29 February 2020

Status - February 2020

As y'all noticed, my output over the last year significantly slowed down, in part because I'm finding Tangleways challenging.  An odd thing, given I have a very good idea of what I want to write in it.  I think, because I consider Pyramids the best book I've ever written, I keep worrying that the direct sequel won't live up to it, and keep trying to get every word right.  Giving myself permission to just write the book I want is important.

On the plus side, I am writing a ton lately, but that's because I put Tangleways down for the moment to give myself some head space, and went back to a silly side-project I've been writing on-and-off for a couple of years.  It's a high school romance with a lot of explicit sex, which definitely doesn't fit the rest of my output - I ususally don't even put sex scenes in my books because mostly they're unnecessary to the story.  But I fell in love with the characters, and have been having a lot of fun writing 'Firsts'.  [I'll probably publish that under a pen name, since it's completely off-genre, but I'll link to it from here.]

Apologies to all those waiting for Tangleways!  I've been keeping you on a chain for quite a while now, but I promise not to pull a McKinley!  Once I've gotten Firsts (and maybe Seconds) out of my system, I'll definitely have given myself enough distance to look at what I've done on Tangleways with clear eyes, and I'm already finding myself looking forward to getting back to it.

10 comments:

  1. What is it about Pyramids that leads you to consider it your best book?

    If you’ve already answered this question elsewhere, I’d be happy to receive info to help me find your answer in that place.

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    Replies
    1. Deepest worldbuilding, coolest events, intricate meshing of plotlines.

      The moment when Ah Ah appears above London is just epic...

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    2. I found Pyramids epic and cinematic, one of the best books I've read in a long time. My family recently watched the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender, which is mostly really good. I wonder what a group of animators and designers and artists and actors like the people behind that series could make of Pyramids over twenty episodes.

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  2. Ummm. Give yourself permission to write the first draft . . . .

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  3. We are waiting patiently ;).

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  4. Pretty sure you could just take my money now for Tangleways or for anything else you plan to release or think you might write someday.
    Heck, I'm so enamored, I'd buy your grocery list. :)

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  5. Pyramids and Moon are hard books to follow. Both are in an unusual world--AU magical 1910s is an unusual world. 1793-1903 is much more common. But school stories are really common in fantasy; so much so that I rarelyread them anymore. So following up must be doubly difficult.

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  6. I'm enjoying rereading during isolation. Thanks for building such a wonderfully escapist and compelling world.

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  7. Imoenne and I are both rereading during lockdown. Definitely comforting ♡

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  8. Pyramids is my favorite of all your books. I stumbled across it looking for steampunk, and just thought the whole worldbuilding and concept was soo cool and I loved that it was just chock-full of women characters.
    I love your other books too and have probably re-read the Stray series even more because it ended up being comfort reading in some pretty stressed years, but I can see why you'd be concerned about living up to what you accomplished, and fleshing out what you hinted at, in Pyramids. I think you can do it, though.
    Hopefully you are enjoying writing Firsts and at this point I'll also take a chance on just about anything you write.

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