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Will Wight, New York Times Best-Selling Author of 'Cradle'
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In which we ramble on.
And by we, I mean me.

A Decade of Writing

6/1/2023

37 Comments

 
Ten years ago today, historians generally agree, I released House of Blades on Kindle.
 
The actual date is somewhat disputed by the academic community. Some sources record House of Blades’ release date as the second of June instead of the first, but these are lies intended to defame my good name.
 
I uploaded the manuscript on the first of June, Anno Domini Two Thousand and Thirteen, but it took Amazon some hours to build the book’s landing page correctly. By the time I had made my first sale, it was already June the second.
 
But it was June first on which I published a book for the first time.
 
Seriously though, it’s hard to believe it’s been ten years. Even harder to believe that Cradle is about to turn seven.
 
I feel like there have been three major eras in my writing career so far: the Traveler’s Gate era, the Elder Empire era, and the Cradle era. Going by feel, I would say that the Cradle era was about half.
 
As in, five years for Traveler’s Gate and Elder Empire (at least, the first four books of EE) and five years for Cradle. But it’s actually 7 years for Cradle and 3 for the others.
 
That doesn’t sound like that much of a difference, but it feels weird for me. 70% of my writing life has been focused on Cradle, and now it’s about to come to an end.
 
Crazy times.
 
As you’d expect, my family and I have been reminiscing about the last ten years during our nightly mind-melds, and we have a lot to be thankful for. I would describe our overall emotional reaction as “Overwhelming gratitude.”
 
We wanted to thank you, so we’re doing what we can, but it’s hard to beat you guys.
 
Yesterday, we gave away about 485,000 ebooks for free. We’ve done this kind of giveaway three times in the past (we’ve done a lot more giveaways than that, but only three of these big ones).
 
Yesterday, more people got more free books than in all those other three giveaways combined.
 
You know why? Because of you. You all push these books so hard we’re giving more and more away each time. You’d think we would run out of people by now.
 
You fans are great. Not only are you the reason why I’ve been able to keep writing for so long, but it’s you all enjoying the books that makes the journey fun. The lengths you’ll go to get people to read Cradle truly astonish me.
 
I thought firing paperback copies of Unsouled through people’s windows with a T-shirt cannon was a little much, but it was when you rented an airplane and began raining copies from the sky that I started to wonder if you’d gone too far.
 
 Thanks for making it a great ten years!
 
Especially those of you who have been fans from the beginning. I don’t know how you found me during House of Blades or why you stuck with me for so long, but some of you were there from the very beginning. Special shout-out to you, for having patience with me for ten years.
 
The main thing we have going on this week, of course, is the release of Waybound in less than a week! But to celebrate that, we also commissioned a sort-of-but-not-quite-recap comic of the Cradle series so far, illustrated by u/meadblossom* (who did the Reaper comic too).
 
I say it’s not quite a recap because it doesn’t really summarize the story. It’s more like a selection of highlight moments from Unsouled all the way through Dreadgod. Some of the coolest scenes, or just Sam’s favorites, illustrated and strung together for your enjoyment.

(This hardly needs to be said, but SPOILER WARNING for all of Cradle so far, Unsouled through Dreadgod. Nothing from Waybound in here, but you know, it's a comic of all the series highlights. If you haven't read the series, there will be spoilers. Also, it won't make a ton of sense to you.)
 
Read the comic here!
 
You’ll hear from me again before Waybound—and we’ll have my usual pre-release stream on YouTube this Sunday night at 6 PM Eastern—but I’m looking forward to your reactions!
 
I hope the finale to Cradle lives up to your expectations, and that you’ll continue on this journey with me to The Last Horizon and beyond.
 
For ten whole years, thanks for reading!
 
-Will
 
*(That’s her Reddit username. Also find her at @bloomejasmine on Instagram and @keithbday on Twitter.)
37 Comments
Spark
6/1/2023 01:19:51 pm

Congrats Will :) Been a fun ride so far. Looking forward to what else you have in store for us.

For the comic, I can only see one chapter. Was there meant to be more?

Reply
Spark
6/1/2023 01:28:55 pm

Ahh, the rest just finished loading for me :) It's all part of the single chapter, for anyone else that had my problem.

Reply
Andrew
6/1/2023 01:24:26 pm

Thank you for 10 years of amazing stories. Thank you for your joy, humor and humility. Looking forward to 6.6.23 and all the goodness to come. I hope all your expectations for the final release of the Cradle series have to be rewritten in fate to avoid you dying from shock at how far they are exceeded.

Reply
Kyle
6/1/2023 01:31:25 pm

Congrats on 10 years! Been reading since Bladeborn after a friend recommended the series to me. Hope you revisit the universe after a well earned break!

Reply
Jory
6/1/2023 01:38:22 pm

I’ve been a fan since right before Wintersteel came out. In fact, I think my friend suggested Cradle to me the day you announced Wintersteel‘s release. I plan to stick with you till the very end! Thank you for bringing such joy into my life and the lives of my friends! Gratitude!

