I'm clearly terrible at planning. I know exactly the story I want to write and pretty much every scene is already playing in my head and I know the steps I need to take to get there. But, at the same time, I had no idea that I would need so many words and chapters to put those scenes to paper!
By the end of last year, I had already started to worry about the size of the second book. Still, as the tone of the story (and even the locations, characters, etc) are going to take a dramatic shift in 1927, I was soldering on, thinking that's the perfect year to end the second book and start the third. But now, here we are with 80+ chapters, about 180,000 words, and I think I just have to admit to myself that those earlier plans are going to need to change.
1925 and 1926 are essential to the story. It's when all the drama is going to happen, everything that will define the rest of the narrative is taking place over those months and I simply cannot feel in the least bit tempted to rush through the story just because the book is getting too long.
This is why *drum roll* the second book, will actually end in 1924, and the third will start in 1925. This means that I will only post about 3 or 4 chapters more on the current book and a new one will be coming around very soon (with a prologue that will give a glimpse into the night that is going to change everything for Natalia and Alexei and which I'm really excited to write!).
Thank you once again to everyone who was been reading! I hope this long wait will be worthwhile in the end!
