DragonCon IV: Reckoning

9/1/2016

Once again, I return to Atlanta for DragonCon! If it so happens that you're in attendance as well, let me know! We can meet up and stare meaningfully into each others' eyes (also I have signed books and a limited number of shirts).

Soulsmith update: still working on it, though I was hoping to be finished before DragonCon for a faster release. Still on track for September, just not as early as I'd hoped.

Short story update: I have failed you again, Lord Megatron. It's late, but it's coming, probably after I'm satisfied with the state of Soulsmith.

Spoiler-ish specifics, if you've read Unsouled:

I was all but finished with Soulsmith, but I decided to make a fairly substantial story change. I'm spending slightly less time on Suriel than I'd planned, and more on Lindon.

While she's dealing with her own interesting things, they don't overlap with Cradle much for the time being, so we'd effectively be reading two entirely disconnected storylines for several books until they intersected again. Everything I plan for the future is subject to change, and those plans could easily be tossed into the fire and re-written, so don't try to read too much into the implications of that.

We're still keeping an eye on Suriel (or rather, she's keeping an eye on us), but it's more like checking in every once in a while than actively following her cosmic conflict. I'd rather keep the story filtered through Lindon, so you can gain a broader perspective on the world as he does.

TL;DR - Suriel down, Lindon up, requiring liberal application of elbow grease on the author's part. Writing is fun!

It's shaping up, though, and the events of Soulsmith set the stage for even bigger conflicts in the future. I think you'll enjoy it!

Thanks for reading!

-Will

22 Comments

Matthew

9/1/2016 04:07:22 pm

Make it good, though we know you will. Can't wait.

Will link

9/2/2016 06:37:45 am

I'll do what I can, Matthew!

Madeline

9/2/2016 12:03:06 am

I am okay with waiting for Soulsmith longer than you had planned.
One of my characters is 110 and Suramar is awesome yet time consuming. The other is 103. Soulsmith delays mean less chance of walking off a cliff in Suramar while deading Soulsmith.

9/2/2016 06:39:48 am

It's still September, I was just hoping for early September and that ship has sailed. Ah well.

Anyway, my friends are all 110, but thanks to not finishing my book in time, I'm only 106. I keep flying over Suramar and weeping in jealousy.

9/2/2016 07:48:23 am

.... do you want to auto follow me while I run around and kill things?

jim

9/2/2016 06:07:24 am

Nice! That's a change I can get behind. As much as I like Suriel and stuff, she just seemed like a tool for narrating/dues ex machina stuff.

What I'm saying is it'd feel weird if she was actually fleshed out as a character when no one is really invested in her.

9/2/2016 06:12:07 am

... and kinda tangential to the plot...

9/2/2016 06:57:24 am

Yeah, her purpose is basically to show off the upper end of the power scale. Now that I've done that, keeping her around is asking people to invest in two disconnected stories that aren't going to overlap for a long time.

I only had one deus ex machina moment planned, and it's over. But if I had her hover over Cradle for too long, people would expect another.

Mikey

9/4/2016 01:39:26 am

For readers who are waiting for the second book, check out some of the best xianxia novels from China (free to read on the web thanks to fan translations). Unsouled is a xianxia fantasy.

These are arguably the best of the best

True Martial World (Gravitytales.com translating)
I Shall Seal the Heavens (Wuxiaworld.com translating)
Tales of Demons and Gods (Wuxiaworld)
Against the Gods (Wuxiaworld)
Martial World (Gravitytales)
Desolate Era (Wuxiaworld)
Emperor's Domination
Demon's Diary (Gravitytales)
Transcending the Nine Heavens
Douluo Dalu (the author of this novel Tang Jia San Shao makes $16.7 million a year in royalties according to a recent Wall Street Journal article)

I'm Really a Superstar (not a xianxia but very enjoyable to read).

9/13/2016 11:20:41 am

Tang Jia San Shao earns so much by virtue of being an absolute machine; he cranks out thousands of words a day and immediately publishes them. His hands must be withered claws.

