Kong is dead! For fans eagerly awaiting news, that translates to: A DANCE WITH DRAGONS is finally finished and heading towards its publication on July 12th. It’s been a long journey, and while this news might feel like old tidings, the work on the dance of the dragons book didn’t stop at the last page of the draft.
As any author knows, finishing the first draft is just the beginning. After the relief washes over you, the real work begins again. Editors provide crucial notes, revisions are made, and corrections are implemented. Copyeditors meticulously comb through the text, catching errors, inconsistencies, and raising essential queries. Then comes the proofreading stage, where even more eyes – friends, fans, and dedicated proofreaders – find those elusive mistakes that everyone else missed. And yes, those get fixed too, as time permits. Let’s not forget the appendix, a vital part of many fantasy books, which also requires its own editing, proofreading, and correction cycle.
But now, even that intricate process is complete. Copyediting, appendix, proofs, corrections – all finalized for the dance of the dragons book. The book tour is taking shape, marketing plans are set, and it’s safe to say that Kong is not just dead, but definitively, sincerely dead.
With the dust now settling, it’s time to take a breath and reflect on the epic journey that was creating this book. For those interested in the intricate process of bringing a fantasy novel to life, read on. But be warned, beyond this point, there might be SPOILERS lurking within this discussion of the dance of the dragons book. Proceed at your own risk.
Let’s start with the numbers. The final draft of A DANCE WITH DRAGONS clocked in at 1510 manuscript pages (excluding acknowledgments, dedication, and appendix). Using WordStar on a DOS machine, this is my personal page count. When translated to Word by the editors at Bantam, it expanded slightly to 1540 pages. However, for consistency, I prefer to use my original count. This makes A DANCE WITH DRAGONS just a touch shorter than A STORM OF SWORDS, which stood at 1521 manuscript pages using the same software, settings, and margins.
Interestingly, the dance of the dragons book was significantly longer at one point. Alarmingly, the page count climbed beyond 1600, nearing 1700. (A book of 1700 pages would have been impossible to publish in a single volume). Several factors contributed to bringing it back down to a manageable size.
Firstly, crucial decisions were made with my editors regarding the book’s ending. This involved strategically shifting certain chapters into the next volume, THE WINDS OF WINTER. With a series as interconnected as A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE, determining the dividing line between books is always a judgment call. Where does a scene best fit – at the end of one book or the beginning of the next? Should a character’s arc conclude with a cliffhanger or a resolution, however temporary? These were the types of questions we grappled with for the dance of the dragons book.
Secondly, I employed “the sweat.” This technique, honed during my time in Hollywood where scripts were perpetually deemed too long, proved invaluable. Studios would demand trims of eight pages, but loath to lose valuable scenes or dialogue, I learned to tighten the script line by line, word by word, cutting the fat and strengthening the muscle. This process became a staple for all my books post-Hollywood. It’s the final stage: finish the book, then meticulously cut, cut, cut. The result, I believe, is a tighter, more impactful text. In the case of A DANCE WITH DRAGONS, this “sweat,” largely performed after the publication date announcement but before final chapter delivery, reduced the page count by almost eighty pages alone.
So, what remains in the dance of the dragons book? Plenty. A substantial book, just slightly shorter than A STORM OF SWORDS, as mentioned. The final count reveals 73 chapters, told through the perspectives of sixteen different viewpoint characters. While I could reveal their identities, some secrets are best kept until you turn the page.
However, it might be easier to say who won’t be viewpoint characters in A DANCE WITH DRAGONS. Sansa, Sam, Aeron Damphair, Arianne, and Brienne do not have chapters in this volume. Several chapters written for these characters were completed and polished, but ultimately moved to THE WINDS OF WINTER as part of the editorial process.
Back when A FEAST FOR CROWS was divided into two, I infamously promised in the afterword, “Meanwhile, Back at the Wall…” that Tyrion, Dany, and Jon Snow would return in the next book – and they do. These three characters are central to A DANCE WITH DRAGONS. Out of 73 chapters, 35 are dedicated to their storylines. Sixteen viewpoints, yes, but these three alone constitute nearly half the book. The next largest chapter allocation belongs to a familiar POV character who has been absent for a couple of books, making a comeback, perhaps a little worse for wear.
Indeed, some POV characters from A FEAST FOR CROWS reappear, as the timeline of dance of the dragons book extends beyond FEAST. Tyrion isn’t the only Lannister with a viewpoint; Cersei and Jaime also have chapters, though sparingly. Arya is present, and we also check in with Bran and his companions on their arduous journey beyond the Wall. There are two Dornish POVs (one returning, one new) and three ironborn (all familiar).
