you hear with a fair amount of regularity about the rule breakers and benders who have the breakout books.

That's most true when you have a publisher who thinks they can exploit some angle as "rule-bending" and sell more books. It's not always true with regard to quality or actual uniqueness.

I wonder if that is really true.

Oh sure it is-- at least if you're keeping an ear to the industry gossip. But those deals are the ones you hear about even if the occasion of them are in the minority comparatively speaking. You hear about Stephenie Meyer being pulled from the slush pile or Christopher Paolini being discovered by Carl Hiaassen's stepson. You hear about The Lace Reader going from self-pubbed to six-figure deal or how Water For Elephants became a huge summer read based on the handsell marketing campaign the publisher put together for it. And you read the books and as a general rule, you can't help but wonder, "What made this one so special? What made it stand out?"

Water for Elephants is probably the exception of the ones I mentioned because it really was an outstanding book, but the others?

Now I'm thinking about the fantasy books I've read. Oddly, I haven't read very many in a long time. The last one I've read all the way through was a reread of the Lord of the Rings trilogy which I had read first time a bit over two decades ago.

I started a G.R.R. Martin book but I couldn't get into it.

Before then a C.S. Friedman book, but I didn't think it was nearly as good as her Coldfire Trilogy.

Mostly I've read Sci-Fi of late. I haven't read anything since starting on my project, no time.

Water for Elephants is probably the exception of the ones I mentioned because it really was an outstanding book, but the others?

That was my point. It's not necessarily the quality, it's the idea that the publisher believes it will sell. At least in Meyer's case, it was pretty clear this could push a LOT of teen girls' buttons. And Paolini was a novelty -- a fifteen-year-old, or whatever, who wrote and self-pubbed a book. And it was Carl Hiiasen who went to bat for that, I think because someone he knew had read it? His own kid, maybe?

I got 1600 words into chapter 18 last night. I'm hoping to finish up the chapter this weekend.

You are rockin; and rollin', Gud!

Finally pounded out chapter 18. That puts me at 103k words.

I got started on chapter 19 last night. This could be a tricky chapter to work out.

I was unsure about chapter 18, but my wife liked it. It was an interesting one to do since it was from the perspective of the most interesting character, IMO, in the story.

The end of the rough draft is just starting to come into sight.

A couple more pages into chapter 19. I got bogged in the end since I have a character that is getting hit with so many conflicting emotions at once that it is hard to figure out actions and dialogue. Also another character died, but I think it was a minor enough character that she doesn't count on the death toll.

I've realized that I have been influenced by fantasy writer Robert Jordan. I keep thinking about his books when I'm planning mine. In my mind, his books stand as a shining example of what I do not want to do. If something sounds like it could be Jordan-like I know it needs to change.

If something sounds like it could be Jordan-like I know it needs to change.

The anti-inspiration!

I've been reading blogs about BEA, which is ... less interesting than it should be, and much more depressing.