Writing Update

It’s been a while since I’ve posted an update on how my various writing projects. It feels like I’ve had so many balls in the air for so long, but strangely at the moment I’m in a bit of a lull between many different projects. Here’s a rundown:

• MEMORY THIEF 2: The latest draft is still with my editors. I know they generally liked it, but they’re waiting on giving more specific feedback as the screenplay for MEMORY THIEF is worked on. The original August 2018 publication date has been pushed back to at least fall 2018, but (more realistically) probably Spring 2019 or so. It’s not entirely in my hands. But the delay is for good reasons (the potential film adaptation) and not for bad reasons (backing out of the project). The draft is done and close to ready for  publication. Just waiting on a green light for me to be able to share more with you all.
• UTOPIA: A second draft is complete at with my agent as of a week ago. In the second draft, I worked on fleshing out the setting more, as well as adding a bit more grounding so that the main character’s voice isn’t completely confusing. I really love this book, and I hope my agent does too.
• MURDER CASTLE: This has been with my agent since December. I’ve heard a bit back from him, generally positive, but I don’t have an editorial letter to work through just yet. Hopefully soon.
• INCIDENT AT OAK CREEK: A short story I wrote that’s now with an editor and with my agent (to see if he thinks I could turn it into a full book). I thought it was a lot of fun (kung fu Mormon steampunk alternative history is always fun, right?), but we’ll see what others think.
• MAGIC AT 30,000 FEET: We had shopped this around with editors, and it got a lot of positive feedback. But we also consistently heard some hesitancy due to its audience. It was a Middle Grade novel in some aspects, and a YA novel in others. So I tried revising it to be more YA. My agent wasn’t crazy about the revision. I have a couple of other ideas out to him that I might try to revise, but I’m not even sure I’ll go back to work on them. We’ll see what he says.
• OUR LADY OF QUESTIONABLE MORALS: Submitted to many editors. Heard back from many. Like TARNHELM before it, I think this book is just going to chill for a while. I love it, it got good responses from editors, but no actual takers. My agents have said it’s generally a decent idea to sit on these books until I’ve got a few more published books under my belt, at which point it becomes easier to sell them. I’m all for doing the things my agents suggest I do.

And because people still occasionally ask me:

• VODNIK 2: I’ve had a couple of conversations with my editor about the potential for a sequel. The first book was certainly well received, but it didn’t perform as well from a sales-perspective. I would happily write another book, but I just don’t think that’s in the cards for the foreseeable future, alas.

Which leaves me in my current state, where I don’t really have a project I’m working on. I have several revisions right around the corner, so I don’t want to dive into a completely new book, but the revisions aren’t here yet, so . . .

I’m waiting.

Good things on the horizon, I hope. In really good news, I got my first real live royalty check yesterday, for THE MEMORY THIEF. That means the book is officially successful in my mind, which is a great feeling. Here’s hoping there’s many more royalty checks to come.

Thanks for reading!

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