Reply
Sue
6/1/2023 01:40:55 pm

My daughter and I have long shared a love of fantasy fiction, and I’m so glad that she shared “Cradle” with me. Can’t wait to pick up “Waybound.” It’s been a wonderful journey.

Reply
Michael
6/1/2023 02:05:18 pm

You and I both hold Wheel of Time in high regard. While Cradle itself isn't an epic fantasy on the scale of Robert Jordan's infamous series, there are a few things Cradle has done better. The important one to me is how connected I am to each character. I love them all. I proudly rank Cradle above Wheel of Time as my all time favorite series and it's going to take a wandering titan to bring it down. Thank you, Will.

Reply
Jess
6/1/2023 02:26:37 pm

It feels like I'm saying goodbye to an old friend.

Congratulations on 10 years. Happy Will Wight Day.

Reply
Jim
6/1/2023 02:35:55 pm

My coworker found House of Blades in 2013 from your bio when looking for something new to read. He picked it up and told me I needed to read it. We've been devouring every release since then. Thanks for a great decade, and here's to the next one!

Reply
Jeremiah
6/1/2023 02:51:43 pm

You know that means it's been almost ten years since I posted a comment on this blog... Also why did I stick around? Cool swords. (Good story characters etc really, but you know that)

Reply
Darkgrain, General of the Dark Lord of Muffins
6/1/2023 03:24:26 pm

Welp, you've officially made me feel old. You've been leaving me waiting for more ever since The Crimson Vault, and every release since than. It's been a wild ride. I shall implore Lord Muffins to spare your mortal soul.

Reply
Ryan
6/1/2023 04:02:00 pm

Dang that comic was awesome.

Reply
Grumpy
6/1/2023 04:48:23 pm

Sound Cliche but once your close to finishing the Captains series, I am hoping you write the next chapter. Starting with the Teams destruction and how the loan Zeil uses his time control to come back and start the collision course with all the members. Lindon getting the fruit, Yerin getting the shadow and him luring the dreadgod in to crush his own sect.

Reply
Kevin
6/1/2023 05:07:37 pm

The pleasure has absolutely been ours! I don’t think I have ever re-read books as many times as I have your collection. Keep it going! Congrats on a decade!

Reply
Bill Redflame
6/1/2023 05:18:00 pm

Good times Will. Good times. Found House of Blades reading a 1-star review of some other famous author. "Nothing interesting happened in this book - go read House of Blades to embiggen your fantasy needs!" Or something like that.
Loving TLH so far. Don't forget to shake out some short stories across all your completed worlds when the mood hits you.
Now to go cancel all of Tuesday non-Waybound activities; possibly Wednesday for the reread.

Reply
David
6/1/2023 06:02:32 pm

I found Cradle in 2020 by accident and it threw me back into reading for fun after a decade of only reading “productive” things. These, your other stories, and an entire genre I never knew about, have really helped through some otherwise rough times.

For Cradle, if this is going to be the end, then remember one thing from me: I loved every second. I really, truly…had so much fun.

Reply
Michael
6/1/2023 06:27:36 pm

Will,

As your crew, you are now obligated to join us on one adventure per fan. We’ll be together for a very long time 👍👍👍

Reply
Rebecca Newsome
6/1/2023 06:35:08 pm

Absolutely grateful for the Cradle series. Very much looking forward to the last book and your future writings! Thank you and your team.

Reply
LordEgg
6/1/2023 06:40:55 pm

Will, you are an amazing person and writer I have loved your works since Uncrowned and hope to follow you until the end
Well Wishes
Some random guy
P.S. I read all of your blog posts and comments in one sitting during
covid, is definitely worth it

Reply
David
6/1/2023 08:05:51 pm

I bought my wife a Kindle for Christmas with Unsouled pre-loaded. She hadn't read for pleasure since the seventh Harry Potter book release in '07. Then my 11y/o son picked it up and burned through the series as fast as she did. He is on to elder empire now while we all wait on Waybound. We got a couple of our friends into Cradle and have had a weekly Cradle book club for the last couple months.

Thanks Will!

Reply
ThreeEyeWilly
6/2/2023 02:43:42 am

It is my desperate hope you continue to write books in the Cradle universe, despite being done with this particular series.

When people ask me what my favorite book series is, I used to say Robert Jordan. Now the only author and series I mention are you and Cradle.

Thanks for enriching the world. Creation is the closest we can get to godliness.

Reply
Metatron58
6/2/2023 05:43:25 am

Happy to have been here from the early days and looking forward to many more years. Do the release stream then lose yourself in Diablo 4 for awhile. I think you've more than earned the break.

Something I find very refreshing about your book series is how accessible they are. I typically don't hesitate to recommend other authors I like either but there's a denseness to some other series that makes them intimidating to new readers. I've had people ask me about the stormlight archives for example and while they are amazing there's no getting around the fact they are very heavy books and not really under the category of light reading or easy to get into.

