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Now that III is with Editor and Agent, and I have recovered some of the lost sleep, I can start thinking about the ground that Book IV needs to cover, as well as start deciding what to do with discarded bits of III. Some will make side stories, as they occur far too early in III to be continued into IV. Some–occurring temporally after the end of III, definitely need to be in IV.
Although I planned to take the whole week off to rest up, other stuff got in the way. Epiphany, for instance: for those of us who are active in one of the liturgically traditional churches, there’s a second calendar to deal with. Epiphany isn’t just a word; it’s a feast day, with a service to sing for (if you’re in the choir) and necessarily a rehearsal before that. But not just Epiphany–other things required writer-business attention, and one still does. A trip to the bank to get my French tax forms certified.
But none of this is especially interesting to anyone but me, and the books are. So…looking ahead. If the contract goes as we hope it does, I’ll be needing to turn in another book of approximately the same size by next January 1. And since I don’t want to be caught in another crunch situation, and last year’s schedule did not prevent it, a more strenuous schedule this year seems a good idea.
And that means starting Monday (since today really is full of “between books” chores), I will go straight to the “on book” personal schedule. Although I was working last January and February, I didn’t push for the full production until after the Oath of Fealty launch. And by that time, the production work on Oath took some time off the new book. Hopefully, even given the gaps that will be caused by production work, conventions, and unforeseen circumstances, this will see the main draft done by September 1, with much more time to work on it afterward.
I’m considering which conventions I can make without interfering with either production work or the writing itself. Dragon*Con again this year for sure. No more than two or three others, and they need to be driving distance or on Amtrak lines. My “home” convention, ArmadilloCon, is just too close to Dragon*Con (in part because, traveling by a train that does not run every day, I don’t have days in between and I can’t do that fast a turnaround. Age hath its limits.) AggieCon is a possibility and close to the release date, but it’s also close to a pre-existing commitment to the Texas Library Association annual meeting where I’m on an SF panel with some other SF writers. Balticon’s always a fun convention and I have missed it too many years, so I’d like to make that…and so on. But unless I want to end up in the same place I just got free of…the work has to come first.
As for the book…III sets up IV for some Very Interesting Times–no rest for the wicked (or weary). Now that X is ummph, the reaction of the Y will be mmmph!!!! and so on. Much as I do not really want to plant my buns on this chair forever, I am beginning to get the itchy feeling of the writer who’s re-interested in a project.
And it’s 74 days now, on the countdown. I used the calculator rather than my fingers.
Comment by Jenn — January 7, 2011 @ 2:29 pm
When did Epiphany fall in your calendar.
In the RC Calender it can be transferred to the Sun following Jan 1 end of the Christmas Octave or kept Jan 6.
In the Eastern Calender it is Christmas day and is kept Jan 6.
I have Ukrainian influences in my life and therefore was able to have two Christmases every year and often two Easters though occasionally they fall on the same Sunday.
Can’t wait to hear about Book VI.
73!
Comment by Adam Baker — January 7, 2011 @ 6:23 pm
I’m really glad to hear your planning on attending Dragon*Con this year.
I really wanted to go last year, and actually managed to remember it before the first day it started, but just couldn’t work it out to get there.
I’m really hoping that the stars & the moon and the planets will align correctly so that I can go this year.
Comment by elizabeth — January 8, 2011 @ 12:14 am
Epiphany in our calendar is January 6. It can be transferred, yes, and was in the parish I grew up in, but here it’s celebrated on the day itself.
I’ve now added a release day countdown thingie to both my main website and the Paksworld website. Let the computer do the figuring.
Comment by elizabeth — January 8, 2011 @ 12:14 am
I hope you make it. I enjoyed it a lot last year.
Comment by Chuck — January 8, 2011 @ 11:45 am
Our choir is lucky in that the service on Ephiphany itself is mostly taken up with the children’s pageant, and we aren’t required to sing. We do our epiphany anthems on the first Sunday in Ephiphany instead. After all the Advent/Lessons and Carols/Christmas Eve and 2 Sundays in Christmas singing, we get to take it a little easy until the beginning of Lent.
Comment by elizabeth — January 8, 2011 @ 11:58 am
Our day off is the Sunday between Christmas and New Year’s, although it’s suggested we show up and sing anyway, in support of the congregation.
Comment by tuppenny — January 8, 2011 @ 5:49 pm
I picked up ‘Oath’ for comfort reading and started wondering what happened to the Duke’s Mages. I seem to recall that there was one at the stronghold in the last book.
Comment by Genko — January 9, 2011 @ 5:37 pm
Hmmm… good question — how does that work with mages anyway? Is there a patronage system, or some other way they make their living? And I was also curious about why mages and paladins don’t always work well together — Paks managed pretty well with what-his-name in Brewersbridge, before she was a paladin. She just kind of threw out that comment (or thought it, maybe), later, without any explanation.
Comment by elizabeth — January 9, 2011 @ 6:35 pm
The Duke hired wizards–sometimes called mages in modern times because there aren’t supposed to be any magelords alive. The source of the “effect” is different…wizards’ magicks can be learned, contained in written spells or in potions the wizard makes. Wizards and Girdish Marshals have an uneasy relationship, as the more stringent Marshals believe any magic is tainted by evil. When Kieri agreed to have a Marshal assigned to his domain, his hired wizards took the opportunity to go somewhere else, just in case the one assigned was a rigid magic-hater.
Comment by elizabeth — January 9, 2011 @ 7:02 pm
The wizards (using that more common term to avoid confusion with the magelords like Dorrin) may be employees–working exclusively for a patron like the Duke or another authority–or may be independent, serving all who come to them. Some are peripatetic, but most are settled somewhere, especially in Tsaia, where they’re somewhat distrusted by the dominant religion and the authorities want to keep an eye on them. Wizards are even less welcome in Fintha (again, the Girdish) and exist there to serve the merchant trade.–though the Girdish are highly suspicious of any alliance between merchants and wizards that might result in selling goods above their actual value. However, many wizards do very well in Aarenis.
It may help to think of wizardry in these books as akin to arts & sciences: something you can study and learn, if you have the qualities that it needs: dexterity, literacy, an excellent memory, an inquiring mind, access to resources. Alchemy, maybe. It’s not inborn (other than the intelligence) and requires no inheritance of magical powers. Magery–the magelords’ magic–is pure talent. They are like the born musician, dancer, painter…they benefit from training, but their untrained performance surpasses the trained performance of the untalented.