There's one question I get asked quite often: what are you writing these days? It's a good question, which I love to answer. And a good assumption. Yes, I am actually writing something. I'm always writing something. That's the best way to actually get a novel written; just keep working at it every day. Currently I'm working on two novels: Magic Thieves, and its sequel, Magic Guardians. Yes, I know. I already published Magic Thieves. Quite some time ago. It was my first novel and admittedly, the writing was rather rough. But a lot of people liked the story. And wanted a sequel to it. Besides, I was too embarrassed about such a rough piece of work being out there for everyone to see. So I have applied my improved writing skills, the result of having written three additional novels now, and gave it a nice, shiny re-write. It's nearly ready to be released.
Isn't it bad enough to be writing one novel? You may ask. How can you do two at a time? Well, one of the things I discovered is that it's actually easier for me that way. I work on one novel for a while, and then take a break from it while I work on the other. Even the best of stories gets old after reading it over and over dozens of times, and thinking so much about it for months, years at a time. Novels take years for me to write, and usually at least four drafts. That means writing the same novel four times. And then re-reading it, fixing errors, touching up scenes… I end up getting quite sick of the story, and then not doing as good of a job. It's really nice to take a break from it, and then when I work on it again, I can do it with a refreshed perspective.
I guess all of that might make it seem as if it's a lot of work to write a novel. Well, all right, it is. But it's rewarding too. And I'm really excited that Magic Thieves is about ready to be released. Please watch for it. I plan to have it out there by spring of 2016.