And it's funny that Douluo Dalu is still considered his flagship work, because I enjoyed it, but I think Heavenly Jewel Change is probably my favorite of his. Translated, at least.

But yeah, great recommendations!

Jordan

9/7/2016 05:47:51 pm

If you keep this up, Lord Megatron may just decide to remove you from the decepticons Will, which is would be far less entertaining without you.

But seriously, it's ndb, keep writing.

9/13/2016 11:21:30 am

If I'm not a Decepticon, what am I going to do with my ability to turn into an evil-looking truck with a skull for a hood?

Scott

9/8/2016 08:14:59 am

Short stories are totally a cherry-on-top bonus. Hugely excited to get Soulsmith when it's ready, and very curious to see how (maybe 10+ books down the road) Suriel's and Lindon's stories will intertwine again.

9/13/2016 11:37:10 am

One of the problems I was running into, and another reason why I cut Suriel down, is that when Suriel's story and Lindon's story run parallel for too long, people expect them to intersect all the time.

So when I'm alternating scenes between Lindon and Suriel, and Lindon gets in danger, readers would expect Suriel to bail him out. Or she's hunting for a fugitive at the same time Lindon meets a new character, which leads to a natural "Oh man, THAT MUST BE HIM IN DISGUISE!"

And it's not, it just seems like that because you're expecting the stories to cross over. They won't, not until Lindon gets far enough to play with the big dogs, and the best way I had to communicate that was to focus on his climb through the ranks.

I was a little sad, because I like Suriel, but she was sending people too many mixed messages.

9/15/2016 09:39:34 am

Ahh, unfortunate but completely understandable. I'm glad she isn't being cut out entirely though - having her there in brief glimpses gives a nice sense of "OMG SO MUCH BIGGER PROBLEMS CAN LINDON POWERLEVEL IN TIME" I mean scale.

Nikk

9/9/2016 09:14:15 am

The price for displeasing Lord Megatron is DEATH!

Death by having your Spark removed!

Wait.. does your Spark allow you to write such awesome stories? TAKE MY SPARK INSTEAD LORD MEGATRON!

I can wait for Soulsmith and the monthly Short Story

LORD MEGATRON CANNOT!

9/13/2016 11:23:10 am

Lord Megatron's employee management practices are highly suspect, and likely not as effective as he believes.

Kenneth

9/10/2016 12:23:04 pm

Oy, just finished the second first book of the Elder Empire and bought the next two (though I could have "borrowed" them on Kindle Prime) and only now realize that there are two books still unwritten. I typically only start a series once it is completed, because otherwise I feel compelled to reread the earlier books again due to the sad state of my memory.

So this leaves me stuck. I don't want to start the Soul series you are working on now (see previous para), though I might buy them, but can't finish the series I'm in the middle of!

The travails of finding a new favorite author...

9/13/2016 11:16:07 am

I'm doing what I can, Kenneth! I originally wrote Unsouled to keep people from forgetting about me (and some income coming in) while I finished Elder Empire, but it immediately sold better than any of the EE books.

So I struck that iron while it was hot with a quick sequel, Soulsmith, but rest assured that I am tackling Of Kings and Killers next!

Trent

9/15/2016 04:14:03 am

I've read everything you've done and its all fantastic. I believe Unsouled sold better because your name is getting out there and you seem to produce consistently solid work in a reasonable time frame. At this point, I think anything you published (esp book 1's) would sell better than the last because the fan base is building.

As for my preference though, I too am waiting on Elder Empire. I would like to see more Traveler's Gate stuff also as how I think its the most interesting world you have built but it did have a reasonable stopping point. You do you though I guess. Don't want to be that guy because I'm extremely grateful to you for all you have published and whatever comes out will be better than whatever I'm prolly reading instead.. but.. You've read Robert Jordan right? Waiting kinda sucks.

Mick

9/11/2016 09:18:43 pm

You've got me on the edge of my seat now. I'm jumping on the website daily. I've got issues.

9/13/2016 11:16:32 am

Stay perched on that edge, Mick! PERCH!

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