Back From Spain...And From The Dead

5/3/2014

I always need some time off when I finish a book, but now I'm back and ready to get back to work!

First on the agenda: some quality of life improvements to House of Blades. The first half of that book is pretty rough, so I'm going to add in some scenes, fix up some others, in generally edit the story to bring it up to the level of Crimson Vault and City of Light.

That should be complete in the next week or two. I should have the City of Light paperback and House of Blades audiobook online shortly after that.

In the meantime, I'll be starting on the next story!

I'm really excited about that: making the stories is the fun part for me. Bringing ideas together, coming up with names, making it all work. I've been enjoying it so much that I've started, like, three different stories while on vacation.

So where will I end up? I don't know. But we'll get there by this fall, I can tell you that!

31 Comments

Logan Wright

5/3/2014 03:53:16 am

I am glad that you're fixing House Of Blades. It was good once you got into it, but before that I very nearly stopped reading it. I've been wanting to recommend the book to my brother, but he only reads books that hook him in the beginning, which your's dosen't/didn't. This matters even more for people who read samples of books before buying them, they have no choice but to judge a book by its beginning.

Will Wight link

5/3/2014 04:46:59 am

I don't have a major foundational problem with the first chapter, and that's the majority of the sample. Honestly, I'm not concerned with sales. Sales are good, and they've remained strong since HoB came out. I'm revising it not to increase sales, but because...well, honestly, I've had experiences similar to yours with your brother.

When I recommend the trilogy, I'm not recommending myself as a writer or the Traveler's Gate Trilogy as a whole--not at first. I'm actually recommending House of Blades. And I don't like having to recommend my book with a caveat: "Stick with it until Valinhall. If you don't like it by then, quit."

I don't like having to give caveats. It's one of the reasons why there's no cursing and very little sexual content in this trilogy: so that I can recommend it to anyone without a prelude. In the interests of serving that, I need to smooth out the first 30-50% of HoB.

Xiphoid

5/3/2014 06:34:49 am

Hey Will. I was doing some reading. And I noticed a similarity I think is interesting. In your books when someone uses the magic too much, or something else happens, overwhelmed by it, something like that. They become an embodiment of that magic, that territory right? I thought it was kinda similar to Brent Weeks' Black Prism series. If they use the color too much. Their iris thing shatters and they get consumed by the characteristics of the color. Idk if you'd read it or not. But I think it's cool. Not suggesting you stole the idea or anything. Wondering your thoughts on it though.

Will Wight link

5/3/2014 06:48:45 am

Brent Weeks is fantastic, and I love his Lightbringer series so far.

The idea of too much magic overwhelming its user is pretty common. It's one of the more usual side effects or drawbacks to a magic system. As for them transforming into monsters...that's not common, but I'm hardly the first person to have that idea.

The main thing I didn't like about the color wights in Brent Weeks' books was that they're all the same. They have very little personality, in my opinion. One blue wight is just like all the other blue wights. I didn't find it very exciting.

So that IS something that I took from Brent Weeks: as I was coming up with ideas for the Incarnations, I had to decide what the Incarnations were going to be like. Since I saw what I didn't like in the color wights, I was able to avoid going there myself.

I haven't really thought about it before, but yeah--if I hadn't read the Lightbringer series, the Incarnations might actually look MORE like the color wights than they do.

Xiphoid

5/4/2014 03:02:56 pm

That is actually a really awesome answer. Enlightening. Encouraging. Several other words that beging with an "E". Thanks for taking the time bro.

Will Wight link

5/7/2014 12:39:15 am

Edifying?

mike

5/4/2014 12:08:27 pm

Will! I've emerged back into the blogging world after a long absence. I read City of Light in 13 hours (but who was really counting) and I was extremely pleased with the outcome. You've really come a long way with your writing from House of Blades to now and I'm happy you're going back to edit some of the content. I notice at the end of the book you said that the series would be back eventually, is there a specific reason why you are choosing to come back to it rather than continue now? Just running low on ideas or just need a break from it? I don't blame you, just wondering... anyway I do hope you have great success with your next pieces and I'll be sure to buy them!

Will Wight link

5/7/2014 12:40:43 am

I'm definitely not running out of ideas for Traveler's Gate, but I just have TOO MANY ideas for other things. I need a break from the TG universe for a while. I'll come back, I just need a little while to work on something else.

Jon

5/4/2014 12:30:00 pm

Hey will. I'm just wondering, if we have already purchased House of Blades, will we be able to read the revised version (you know without paying more money...)?

devin

5/4/2014 01:16:35 pm

I can answer that. Once will updates his book with the new revised version, he will update the "edition" of the book. And you'll get the option to update your existing copy. In some cases I think it does it automatically, but either way you aren't paying more. You'll get the option to just have the new copy.

Will Wight link

5/7/2014 12:41:51 am

Thanks, Devin!

Yeah, the Kindle version should update. I think in this case I can get it to update automatically, but if I can't make that happen, then all you have to do is send Amazon an email and they'll update it to the new version for you. There's no scenario in which it should cost you more money, Jon.

Angel Nevaeh

5/4/2014 12:39:01 pm

City of Light is so awesome I'm about 66% through. I'm mean wow its so epic so much action I love it. And I really like Rebecca she's so much fun and she was perfect for the Alin vs Simon fight.

