Recently on Facebook, a fan who contacts me every six months to ask me for the next Dyce novel told me — in a snippy tone — to at least explain to her why I’d lost interest.
I confess I was mildly annoyed. Mostly because of the tone of it.
I’m not one of those writers who resent fans wanting the next book. It would be fairly stupid of me to be so, given that I believe when a writer starts a series, particularly a series with a defined beginning, middle and end (like, say, Lord of the Rings) one is obligated and has made a promise to the reader that one will try to finish it.
But Dyce is a very weird series to be mad at me for not finishing. Yes, I know there are a lot of people waiting for it, and it sold very well even in reissue. Also — I swear — I’m almost done with two books.
But, to begin with, it wasn’t a series like Lord of the Rings, ever. It’s an episodic series, meaning it could have three books (as it does now) or 20. I’d planned on about ten initially.
But here’s the thing, as with most of my legacy series, it has a ramp up to get into it.
What are legacy series, you ask. And won’t you be glad you asked….
You see, it would be completely different if I’d started the series indie. I mean, not that I’m doing wonderfully with the two novels I did as indie from the beginning, but the last 15 years have been…. weird. Mostly health and one interstate move. Oh, and selling two houses. and five other moves. So, weird.
But at least if I’d started it as indy, finishing it or not would be completely under my control.
As it happened Dyce was the series contracted by the house to finish out my contract for Musketeers when they decided they didn’t want the last three of those. And I came up with it to very exact specifications. Not that I didn’t end up making it mine or loving it. I did. But–
I wrote three books and then the series was cancelled, and it was some years before it reverted.
By the time it reverted… I wasn’t the same person.
I can get back in the head space (Though I don’t know if I’ll ever write more than another two of these, honestly, just enough to finish out the arc) but to get there I need to LISTEN to the books back to back, to be “there”. Which means every time I get interrupted, I can’t just get back to it by sitting down and writing. And the last three years have been highly interruptive. I have to block three days listen to it, get back in the mind space,a nd then it crashes again.
I have the exact same problem with Darkship Thieves and Shifters. While I intend to continue those series, I’ve been away to long and falling back intot he groove is difficult. Again, I’m no longer that writer. Particularly since there have been a lot of life changing experiences since the last time I wrote them and now. And those change the writing.
You see, our real palette is emotions, and emotions and how you convey them change as you change.
So those two series will probably continue, but after ONE book to finish the arc in each, they will probably continue with a new generation, which will allow for a change in voice and style that will not be as jarring.
Note the probably continue.
Why probably?
Well, because there are other things I want to write. I can’t explain it, okay, there seems to be a conveyor belt in my head, which delivers stories on the regular every few months, regardless of whether I’m writing them or not.
I have this theory that it is how I process events, and experiences. And since the last oh, ten years have been fraught, I got even more books.
Again, I do intend to at least bring the existing series down gently, and I do have books almost finished in Dyce, and Rhodes.
BUT–
The problem, you see, is that I can only do one at a time.
I’ve heard that Jefferson could write in different languages with each hand. Maybe I could have done that when I was young and ADD was more of a super power than a handicap. But I know for sure I can’t do it now.
A friend has turned me on to an AI dictation program. I haven’t tried it. Most dictation programs don’t work for me. Also, I haven’t trained myself yet again (I used to do it… oh, lord 29 years ago) to dictate stories. But that’s the one place I can figure out to squeeze time, while I clean or cook or stuff, to work on a secondary book. Otherwise…
Well, we’ll have to count on my health getting better and making it easier to write faster again.
I haven’t lost interest in ANYTHING. I know you guys each of you have favorites and books you love. But I can only write ONE AT A TIME.
This is of necessity pushing way back the historical books. I’m hoping to catch up enough to finish Musketeers (I lost the book that was mostly written which is another level of complication.) and maybe even the Shakespeare series, but they’re in the backburner, because I’ll have to go back and research again.
The rest… The rest I’ll do my best to catch up to. One at a time.
I’ve tried, I swear, with a really large cardboard box, but the transmorgifier didn’t work, and the cats didnt’ become additional Sarahs who could write.
So, I’m very sorry guys, but I’ll have to do it one at a time, even as each fights for attention right now.
Mad Genius Club 
21 responses to “One at a time”
Look at that sentence. Remembers Sarah’s accounts of Indy’s exploits. Backs away, slowly then faster……😸😸😸
Indy would probably write detailed tech manuals and disassembly instructions for things that are guaranteed to be cat or child proof. And put them on permafree, but have a tip jar.