And there are new viewpoint characters in the dance of the dragons book. Some are entirely new characters introduced in this book. Others are established figures, but new to the viewpoint perspective; characters you’ve encountered but never experienced from within their minds. Years ago, I anticipated only one new viewpoint character. This serves as a reminder to never make definitive pronouncements before a book is truly finished. Ultimately, I ended up with… let’s count… one, two, three… ah… FOUR new viewpoint characters. And that excludes the Prologue and Epilogue.
What can I say? Part of the notorious Meereenese knot was indeed a viewpoint issue. (Not entirely, as chronology and causation also played a role, but viewpoint was a significant element). Introducing a new POV helped untangle those complexities and ultimately improved the dance of the dragons book. And in the end, creating a better book always takes precedence.
Despite various outlandish theories claiming (1) the book was finished years ago, held back for strategic release and profit, or (2) the novel was abandoned due to writer’s block and no progress had been made since 2005, the truth is as consistently stated on this blog: I have been working on the dance of the dragons book all along, albeit at a slower pace than desired. There were periods of intense productivity, and periods of struggle, even some phases where rewriting overshadowed new writing.
Over the years, I’ve shared partial manuscripts with my editors to keep them updated on my progress. Now that the race is run, I revisited some of these older files. The page counts below refer only to COMPLETE CHAPTERS in final draft form – or what I thought was “complete” and “final” at the time. In each instance, there were numerous additional pages of chapters in rough draft or partial stages, excluded from these counts.
The earliest partial manuscript in my files dates back to January 2006. At that point, I had 542 finished pages of the dance of the dragons book. Recall that June 2005 was when A FEAST FOR CROWS was divided, and I penned the infamous (and, in hindsight, ill-advised) afterword “Meanwhile, Back at the Wall…” A FEAST FOR CROWS, as delivered, was 1063 manuscript pages. At the time of the split, considering the Tyrion and Daenerys material removed, I estimated needing only another 400 or so pages for a book of comparable length, which likely prompted the “next book in a year” prediction. Famous last words, indeed. Never again will I make such predictions for the dance of the dragons book or any future works.
Obviously, it took considerably longer. After that prediction, much of 2005 was spent promoting FEAST: US and Canadian book tours, a UK tour, and a visit to the Lucca Games Show in Italy. Wonderful experiences, but exhausting. Writing occurred in between, but progress was likely minimal. The 542 finished pages in January 2006 probably didn’t differ much from the count in June 2005 when the books were split.
The following year or so proved the folly of my optimistic prediction. The next partial manuscript sent to Bantam is dated October 2007, totaling 472 pages for the dance of the dragons book. Yes, in the eighteen months between partials, I had unwritten approximately seventy pages. Revision, rewriting, and restructuring heavily dominated this period, overshadowing forward progress.
Then, a productive streak emerged. In March 2008, another partial was delivered, this one 596 pages. May 2008 brought another: 684 pages. December 2008: 774 pages. After that, progress remained slower but steadier. Rewriting, restructuring, and second-guessing continued, but forward momentum was also present, evidenced by the partials sent to my editors. September 2009: 998 pages. January 2010: past the 1000-page mark, with 1038 pages delivered. Steam was building again. June 2010: a partial of 1028 pages (a slight dip, reflecting more revision). August 2010: 1332 pages. December 2010: 1412 pages. By March 2011, Kong was nearing the top of the Empire State Building, biplanes circling, and the final partial, a hefty 1571 pages, was sent in. However, incomplete chapters, rough drafts, and chapters of uncertain inclusion still remained. These pushed the final count over 1600 and towards 1700 before the editorial adjustments and “sweat” detailed earlier.
Kong, you were one formidable monkey, but I’m relieved to have you off my back and the dance of the dragons book finally completed.
Perhaps someday, a student of fantasy literature might delve into these partial manuscripts, documenting the evolution of A DANCE WITH DRAGONS over the years. Each time a copy was printed for my editors, a second was sent to Special Collections at Texas A&M University, where my papers are archived. Perhaps a master’s thesis will emerge from my struggles with this book. And who knows, maybe the conclusion will be that I progressively worsened the book.
But I don’t believe that’s the case. DANCE took longer than intended, but I believe the time, blood, and sweat invested made it a better story.
Ultimately, you, the readers, will be the judge of that when you read the dance of the dragons book.
Enjoy the read. As for me, another book awaits. Yes, climb aboard… and what a cute little monkey you are…
Current Mood: null
