I have finally heard back from Flux regarding my next book, tentatively titled Cupids. They want it, and we are in the process of negotiating the particulars of the contract. Based on their estimate, it should be released next spring. They are also still considering Young Nostradamus.
I finally understand why they waited so long to get back to me on this(at least, I have an educated guess). Evil? was released in August, and it is only now that the sales figures for the July - December '09 period are known. Most likely they were waiting to see how Evil? did before offering me another book contract. This suggests that Evil? must be doing all right, which is also very good news!
More details will follow once I have them. I'm very excited! My next book is on the way. Yay!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Another Virus Guy? Most Likely
Lately I've been getting a lot of Anonymous comments both on this blog and on Biblical Proportions. Some are bizarre and unreadable, some are complimentary, and some are downright filthy. I'm deleting them as I find them, but in case I miss a couple here and there I'd like to warn my readers not to follow any of their links. I don't know what it might do, and I don't want to risk ruining my wife Violet's computer finding out.
Anonymous Guy, whoever you are, please stop sending me your crap.
Anonymous Guy, whoever you are, please stop sending me your crap.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Of Sequels And Remakes
I've blogged in the past about doing followups to my current published work. I've been asked about sequels to Epoch and Evil?, and every now and then I've tossed ideas around in my mind. My current project, A Walk-In To Remember, is a sequel to one of my as-yet unpublished novels.
And, I'm planning a major remake. More on that later.
I've actually got a really good idea for an Epoch 2, one which would expand on the first while introducing new elements. It is a story that will stand on its own, but it might also draw new readers to the first book.
So, why am I not writing it yet? That's a bit complicated. Any sequel I write to Epoch, I'm contractually bound to offer to Flux first. That shouldn't be a problem, but I haven't heard from Flux about the last two books I sent them. That was a year ago. My future with them, if you'll pardon the pun, appears to be in flux.
I'm sure there is a good reason for the delay (we are in the middle of a recession, after all), and I hope they are still interested in working with me. However, if the opposite turns out to be true, then an Epoch sequel makes no sense, career-wise. Why should I put in a year's work on a book I'd have to offer them, if they no longer want anything from me? I'd be far better served to put my efforts into a project that isn't bound by any contract, at least until I know what's going on.
These are the type of things you have to think about when you become a published author. It's no longer just about writing whatever I want - there is now a business and career aspect that must come into play with each project.
With that in mind, let's turn to that major remake I mentioned. I want to get back into the Middle-Grade market, and I want to bring one of my favourite characters to light. Before I began work on Attack of the Intergalactic Soul Hunters, I'd already written a series of five short novels about a 10-year-old boy named Rytis Maxwell. He was my antidote to what I saw as the typical kid in a supernaturally-themed children's book. You know, a kid who'd never been involved with the supernatural before suddenly being confronted with ghosts, aliens or something else weird and evil. His parents don't believe him and neither do the authorities, forcing the kid to deal with it on his own.
All well and good, but I decided to have some fun with it. Enter Rytis, who by the age of ten has already dealt with every conceivable form of supernatural evil. He's staked vampires, de-probed aliens busted all kinds of ghosts. And he's sick of it. All he wants is a normal, boring childhood, free from adventure and excitement. And, of course, he doesn't get it.
A fun premise from which to launch a series, which is exactly what I did. Unfortunately, I was still learning my craft when I began Rytis' adventures. The first story was nice, and very, very funny (if I do say so myself, and I did). However, I now see it is too short, and not as epic as it needs to be. I love Rytis - he's one of my favourite characters, and writing him has always brought me joy. The only way the rest of the world is going to get to know and love him, I feel, is if I give that series of mine a major overhaul. Again, a business decision.
So that's my next big project - a new (and much better) first adventure for my hero. And possibly Epoch 2, depending on how things go. And of course there's my current project, A Walk-In To Remember.
At least I'm not stuck for ideas!
And, I'm planning a major remake. More on that later.
