[writing] The state of play, updated once more
After correspondence with my agent yesterday, I can update the state of play on various projects.
Sunspin (four volume space opera): She really likes the revisions to volume one, Calamity of So Long a Life. I need to produce a short marketing-focused synopsis, about ten pages covering all four books, and she has suggested one more line editing pass for dropped words, et cetera. I'm feeling a little glassy-eyed about doing another line edit on the manuscript, but I probably ought to re-read it anyway in preparation for drafting the balance of Their Currents Turn Awry, which is my project for April and May. I only need another 100,000 or so words on that project to call it done in first draft, so it will fit nicely into that schedule. I expect to produce the synopsis over the next few days, and will come to grips with the line editing issue shortly thereafter.
Going to Extremes (nonfiction book about cancer, parenting and Antarctica): She is still reviewing the proposal, but likes it so far. We're having a somewhat technical conversation now about cross-licensing and subrights and other nonfiction issues which are new territory to me. I won't be doing any more new writing on this until she has given me full feedback on the proposal and we agree on what more we need to do for the submission package. I do feel some time pressure on this one, simply because of the timing of being able to make an Antarctic trip.
Little Dog (urban fantasy about a werewolf with achondroplastic dwarfism): Once bravado111 and I wrap up the synopsis, which ought to be fairly soon, she will review it, as will his agent. At that point we'll decide whether it makes more sense to go to market as a proposal, a partial or a full. Collaborator bravado111 and I will be discussing the writing schedule today, actually, and working out between the two of us how to approach that question from our end.
Our Lady of the Islands (independent novel set in the Green universe): She wants to review this one more time, possibly have another revision round, then go to market, but not in the same immediate time as Sunspin. Since Calamity of So Long a Life will probably be going out in the next few weeks if not sooner, this means Our Lady can go out later this spring. Collaborator calendula_witch and I are in agreement on this plan.
Short Fiction: I have now completed all requested short fiction due before the end of the summer. I need to send "The Cancer Catechism" into the requesting market, and later on in the year I have to write a Fathomless Abyss novella and a Cthulhu short. I have tentatively agreed to take on a couple of anthology invitations in June, when I have another month of Doing Miscellaneous Stuff on my writing calendar, but I don't have guidelines for those yet. If you're an editor and you're expecting something from me that you suspect I've missed, please let me know.
Cancer: Of course, all of this is subject to change should next month's re-tests show that my recently detected liver lesion is in fact a fourth round of cancer. I expect Sunspin to go forward mostly unaffected. Likewise Our Lady of the Islands. bravado111 and I need to discuss a fallback plan for Little Dog if I get seriously sidelined, so status unknown there. Ironically, it's Going to Extremes, the big, ambitious cancer book, that will likely be the most disrupted from a return of the cancer, simply because of timing. If I spend the second half of this year going through another round of chemo, there's no way on God's green Earth I'll be fit to go to Antarctica during the southern summer of 2012/2013. Also, my short fiction and miscellaneous project work will fall off the table complete if cancer returns, as will most or all of my already limited convention and conference schedule.
A lot going on, and I like being this kind of busy. I just hate the uncertainty.
Sunspin (four volume space opera): She really likes the revisions to volume one, Calamity of So Long a Life. I need to produce a short marketing-focused synopsis, about ten pages covering all four books, and she has suggested one more line editing pass for dropped words, et cetera. I'm feeling a little glassy-eyed about doing another line edit on the manuscript, but I probably ought to re-read it anyway in preparation for drafting the balance of Their Currents Turn Awry, which is my project for April and May. I only need another 100,000 or so words on that project to call it done in first draft, so it will fit nicely into that schedule. I expect to produce the synopsis over the next few days, and will come to grips with the line editing issue shortly thereafter.
Going to Extremes (nonfiction book about cancer, parenting and Antarctica): She is still reviewing the proposal, but likes it so far. We're having a somewhat technical conversation now about cross-licensing and subrights and other nonfiction issues which are new territory to me. I won't be doing any more new writing on this until she has given me full feedback on the proposal and we agree on what more we need to do for the submission package. I do feel some time pressure on this one, simply because of the timing of being able to make an Antarctic trip.
Little Dog (urban fantasy about a werewolf with achondroplastic dwarfism): Once bravado111 and I wrap up the synopsis, which ought to be fairly soon, she will review it, as will his agent. At that point we'll decide whether it makes more sense to go to market as a proposal, a partial or a full. Collaborator bravado111 and I will be discussing the writing schedule today, actually, and working out between the two of us how to approach that question from our end.
Our Lady of the Islands (independent novel set in the Green universe): She wants to review this one more time, possibly have another revision round, then go to market, but not in the same immediate time as Sunspin. Since Calamity of So Long a Life will probably be going out in the next few weeks if not sooner, this means Our Lady can go out later this spring. Collaborator calendula_witch and I are in agreement on this plan.
Short Fiction: I have now completed all requested short fiction due before the end of the summer. I need to send "The Cancer Catechism" into the requesting market, and later on in the year I have to write a Fathomless Abyss novella and a Cthulhu short. I have tentatively agreed to take on a couple of anthology invitations in June, when I have another month of Doing Miscellaneous Stuff on my writing calendar, but I don't have guidelines for those yet. If you're an editor and you're expecting something from me that you suspect I've missed, please let me know.
Cancer: Of course, all of this is subject to change should next month's re-tests show that my recently detected liver lesion is in fact a fourth round of cancer. I expect Sunspin to go forward mostly unaffected. Likewise Our Lady of the Islands. bravado111 and I need to discuss a fallback plan for Little Dog if I get seriously sidelined, so status unknown there. Ironically, it's Going to Extremes, the big, ambitious cancer book, that will likely be the most disrupted from a return of the cancer, simply because of timing. If I spend the second half of this year going through another round of chemo, there's no way on God's green Earth I'll be fit to go to Antarctica during the southern summer of 2012/2013. Also, my short fiction and miscellaneous project work will fall off the table complete if cancer returns, as will most or all of my already limited convention and conference schedule.
A lot going on, and I like being this kind of busy. I just hate the uncertainty.