If you’ve paid attention over the last five-plus years, you’ve probably heard me say something like this: “You know what, I’m really going to start working on Strin & Fred again. Like, really really.”
I’ve said it on podcasts. I’ve said it on this blog. I’ve said it to various friends and fans over the years.
And, you know what? I keep saying it, but it never quite happens. I start a family. I start teaching. I start a shared universe.
But, this time…I really mean it! Like, really really!
Okay. No promises. But I’ve been forcing myself to write a page or more every day I write. I’ve pushed other projects aside. And you know what–it’s hard.
Oh, sometimes I get in a groove. But every time I think I’ve got this middle-of-the plot, I-think-I-know-how-to-get-where-I’m-going roadblock smashed to pieces, another rolls down off the mountain, stopping me in my tracks. I love these characters, but getting back into the fabric of a story I published initially ten years ago isn’t always easy.
My long-time fans always ask, “Is it done yet?” I’m glad people like Strin and Fred and the rest so much. I really have no good excuse for why I’ve put it off so long. When the series is done (not if, but when), I hope it’s a great story. At the very least, it’ll be a record of my evolution as a writer. (Whether that’s good or bad, I don’t know.)
So, no promises, but I’ll keep plugging along. I won’t get fancy. I’ll just keep putting pen to paper, leaving my nearly incomprehensible scribbles on page after page. I’ll probably blog about it, because as long as I’m talking about it, I’m thinking about it, and if I’m thinking about it, I’m unconsciously moving the pieces of the puzzle around in my head, and bit by bit I’ll get to the end.
And it’s a pretty great ending, for book 3, at least. One I’ve had in mind, in some form, for more than 10 years.
Maybe someday you’ll all be able to read it.