I have too much to do. Right now I’m feeling pulled in a lot of different directions, and the minute I finish the current project, that will get far worse. I would greatly appreciate a couple of magically-generated clones to help out.
What I’m actually working on right now:
I’m writing Grayson’s story for the Black Dog collection. I think I may have figured out how to make this story work better — by shoving some of the stuff I was putting into the story into backstory instead. In other words, by telling, not showing. If Grayson can explain that stuff to someone else in a paragraph or two, I don’t have to write thirty pages showing it all happening.
Hopefully this will work. I just started revising the forty pages I have with this in mind. This should let me cut most of that and get to the part of the story that’s the real story MUCH faster, with a lot less distraction. I think. The backstory part may then contribute complications to the real story. That might be okay, or even helpful.
What I’m not working on right now:
— Tasmakat, which is going to be pulling at me until I actually write it.
— A story or novella from Tano’s pov, which takes place directly after the end of Tarashana.
— A story or novella from the pov of the neat character I cut from Tasmakat, and thank you, Kim, for the suggestion. I now have the basic outline plus the conclusion of that story in mind, so I could write it and might well do so. It couldn’t be published before Tasmakat, as it intrinsically contains spoilers for that book.
— The mostly completed SF novel that is still, sigh, sitting right here, now with notes about the Real Ending That Will Work (Probably). I want very much to get back to that and finish it up.
— The fifth and probably final Black Dog novel, Silver Circle. I have only a few notes on paper, but I’ve been developing ideas about this book for some time, which is why the stories in the upcoming collection mostly include setup for the novel. Lots of dangling threads in those stories. Not with regard to the arc of each story, of course, but still, obvious threads that lead forward to the novel.
— The complicated fantasy in the baroque world, which is still barely started. It’s about eighty pages from three different pov and who knows where it might go. I won’t find out until I have a chance to actually work on it. Heaven knows when that will be. I would consider pursuing traditional publication for this one, but honestly, I’m starting to think I won’t seriously move ahead with it until the year after next. We’ll see.
It’s hard to decide what to prioritize, which is why I would appreciate a couple of magical clones.
I wrote Keraunani this summer to get out of a writing slump. If I have to get out of another writing slump, it’s an easy bet that I’ll use something in the Tuyo world to do that, regardless of what might objectively seem a more sensible project.
But that mostly finished SF novel, my goodness, that is driving me mad.
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Plus the final book in the Floating Islands trilogy. The second book left the Evil Empire licking its wounds but still very dangerous.
Also the novella you mention at the end of the Death’s Lady trilogy. I would love to see Jenna and Emel meet that couple again, and also Kuomat.
Stop, stop!
Yes, you’re both right, which is making me laugh and groan at the same time.
Three magic clones. Three. That would help so much.
It’s a good thing that you write far faster than I do, is all I can say. Unfortunately, I have no magical clones to send you. Did I have that ability, I would be using it on myself.
Sorry, i couldn’t resist. “What I am not workibg on right now” as a subheading is just a great straight line. It is, after all, an uncountably infinite set.
Yes, and in fact I WOULD like to write the third Islands book. AND finish the novella Alison mentioned. That one is more likely to happen soon, as it’s half finished. The tricky part there is deciding where to stop.