And make bank.
I guess, whiny readers are better than no readers? 😛
Oh, very much so.
I don’t know, as an obscure indie author, this post had me counting my blessings, both the lack of crazy fans(1) and the ability to finish my series while I’m still in the same headspace for them.
(1)It’s worth noting that however far the SF/Fantasy/Horror axis have come in fandom crazy, Mystery *invented* fandom crazy-just ask Arthur Conan Doyle about the fallout from the Reichenbach Falls incident.
“The Final Problem” is an example of “you just can’t win.” That was intended to close out the “series” with a grand climax – but the outcry was so overwhelming (and the money issues so demanding) that it went awry.
Honestly, I do not care for the “return” stories all that much. The quality of writing is not really inferior – but the Great Detective should not have been relegated to a slow and declining death at the seashore.
Eh, he misread his tropes, I think. Posthumously delivered letters/messages were more of a thing in his day, especially in thrillers, but I think even at the time, the whole “no bodies, just a raging waterfall and all the power of nature” would have sounded an ambiguous note for his readers. Possibly to them it felt too much like the middle of a serial, and we all know what readers think of an author who leaves off in the middle of a serial. A grand heroic fight in the middle of London, witnessed in detail by dozens, including Watson, clearcut death with body, epic funeral described in detail…maybe Doyle could have pulled it off then.
I am very much looking forward to the next Dyce book–but even more than that, i want you to get healthy and rested!!!
It’s not like I don’t have a to-read list a thousand miles long anyway… 😉
I might be in my sixties now – but my rear end still remembers what happened the few times I decided to be whiny.
Dyce will come, or not come, and if it does it will come when it comes.
I agree with sarathered – keep yourself healthy first, finish the books as you get the chance. I’m not planning to leave just because there’s a delay, and I’ve certainly got a lot of other books clamoring to be read.
The problem with creating “clones” of a writer is that all of the clones and the original may want to work on the same book. [Twisted Grin]
To matters worse, all of the “Sarahs” may want to go on vacation and leave the work to another Sarah. [Big Twisted Grin]
The Four-Sided Triangle only with authors competing over the same novel is a sobering thought.
You do know, dear author, this only being able to write in one arc at a time, AND having an internal conveyor belt of new stories not taking a break, means you’ll have to live approximately forever to finish them all.
Have no fear about that, there will be plenty of us (hopefully not so whiny) fans who will also live forever waiting to get to the end of your rather interesting interpretations of how worlds might work!
You have my sympathy. Every once in a while someone asks about another Martian Lizard Lawyer story. Ummm . . . talk about can’t get my head back in that game . . .
Random idea. Coriea mentioned an author who dictates while walking.
Maybe as an experiment just try dictating a story while going on walks and see what happens? I imagine it wouldn’t work quite right for existing works in progress, but it might be an offramp for one of the unattended conveyor belts?
So, my issue: no program understands me. I have a non-standard accent. Sigh.
I’ll admit to having a worm on my tongue (baited breath) for another Dyce Dare story, But I am NOT going to bother, pester and annoy you about it. Just know that you have one fan who really would like to read one, but too polite to demand.
It might also be easier now. I wont’ say…. well…. since the election my bloodpressure is low normal again.
I can feel the whole citizenry rebounding from tension like a released catapult.
Agreed on the blood pressure. Not waking up to thoughts of “what fresh hell is FICUS coming to announce today?” helps me keep BP at bay. Hell, I can even look at the headlines without spiking. Couldn’t do that before the election.
I tell $SPOUSE to be patient, and occasionally buy her a doorstop mystery novel. (The last one came in two volumes/1100 pages total. Good story, but way more detail than he needed to include.)
it takes having your mind, especially your imagination, in the right place and time.
I “finished” a book in NaNoWriMo 2016. I put is aside for a few weeks, intending to take it up again in mid-January.
That book sat for almost 8 years. I tried to revive it, but couldn’t generate the enthusiasm.
Last week, I was driving a good distance, and just started thinking about the story. Before I knew it, I had figured out the problems with the plot, and was planning how to fix it.
Today, although I was feeling under par, I managed to pull up the manuscript, start making changes, and identifying parts for revision.
I couldn’t have done that before. I was not ready.
As the Bible says, “For everything, there is a season.”