Im so upset you know who incarnated.D: But it was decent when it happened. I'm itching to know what happens next

I've had the same problem recommending the HoB to my sister. She doesn't like because it's a little slow at first and I can't get her to keep reading. I hope you can fix that because she doesn't know what she's missing .

And last I'm really excited for this audio books because I love immersed reading on the kindle fire HDX. And so does my sister so that's another plus.

Good luck with sales and May the 4th be with you. ;)

Will Wight link

5/7/2014 12:43:55 am

And also with you, Angel.

Yeah, I'm glad about the opportunity to spruce up HoB. I'm working on it now, and it's amazing how much different my writing is now compared to one year ago. Hopefully it'll keep getting better.

But for now, I'm just trying to make it less of a chore to read through the first 1/3-1/2 of the book. I'll be making changes throughout the story, but I'm mostly focusing on the beginning...for people like your sister.

Ben

5/5/2014 11:38:25 am

Clearly we should storm YouTube to get Man-at-Arms to forge some Dragon's Fangs to inspire your creative properties.

Will Wight link

5/7/2014 12:44:27 am

I think Man-at-Arms only forges things that have awesome visual identities already. That would be cool, though.

Ben

5/7/2014 02:33:52 am

Step 1) Crowdsource awesome visual identity creation to fans with free time.
Step 2) Email.
Step 3) Profit (or an amazing episode of Man-at-Arms)

Mesmerizing Suggestion

5/7/2014 08:46:59 am

Hey other fans of the travelers gate trilogy but not specifically will wight, I wonder if territories are created in a nonspecific apocalypse related to their powers, like avernus being in a nonspecific cataclysm due to birds? ( I have done my best to outsmart copyright laws here so sorry about the vagueness )
In other news will has not updated the author description as it still says quote unquote "author will wight should be working on city of light right now, not typing another humorous mini bio. Back to the keyboard with you foolish minion!" Disclaimer, Mesmerizing Suggestion is not responsible for aneurysms caused by excessively large posts.

Will Wight link

5/9/2014 02:23:18 am

That was very smooth, Mesmer. I like it.

A.) I can confirm that there are cataclysmic events involved in the creation of most of the Territories.

B.) You're right! I need to write another humorous mini-bio, stat!

Nick link

5/8/2014 05:33:43 pm

I just finished your triolgy. Anderson to be honest, I have not been so taken by a series since the early work of Terry Goodkind, Robert Jordan, and Patrick Rothfuss. One of the most inventive and rich worlds I have experienced in a long time. Anderson to let a bit more of my nerd side show, your magic system begs for adaptation to the table top rpg world. The idea of emboding a traveler on a quest for his Queen is beyond fascinating. I want to thank you for this ride. I greatly look forward to what you share with us next.

Will Wight link

5/9/2014 02:24:04 am

Thanks, Nick! That's high praise indeed, and I am not worthy!

...also, who's Anderson?

Nick link

5/9/2014 02:32:04 am

3:33 am typo is who Anderson is. Wow, I'm disappointed in myself for not catching that one.

I cannot wait to see what you have for us next.

Nick link

5/9/2014 02:32:13 am

3:33 am typo is who Anderson is. Wow, I'm disappointed in myself for not catching that one.

I cannot wait to see what you have for us next.

Ken

5/9/2014 04:04:24 pm

Hey Mr Wight, just wondering if you could answer a question for me. After reading the crimson vault, me and a friend sort of guessed that the library granted the iron scroll when the guardian said that "knowledge was its power" and simon just failed to earn it. So just finished another reread of CoL and spotted that he'd earned the power of library, but obviously simon doesnt have the iron scroll. I'm guessing it has to be the stone amulet right? Apologies if I've just missed the explanation somewhere.

Will Wight link

5/19/2014 04:26:44 am

The power of the library is, at the moment, the white flame. The librarians lie fairly often. They're not trustworthy.

Patrick

5/10/2014 12:14:37 pm

Will I have been wondering what in the world is the picture on your home page for this blog? Does it have something to do with your books or simply something you found. Just curious.

Каша

5/11/2014 06:19:04 am

Perhaps it is Anderson--the hidden gnome of the famous Hidden Gnome Publishing company?

Will Wight link

5/19/2014 04:34:09 am

It's a royalty-free stock photo that I bought for use on the website. I thought it looked very "Traveler's Gate."

And the names for all my gnomes begin with "W." Wes, Wilkinson, Whitaker, that kind of thing. I collect garden gnomes; have I told you guys that before?

Sean

5/16/2014 08:43:51 am

Just finished the trilogy and really enjoyed it. The fast paced action and comedy were refreshing and I'll be looking out for future works!

Will Wight link

5/19/2014 04:35:09 am

Thanks, Sean! The next series is going to be different, but the fast pace and the comedy aren't going anywhere. I've tried to write dramatic, slow-paced stories before, and I can't do it. It goes against my very nature to not throw a joke in every now and then.

Devin Lawson

5/17/2014 04:33:43 pm

Out of curiosity, what Valinhall powers did you think of that never made it into the books?

Will Wight link

5/19/2014 04:37:34 am

That's a great question, and there are a few, but I can't answer. I will say that you'll see them eventually.

Well, here's a little detail...

SPOILER WARNING

Kai channels two or three unnamed powers in City of Light. He calls wind when he cuts the Tartarus Incarnation in half--it's a power that makes your blade sharper, though it only works with Dragon's Fangs.

In which we ramble on.
And by we, I mean me.