I've actually got a really good idea for an Epoch 2, one which would expand on the first while introducing new elements. It is a story that will stand on its own, but it might also draw new readers to the first book.
So, why am I not writing it yet? That's a bit complicated. Any sequel I write to Epoch, I'm contractually bound to offer to Flux first. That shouldn't be a problem, but I haven't heard from Flux about the last two books I sent them. That was a year ago. My future with them, if you'll pardon the pun, appears to be in flux.
I'm sure there is a good reason for the delay (we are in the middle of a recession, after all), and I hope they are still interested in working with me. However, if the opposite turns out to be true, then an Epoch sequel makes no sense, career-wise. Why should I put in a year's work on a book I'd have to offer them, if they no longer want anything from me? I'd be far better served to put my efforts into a project that isn't bound by any contract, at least until I know what's going on.
These are the type of things you have to think about when you become a published author. It's no longer just about writing whatever I want - there is now a business and career aspect that must come into play with each project.
With that in mind, let's turn to that major remake I mentioned. I want to get back into the Middle-Grade market, and I want to bring one of my favourite characters to light. Before I began work on Attack of the Intergalactic Soul Hunters, I'd already written a series of five short novels about a 10-year-old boy named Rytis Maxwell. He was my antidote to what I saw as the typical kid in a supernaturally-themed children's book. You know, a kid who'd never been involved with the supernatural before suddenly being confronted with ghosts, aliens or something else weird and evil. His parents don't believe him and neither do the authorities, forcing the kid to deal with it on his own.
All well and good, but I decided to have some fun with it. Enter Rytis, who by the age of ten has already dealt with every conceivable form of supernatural evil. He's staked vampires, de-probed aliens busted all kinds of ghosts. And he's sick of it. All he wants is a normal, boring childhood, free from adventure and excitement. And, of course, he doesn't get it.
A fun premise from which to launch a series, which is exactly what I did. Unfortunately, I was still learning my craft when I began Rytis' adventures. The first story was nice, and very, very funny (if I do say so myself, and I did). However, I now see it is too short, and not as epic as it needs to be. I love Rytis - he's one of my favourite characters, and writing him has always brought me joy. The only way the rest of the world is going to get to know and love him, I feel, is if I give that series of mine a major overhaul. Again, a business decision.
So that's my next big project - a new (and much better) first adventure for my hero. And possibly Epoch 2, depending on how things go. And of course there's my current project, A Walk-In To Remember.
At least I'm not stuck for ideas!
Monday, January 25, 2010
Fighting The Block
I do, from time to time, face the condition known as writer's block. I don't like to admit this - I've always thought, in my naive and innocent way, that it would never happen to me. I receive a near-constant flow of ideas for stories, so that isn't the problem. All the ideas in the universe can't help me when the writing itself dries up.
Sometimes I just don't feel like it. Sometimes I'm stuck for something to write. I'll have ideas, but which ones do I commit myself to? Writing a novel can be a daunting prospect - you need enthusiasm to get you through to the end. Worrying about whether I'll have that enthusiasm can kill a project before it begins.
The time between finishing a novel and starting a new one is always a hard time for me. My wife, Violet, is used to it now, and she always assures me it will pass. And she's right, bless her. It always does. However, that knowledge does me little good while I'm in the thick of it.
I can also get blocked in the middle of a project. I'll lose some of that valuable enthusiasm, and the writing starts to feel like work. Or I'll get an idea for an even better project, a story so exciting I can't wait to tell it, and the current project starts to look kind of lame in comparison. I'll try to rush myself, to just get this current novel done and over with so I can move on to the better one. Or, I'll toss the current book out (or put it on hold) while I launch into the new, more exciting project. Many writers I know would caution against this. Indeed, for me it's had mixed results. The writing block will be broken and I'll get several chapters into the new project, only to have the same thing happen. And then the old project will start to look really good again. And I'll start to do them both at the same time.
