Wow, John Dunn near 125,000 Words

That's quite a manuscript for John Dunn, my historical fiction story, based on the true story of John Dunn. It's currently over 124,000 words, and that doesn't include that extra scene I was considering putting in. The scene in question only moves the plot in one way. It shows the Zulus are getting antsy to fight, so much so that they had a fight amongst themselves, two different regiments, and up to seventy of them were killed.

But the story really doesn't need it. And since it's already so many words, I'm rethinking doing it. I'm closing in on finishing the revisions at this time, but that doesn't 'mean the revisions will be done. Same old story as with my other books, revisions are a seemingly endless thing.

But as I go through this manuscript I really am enjoying the story. The prose is good, easy to read, easy to follow, even though I do write through the POVs of several different characters. Don't worry, I've taken great pains to make sure there's no head-hopping anywhere. Any POV changes are differentiated by a scene break, and I really think the POVs are necessary to tell the entire story.

And that's because it's more than just a story of John Dunn. Sure he's the featured character, but other integral characters include Dunn's first wife, Catherine Pierce, the Zulu king Cetshwayo, other Zulu characters like Dabulamanzi, Cetshwayo's brother, and many British characters as well. Among the British characters, there's Theophilus Shepstone, his brother John Shepstone, Lord Chelmsford, the British commander of the South African forces, and many more.

It's an epic story, really. It would take a miniseries to depict it on TV. Not unlike the miniseries they already made about Shaka. And btw, Shaka is mentioned a few times in there. He's been long dead, but his legacy is very clear and pronounced in the story line. As it should be. Can't wait to see which publisher will be interested in this story. I'd think a British one would be likely to be interested. But I hope some American publishers would be interested, too.