The advance reading copies of "Iron Angel" are now out and doing the rounds. That a large part of the book is set in Hell is apt, since it felt like I was actually there while writing it. The creation of Book Two has been a much more difficult process than writing the first one.
Publishers sometimes talk about a strange malady called "secondbookitis". After taking several years to write your debut, you're suddenly thrust into a position where you now have to produce a second book to a deadline, and now you are keenly aware you have an audience.
I don't know if this peculiar affliction had a grip on me. Perhaps it did. It seems that for every word I left in the final draft of "Iron Angel", I deleted another two. Swathes of text, characters and even book-length threads, all binned. Writers advise you to murder your darlings. "Iron Angel" produced mass graves full of darlings.
Kirkus have provided the first quote: “Flavorsome, original and leavened with a fierce sense of humor.” Nice enough, but curiously bready.
Writing "Lye Street" was far less stressful (perhaps something to do with only having 26,000 words to write, as opposed to 150,000 or so). It was a limited edition with only 2000 copies printed, and these have now sold out -- thanks to the stunning artwork by Bob Eggleton and Dave McKean, I'll wager.
So now it's on to Book Three. No title yet, but as the deadline looms I know I'll be thinking of calling it "God, I Really Need a Holiday" or "Can this be a Really Short One, Please?" or "Everyone Dies After 80,000 Words."
Publishers sometimes talk about a strange malady called "secondbookitis". After taking several years to write your debut, you're suddenly thrust into a position where you now have to produce a second book to a deadline, and now you are keenly aware you have an audience.
I don't know if this peculiar affliction had a grip on me. Perhaps it did. It seems that for every word I left in the final draft of "Iron Angel", I deleted another two. Swathes of text, characters and even book-length threads, all binned. Writers advise you to murder your darlings. "Iron Angel" produced mass graves full of darlings.
Kirkus have provided the first quote: “Flavorsome, original and leavened with a fierce sense of humor.” Nice enough, but curiously bready.
Writing "Lye Street" was far less stressful (perhaps something to do with only having 26,000 words to write, as opposed to 150,000 or so). It was a limited edition with only 2000 copies printed, and these have now sold out -- thanks to the stunning artwork by Bob Eggleton and Dave McKean, I'll wager.
So now it's on to Book Three. No title yet, but as the deadline looms I know I'll be thinking of calling it "God, I Really Need a Holiday" or "Can this be a Really Short One, Please?" or "Everyone Dies After 80,000 Words."
posted by Alan Campbell | 2:07 PM
13 Comments:
"Everyone Dies After 80,000 Words."
Thanks for the laugh over my morning coffee. If only it were that easy. *g*
I don't know if this will make up for all the sweat, blood and tears but I've just received my copy of Lye Street and must say it's a beautifully produced book.
Looking forward to your next one as well.
Can't wait to see Iron Angel.
And I'm with marlowe, Lye Street was simply beautiful.
I bought Scar Night for the cover art (and found out the writing was really great, of course...). If you call book three Everyone Dies After 80,000 Words, I'll buy it for the title.
I bought Lye Street because of Scar Night. They could have put a stick figure on the cover, or a cute puppy. I bought Scar Night after a recommendation on an NWN persistent world forum. Next time you see an MMORPG nerd, pat him (most likely) on the head.
Iron Angel had better rock and roll all over Scar Night because I've already preordered it. Everyone Dies After 80,000 Words had better do the same.
No pressure, mind.
Yay! And Happy Days and all that! Can't wait to read it. I can't even remember why I picked up Scar Night, but I loved every bit of it. Iron Angel had better not be delayed coming to bookshops in Norway *mutters* (Well, they are usually very good at bringing in books from UK, so all should be good.)
"Everyone Dies after 80.000 Words" is a pretty nifty title, as long as it doesn't mean there won't be more books after that one. *mutters*
Hi Alan
Congratulations on getting published. Brilliant! Read Scar night and really enjoyed it. Bought a copy for my library and a lot of people have read it! look forward to the new one.
How exciting! I loved Scar Night and can't wait to read the next one. I'm with you on the word counts however. I left 80,000 words behind a long time ago :(
Best of luck with it all!
JB
Just received my advance copy of Iron Angel! Very excited, can't wait to read it!
Really looking forwards to this one, and there ain't many books I say that about. But though I of course would want it to be better than Scar Night, I wouldn't be disappointed if it wasn't. Being heavily praised for a first book and under pressure to top it with the next and that carrying on to the next and the next has been the death of some writers. Just keep bringing them out on an ... even keel. Get used to being a production line - don't angst yourself into a block.
I've just started reading Scar Night again, ready for the new one. I urged a lot of friends to read your book Alan and not one of them has been disappointed. All have said, in various variations of the English language, 'well cool!'
Yours in anticipation of more Deepgate adventures (or whatever is left of it;)
JB
I've managed to get a readers' copy of the book as I'm reviewing it for a magazine I work for. Not yet past the prologue, but I am liking what I'm reading.
paul.
Cheers, guys.
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