale-Spinner, go!
(And a Happy New Year to one and all here. )
John, since you asked; the competition is so fierce, and, editors do meetings/have little time to 'edit' as they once would. It's pretty much on the author. The manuscript may or may not be 'edited' - by the editor at the desk; if so, it will be tiny technical things, like switching
had once been
to
once had been
(I fix this stuff, now, matter of course)
The manuscript will be copy-edited for punctuation, grammar, word use; etc…
Mine go in very clean; have to, as the style is markedly original. Little I've done since Sorcerer's Legacy's first printing has been 'edited' with a touch you'd notice at all.
I will leave your OTHER point unanswered as it was not directed to me…the answers to both issues are in the text.
On the other question directed to me up the page that I've not answered yet, I am deciding how to respond since it Might affect what you know… I have not forgotten the question was asked. The schedule around here has been scorching between writing, holidays, a huge Christmas concert the band put on, and now, year end taxes. Almost in the clear - I've not had any extra time for thought.
originally posted by Annette
Janny how is it they are able to say how many pages the book will have before you submit a final manuscript. Do they tell you how many pages you can have and then you trim the book down to fit, or add extra sections at the back with the glossary. I remember you saying you had an extra 6 pages to fill in one of the editions of the books, which is how we ended up with an extra section.
And after the seven ages of Redemption what comes next? The age of Enlightenment? Did you ever do any story outlines for anything after the ages of Redemption. It seems like the first book almost started at the end. Presumably we get a further glimpse of the seventh age later on, we are all still wondering about those sages and why they were so interested in looking back at what happened in the third age.
originally posted by Trys
Any numbers that appear on sites like Amazon in advance of the book being produced is pure guesswork. As to having additional pages available this has to do with the actual construction of the book. A book is made of X number of signatures of Y number of pages each. Once the publisher knows the number of signatures and how the text fills out those signatures they will then know if there are going to be any blank pages available. If the pages aren't filled they become waste so there's no monetary advantage to not filling them.
Jeff <– who is a software engineer writing software that automates the printing industry.
originally posted by Annette
Thanks Trys, nice to know we might yet get a bigger book.
What Jeff said; also, what determines: whether the NUMBERS SOLD justifies the cost of printing. Shorter books are easier to make the numbers work. Long fat books require more readers.
I won't know what the balance sheet looks like until the moment the editor gets the manuscript. Which I am making lean as possible. Part of the reason I am doing the 'second polish' - Stormed Fortress had to be done twice (by me) while in production, which was INSANE; I am trying to stop that sidestep and do it now.
As for notes on histories past and future of the series time-line: there are FAR MORE than show in the storyline.