I’ve finished the first draft of Hawk and am presently polishing it for my critique group who will tell me it needs polishing. And probably that it’s hopelessly broken.
But I think it came out well. If I don’t discover, during this pass, that I left a huge plot hole or something, then I think it did what I wanted it to.
I am never, ever, writing a book that way again.
For those who want to know when it will be available, I don’t know, but when I do I’ll post it here. Best guess would somewhere on the order of a year.
Good News! Something I will eagerly anticipate. Hope you and yours are doing well,
Ed
This is good news; I suspect that if there really were a yawning chasm in the plot you would have noticed it.
Of course, this may not be good news from your perspective; the obvious consequence is that you will now be inundated with questions about your next book…
I promise no irritating questions about when you’re starting Vlad #15, at least until HAWK has a scheduled release date.
I will, however, once again point out that I’m irrationally looking forward to CHREOTHA for no reason I can explain, or even understand.
Anyway, congrats on finishing and I look forward to reading it.
*dances about excitedly*
P.
Steve, what ‘way’ did you write this time that was so difficult?
Lovely news. In one year I’ll slurp up your book in one day. I wonder, will we learn anything new about Soramiir? That’s still bugging me. Hmm.
Best news I’ve heard today!
Superb news!
Today, after reading some of Neal Stephenson’s non-fiction collection entitled ‘Some Remarks’, I toyed with the idea of buying one of his works of fiction, perhaps ‘Reamde’ or ‘Anathem’. As I mulled it over, I remembered my experience with his previous works, each of which was good, at least for me, for precisely one read and no more. I tried to guess whether I would enjoy another book by him, on the basis of his list of ‘influencers’ and ‘influenced’ on Wiikipedia. Finally I decided not to buy either of those books, mainly because Cory Doctorow liked them.
And then I came here and read this. As soon as I’ve posted this comment I’m off to Amazon to see if I can pre-order ‘Hawk’.
David: I had to figure out a whole bunch of persnickety little details before I ever got up to the point of needing them. Made the whole process very slow.
As I followed your progress via your FB status updates, I cannot tell you how excited I am that you made it. I will definitely pre-order on Amazon as soon as I am able. It’s funny, I always thought you started with details and then tied them together. What is your normal process? Do you outline major plot points and then fill in the gaps with the details?
Excellent news. Glad you are sticking with this series. I own every book in it!
Love your books, love the way Vlad interacts with his friends and enemies. Is this the one where Verra goes batshit and Vlad has to take her down? I’m sure Devera would fit nicely into her role. Can’t wait for Hawk! Thanks
“I had to figure out a whole bunch of persnickety little details before I ever got up to the point of needing them. Made the whole process very slow.”
That sounds like it could be world-building down to the atomic level, needed so an author so devoted could tell a particular aspect of a story, but will only make it into the final novel by an inference that could only be dawn by a few confidantes — with whom you will on a few occasions share a Scotch and reminisce with dark amusement and faux bitterness over the obscure labors hidden within Hawk. But which a Hawklord will see without trying, and never say a word.
However, to express my thoughts more accurately and butcher a wonderful line from Claude Rains all at once: Did it involve some detail of Dragaera’s inner atmosphere that allows for things the size of dragons and never had a bearing on a story until Hawk? Did you write a secret bio-medical treatise on how poisons work differently on dragaeran and human physiologies? Or did you invent the dragaeran language to the point that you can legitimately introduce a new form of poetry? It’s the romantic in me.
Guess you’ll just have to wait and see. :-)
Uh-huh.
So on the first read this will be in the back of my mind. Then I’ll clear the mental decks on a second reading to look for it primarily. The thrill is in the hunt, never in the actual end.
And the second best news of my week is that I have finally liberated my books from boxes in the attic and put them back on the shelves where they belong. I intend to reread Tiassa, which will almost certainly trigger a happy cycle of rereading. After that I can look forward to Hawk and starting all over again. I do so love your books!
I knew this day was coming. I just reread Jhereg and no doubt will be back up to speed on the whole series by the time Hawk drops. Stoops?
Incidentally I have a few copies of the early books in my book shop now hoping to hook in more newbies to Vlads exploits.
Also gearing up, as Steve the Younger, to analyse the heck out of all those pernickety details.
P. S. hi Corwin!
Next time try PHYSICAL gymnastics! ( think “My Left Foot”)