Virgil McDane Series Update
I wanted to provide everyone a quick update on what I plan to do with this series. Especially given how long it took to publish FayTown Calling, I think it’s important.
A few caveats.
First, I learned a lot writing FayTown. More than I needed to, really but the point is that those lessons will help a great deal in moving forward. I am less patient with the type of delaying tactics I have used in the past and more mindful of what I need to do to be successful. As much as I hate to admit it, FayTown Calling was written in several furious sprints with months or even years apart, something I am working to prevent moving forward.
Second, the final push that got that out came from some unexpected changes in my professional life. It gave me some time to finish up the book. With everything going on with the Covid-19, it seems more and more like I will continue to have that time for at least a couple of months.
Frankly, I hope I’m wrong about that second part. I’ve tried to keep my personal, professional, and writing lives separate but we live in a pretty interconnected world now so I care less and less about that. Point is, the world is a very interesting place and my time is fluid until things change. Even if I suddenly become busy again, writing is an important personal outlet for me. It’s part of what keeps me sane and I will be pursuing it closely.
So, all that said, I have already begun working on the third novel in the series. Pilfered Souls is a book idea I have had for at least six years, likely more. I went back and looked at the notebook I kept when I was writing Sorcerer Rising and some of those notes are almost ten years old. I have a few references there to this book and when I was going through the process of figuring out what my second book was going to be, it was actually one of the contenders ahead of FayTown. There are some reasons I felt it should come later and now is that time. For those that have enjoyed the series thus far, if anything this will just ratchet thing up a notch.
I will also be working on another novella. Part of the struggle I have with Virgil’s stories is around logistics and transportation. I made his world big and fluid and dangerous and getting him to freaking Africa or something like that in the middle of a novel is just hard. Order Bound gave me a chance to flesh out his world (even if it was by accident) and show other aspects. I see future novellas as a chance to continue that.
The point I want people to come away with though is pretty simple. I’m committed to this series. There are other priorities, we all have them, and they’re still there. While many people, myself included, find some of those priorities on pause as the world fights off a pandemic, I’m going to take advantage of that time I have been given.
Side note on that. I wrote a whole bunch of words and deleted them multiple times because I’m just not equipped to speak about the virus or the impact it will have either to the world’s health or its economy. So, I landed on three things.
- Don’t panic
- Don’t underestimate it
- I wish you and yours the best in what is a difficult time for many
I will try to stay engaged as I go through this. I know I have been TERRIBLE at maintaining updates over the past several years, and I apologize once more for those who asked.
So, in ending. Next up is Pilfered Souls. Back to it.
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