One amazing thing about your books and cradle in particularly is how fun they are and easy to get into. I never hesitate to recommend them to friends on a regular basis and i'm happy to say i've converted a few people at least to avid readers.

Reply
D
6/2/2023 05:57:46 am

I feel like a 50/50 Fan now. I liked gate a lot, disliked empire, loved cradle and find the cap not my cup of tee. xD
Ill still lurke around to see what other stuff you write in the future. Statistic says, i should love your next project a lot! :)

Reply
Alfred
6/2/2023 06:06:43 am

I remember reading a story about the first Traveler's Gate book on io9, back when it was still really good. I got hooked immediately and haven't stopped since.

Reply
Jason
6/2/2023 07:50:13 am

Will, thank you. Because of Travelers Gate and later Cradle I have something that my son talks to me about. He has Autism and has challenges relating about things other than Dinosaurs so between your books and whatever Owen Grady is up to I finally get an earful. His name is Owen so he basically thinks of himself as the character. He has been vibrating all week waiting for Waybound. PS, Dross is his favorite, thanks for bringing him back.

Reply
Scott
6/2/2023 10:14:35 am

Been here since Simon and the Travelers Gate series. Hope to see Travelers Blade. Never enjoyed bonds as much as yours. From Brandon Sanderson, to Russell Kirkpatrick, to R.A. Salvatore, and beyond. Will Wight is my personal Adrial. Life is tough, the work is hard, the world is unkind, but I appreciate you and the dragon advances. To space wizards and beyond.

Reply
Aaron
6/2/2023 11:16:44 am

Congrats on 10 years. Really looking forward to Waybound. Are there any plans to release books 4-12 in hardcover? I missed the Kickstarter but was able to order 1-3 when they were released at retail. I'd definitely buy the rest if the opportunity were afforded me.

Reply
Stephen E
6/2/2023 12:59:52 pm

I found you because I was specifically looking for authors I'd never heard of and you had a finished series out at the time unlike some other authors that don't need to be named.....

I zipped through house of blades and enjoyed your pragmatic writing style and so when to unsouled.

It was good and noticed that you had JUST come out with Soul Smith and now I've read everything you've put loshed and have really enjoyed it.

Reply
Kurt
6/2/2023 01:20:23 pm

Cradle is definitely the best book series I've read in recent years, and it was actually the book series that got me into Xianxia novels in the first place. There is only one bad part about Cradle: It is making me wait even longer for Travelers Blade! Will, I need more Travelers books! I pre-ordered City of Light way back in the day and still haven't gotten a sequel! This his just cruel!

Reply
Dan
6/2/2023 05:07:23 pm

Can't remember how I stumbled onto house of blades back then but so glad I did. Thanks for all the adventures so far, looking forward to more space adventures!

Reply
Daniel C
6/2/2023 05:17:06 pm

Been a fan for 9 out of these 10 years. Read every book at least twice (all four series). Thank you so much!

Reply
nanashi
6/3/2023 04:55:07 am

Ten years all ready? Wow time flies. Fire novel by the way meadblossom.

Reply
Connor
6/3/2023 09:00:31 am

Happy 10 year anniversary, Will! You’ve brought me and countless other readers so much joy this past decade. I picked up House of Blades in October 2013 after someone sang praises for it in some random Amazon review for another book and all your subsequent works have been an automatic preorder for me.

The Traveler’s Gate series cemented you as my #1 fave author and you’ve easily held that spot ever since. All your published works are an automatic preorder for me and I always recommend your books to friends and family. I’m rarely one to reread books, but after reading Dreadgod I re-binged the whole Cradle series in preparation for Waybound.

Thanks for being you and sharing your work with all of us. Also, shout-out to the Minions and the rest of your team for all they do. Gratitude.

Reply
Kris Kerr
6/5/2023 08:32:55 am

Will,

I have occasionally been critical of small errors that creep up in your books. I struggle with trying to offer what I believe is constructive feedback in a way that doesn't come across as me being a total ass-hat. More often than not I fail in those attempts.

That being said, please do not doubt for a moment that I believe you to be one of the best writers of the current generation. Your storytelling is amazing, with each book leaving me wanting more.

Another commenter compared Cradle to the Wheel of Time. I absolutely agree, although I believe the universe you've created is every bit as complex and epic. In my opinion, you've just done a better job of storytelling by focusing on individual stories within that universe and fleshed them out superbly.

I remember when you first started writing the Elder Empire series. I was impressed more by the "Breaking the Mold" idea of writing a series from two different viewpoints at the same time. That was truly an amazing effort.

My best wishes on your next 10 years of success. I know I'll be there for it, just like I have been for the past 10 years.

Reply
Stewart
6/6/2023 05:58:12 am

I read Travellers Gate not long after it came out and have read everything - well almost everything, haven't managed to get to the final 2 EE books yet because of the hiatus - since then. I've really enjoyed everything and I adore Cradle. So well done your mind for making that stuff up. I would really love more from Linden and crew though.

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