I just completed the first draft of Arachnid 2.0. It was only now, that I look back on things, just how long I've been working on this book. My process was a little different this time around.
I'm not a fast writer. As history dictates (and I'm a data junkie), I can manage two books per year on average. And a book for me is between 60,000-75,000 words. It's no surprise to me that Arachnid 2.0 took over a year to write. In terms of length, the first draft of Arachnid 2.0 ended up being twice as long as Vermin 2.0. I used outlines for both, but my outline for Vermin 2.0 was a screenplay, a structure-bound work. I didn't veer too much away from it. That is why it's a fast, page-turning read. With Arachnid 2.0, there was no screenplay. I wrote a moderately detailed outline that hit story beats, but there was still an enormous amount of world building to do and story holes to fill. This was a first for me.
I found it hard to get to the end of Arachnid 2.0. I wanted to end the story, yet I didn't. It wasn't because I didn't know what to write. I could see everything in my head. Perhaps it was because I had spent a year with my characters and didn't want to say goodbye. Bittersweet it is. But I am reassured that I can start the next book in the series (there will be a part three) and go on another adventure with characters I've grown to love.
I don't think I've over-written Arachnid 2.0. It felt right. I pay particular attention to make sure all scenes I write advance the story forward in some way. In my "cover to cover" read-through, which is my next step, I will pay even more attention to scenes that could be cut. Watch out, my darlings.