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August 05, 2005
The Book is Dead; Long Live the Book!
A funny thing happened on the way to the keyboard earlier this week when I found myself contemplating another week trying manfully to figure out a way to make the cursed ANTIMATTER VOODOO project work.
There I was, minding my own business, thinking about all the disparate elements I've been juggling, I realised, this entire last year or more, and something very quietly went, "sproing!" in my brain. I said, "That's enough." And lo, it was enough.
I'm done with that bastard. I've lost count of the number of times I've quit this thing before, and I'm pretty well sick of the whole thing. It's gone on and gone on like a bloody tooth-ache, grinding me down, making me feel like that guy on the Simpsons who's had hiccups for years, who only says, "[hic!] Kill me! [hic!] Kill me!"
So, now what? Well, as it happens, I've spent this entire week abuzz with ideas for a new book. (I know, you've heard this before, too. Me, too, and I share your pessimism.) This would be a more or less direct sequel to ECLIPSE. I've now thought of two sequels for ECLIPSE, one a few weeks ago that would be much more indirect, and this new one, which would pick up more or less immediately after the ending of ECLIPSE, but be from a different character's POV. So far, I'm calling this story UMBRA, but I think it needs something to dress it up a bit.
All this week I've been blitzing the keyboard, just gushing forth with ideas and developments for this thing, averaging 2000 words a day, just with notes. This is stunning stuff. Previously, while working on the damned ANTIMATTER VOODOO, the best I ever did on writing either notes or text was about 1300 words, and felt pretty lousy about it. Now, by contrast, I feel--get this!--excited! And I've been going, "Oh, yes, that's what this is SUPPOSED to feel like!"
As of right now, I've got a title, characters, setting, stuff going on, major peril, and so on. I've even got a pretty decent idea for an opening line!
If you're wondering what the hell happened to me, I think it's this: I spent the three weeks before this week up to my eyes in last minute edits and tweaking on the galley proofs of ECLIPSE. I discovered a shocking thing while reading, re-reading, and re-re-reading various drafts of that manuscript: it was pretty good. Surprisingly good. In places it was gripping and tense and scary and powerful. Even after reading this book many times, it was still getting to me, and doing stuff to my head. I was astonished at how, well, above average it was. And how it made even my best attempts at ANTIMATTER VOODOO look horribly lame by comparison.
I wrote the original version of ECLIPSE in 1997, the same year as ORBITAL BURN. You don't want to read something you did from that long ago (even though, admittedly, it's been worked on a lot between then and now) and discover you were better at this gig then than you are now, but that's what I saw, to my considerable chagrin.
So, time for a clean sheet of paper, and to try something else. My personal motto (dating back only to the point where I decided a motto was worthwhile and not totally poncy) is, "Never give up." I'm giving up on ANTIMATTER VOODOO, but not on writing--though there have been plenty of days over this past year when I seriously wondered if the gift of the scribble had left me. It's a frightening thing to contemplate. And now, instead of bashing my head endlessly against this damned nightmare of a story, I'm going to do something different, and I'm going to have a blast. Even now, I'm twitchy with excitement about it. I'm damn tempted to start writing the thing today, rather than wait for Monday. I'm not, though. I want things to settle a bit in my head, for a few last-minute bits and pieces to sort themselves out.
What will happen to ANTIMATTER VOODOO? I will probably strip it for parts. It has lots of fun elements, a few interesting characters, and the odd bit of cool technology. And, of course, a kick-arse title. That will show up somewhere, one day. It's too good to get rid of.
Something else that has helped a lot: this whole past week, I've largely been headache-free. Got one right now, but it's the first since Monday. Even this one isn't getting me down, because I've got stuff to look forward to. Stuff I'm going, "ooooooooh!" over, and stuff I'm spending a lot of time staring off into space over.
* * *
Also:
Today we finally got our US Visas sorted out. We now have 5-year visas for the US, good until 2010! Now we just need to sort out the finance. Our savings projections suggest we should walk it in, and have some left over for spending money.
I'm also now using a trackball instead of a mouse. It's a very nice, very alien-looking Logitech "Marble Ball" thingy, and it's hard to get used to, since the thing doesn't move; only the ball doodad on top of it moves. This was a brilliant suggestion from Alethea, who thought it might help with the headaches. So far, so good! Thank you, Alethea!
Meanwhile, ECLIPSE is at the printers now (as far as I know, based on what Publisher Brian's told me). It's out in Canada next month. I'm incredibly jazzed about this, much more so than I was about ORBITAL BURN's arrival. I just hope it goes over as well with other folks as it does with Brian and me.
And that's the news from me. How are things with you?
Posted by adrian at August 5, 2005 02:31 PM
Comments
*ahem* Excuse my lateness. I took this thing called a "vacation" and am only now catching up...
I think the difference between then and now is not that you were a better writer back then--it's that back then you weren't under any pressure to perform. You weren't published yet so there weren't really any outside expectations placed on you, not like what you have now. Even if you don't realize it, that probably makes a difference in your brain.
^_^ Totally pysched about seeing Eclipse out! W00t!
Posted by: Cheyenne ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.kabedford.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at August 11, 2005 07:25 AM
Selkie--I've learned over a great many years now that nothing is ever wasted. Good bits hang around; dud bits don't. In HYDROGEN STEEL, the character Gideon Smith (one of the two leads) is a guy I tried to put in a previous book, without any kind of success. He was the only thing I kept from that effort, but it was well worth it. He's just about my favourite thing in HS. Equally, in that same book, the protagonist, Zette McGee, is a refugee from another previous book that died.
Charlie--don't be silly. And in any case, the deal was that I'd use your name in my next book, whatever that turns out to be. So whether it's ANTIMATTER VOODOO, or this new thing UMBRA, or something else again, you'll be in my fourth published book, somewhere. :)
David--thank you, and I certainly hope so. I'm nervous as buggery about it.
Posted by: Adrian at August 7, 2005 03:48 PM
A shame you have to give up on it, old bean. But here's hoping the bits and pieces you salvage from it become integral parts of the next one and the one after that and so on.
Actually, I'm beginning to think that your promise to put me in a story somehow jinxed it... ;)
Posted by: Charlie at August 7, 2005 04:32 AM
The book is dead, long live the book! It's great to hear you've got a new project and are so excited about it. Good luck and I'm sure Eclipse will be a big success.
Posted by: dshan at August 6, 2005 05:39 PM
well, i am sure that is rather disappointing.
i think, books have personalities, and sometimes books and characters are the biggest pains in the asses. not that i can really say, but i imagine writing each book is a completely different experience. just don't give up on this one completely, use the parts that feel right in the new book, and keep that one's bare bones around- JUST IN CASE. you never know when something else might click, whether it be years from now. you'll know what feels right when it's important.
and i'm glad you have some new ideas you are going to work ont.
Posted by: river selkie at August 6, 2005 11:20 AM
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