Thursday, December 6, 2007

The mornings after

I've learned through experience that finishing a book is a weird thing. That was true with One Jump Ahead, and it's definitely the case with Slanted Jack.

On the one hand, I'm really glad Slanted Jack is done. I've lived the story for so long that I want others to get to read it, too. I want to talk to them about my favorite characters and scenes, see if people liked what I liked and caught my hints and so on.

On the other hand, what if they don't like it? What if even the publisher doesn't like it and no one wants to publish it and on and on?

Isn't it amazing how quickly insecurity can follow on the footsteps of happiness? In my case, I've found that the latter can be so close to the former as to walk all over it.

I'm also exhausted, though for no good reason; yesterday was no harder or longer a work day than the one before. Something about finishing a book leaves me incredibly tired.

I also have to confront a new fear and a new excitement: the next novel, in my case, Overthrowing Heaven. I'm scared, because I don't know how this book will work out. I haven't plotted it, don't know all the characters well, and so on. Anything could go wrong. I'm also excited, because I get the joy of creating and discovering--the two are tightly entertwined--a new tale.

A weird time, but one that I will not let slow me down.

4 comments:

Frederick Paul Kiesche III said...

Is "Overthrowing Heaven" a continuation of the One Jump/Slanted Jack sequence or something entirely new?

Mark said...

In a way, both. Like, Slanted Jack, Overthrowing Heaven, is another Jon and Lobo book. Also like Slanted Jack, however, Overthrowing Heaven shares no active characters, other than Jon and Lobo, with any past book. The Jon and Lobo universe unfolds further, of course, but mostly to show even more strangeness. Over time, I'll answer most of the open questions, but it will take a lot of books.

Frederick Paul Kiesche III said...

Lots of books is a fine thing! I'm ready to buy!

Mark said...

Excellent news! Thanks for the support.

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