I'm not necessarily saying that jumping between stories is a bad thing. My last three novel projects came together this way, after all. I've found I can pick up from where I left off with no trouble at all, especially if I believe in the story. However, I have found that an awful lot of editing is required to make the first part match up with the second.
Sometimes, the block can come because of outside pressures. A bad job is a creativity killer if you aren't careful. Bad news also puts a dent into creativity. I was halfway through the third Soul Hunters novel when I found out my publisher wasn't interested in picking up the second one. That basically knocked the wind out of Soul Hunter 3's sails - I haven't touched it since.
One way I combat the dreaded block is to launch a bunch of little projects (for example, this very post). That usually stirs up the creative juices, and gets me rolling on my main project again. It doesn't always work, however; in some cases I'll get a bit done on each small project, only to end up blocked on all of them! Usually I'm able to get moving on one eventually, and then the others follow.
Currently, I'm three-quarters of the way through my current novel, A Walk-In To Remember. Things have slowed down considerably; financial pressures are worrying away at me, along with a few professional ones. I've launched a number of smaller blog-post projects (like this one, and a few more reviews over on Biblical Proportions), and several ideas for much more exciting novels are bubbling away in my mind.
But am I worried? Well... kinda, yeah. I'll see it through, however. I always do. After all, I got this thing done, didn't I?
Sometimes I just don't feel like it. Sometimes I'm stuck for something to write. I'll have ideas, but which ones do I commit myself to? Writing a novel can be a daunting prospect - you need enthusiasm to get you through to the end. Worrying about whether I'll have that enthusiasm can kill a project before it begins.
The time between finishing a novel and starting a new one is always a hard time for me. My wife, Violet, is used to it now, and she always assures me it will pass. And she's right, bless her. It always does. However, that knowledge does me little good while I'm in the thick of it.
I can also get blocked in the middle of a project. I'll lose some of that valuable enthusiasm, and the writing starts to feel like work. Or I'll get an idea for an even better project, a story so exciting I can't wait to tell it, and the current project starts to look kind of lame in comparison. I'll try to rush myself, to just get this current novel done and over with so I can move on to the better one. Or, I'll toss the current book out (or put it on hold) while I launch into the new, more exciting project. Many writers I know would caution against this. Indeed, for me it's had mixed results. The writing block will be broken and I'll get several chapters into the new project, only to have the same thing happen. And then the old project will start to look really good again. And I'll start to do them both at the same time.
I'm not necessarily saying that jumping between stories is a bad thing. My last three novel projects came together this way, after all. I've found I can pick up from where I left off with no trouble at all, especially if I believe in the story. However, I have found that an awful lot of editing is required to make the first part match up with the second.
Sometimes, the block can come because of outside pressures. A bad job is a creativity killer if you aren't careful. Bad news also puts a dent into creativity. I was halfway through the third Soul Hunters novel when I found out my publisher wasn't interested in picking up the second one. That basically knocked the wind out of Soul Hunter 3's sails - I haven't touched it since.
One way I combat the dreaded block is to launch a bunch of little projects (for example, this very post). That usually stirs up the creative juices, and gets me rolling on my main project again. It doesn't always work, however; in some cases I'll get a bit done on each small project, only to end up blocked on all of them! Usually I'm able to get moving on one eventually, and then the others follow.
Currently, I'm three-quarters of the way through my current novel, A Walk-In To Remember. Things have slowed down considerably; financial pressures are worrying away at me, along with a few professional ones. I've launched a number of smaller blog-post projects (like this one, and a few more reviews over on Biblical Proportions), and several ideas for much more exciting novels are bubbling away in my mind.
But am I worried? Well... kinda, yeah. I'll see it through, however. I always do. After all, I got this thing done, didn't I?
Thursday, January 21, 2010
More Great News For Me!
I received a very special bit of news from the publicity department at Flux yesterday! Please head over to Worlds of Tim to see what that exciting bit of news is.
Yay!
Yay!
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