This Book Might Kill Me, Someone Help

10/26/2015

Leaving for Germany tomorrow night!

As I promised, I've done all the writing and editing I can do up to this point. When I leave, I'll do some further work over there, as will my talented beta readers and editors while I'm gone.

That said, this is by far the hardest book I've written so far. I keep track of how much time each book takes me to write, so that I can predict how long the next one will take me. Sea and Shadow each took me a long time, so I assumed Darkness would take a similar amount of time. Nope, it took more.

As you might expect, I assumed Dawn would take the same amount of time as Darkness. Nope, more. Why? Because I have to look for contradictions not just between Dawn and Darkness, but between Dawn, Darkness, Sea, Shadow, and what I have planned of Kings and Killers. I've found discrepancies, messed-up timelines, characters who vanish for days without explanation...

Writing a series one book at a time, as it turns out, is much simpler.

I did learn one thing this time, though: writing Darkness first and Dawn second was the wrong way to go. It was an experiment, so I don't exactly regret it, but I'll write the next set of books together. Just like I wrote Sea and Shadow.

So I'm sorry, guys. Sorry it's taking me so long. The only thing I can say is that I've done everything I can up to this point, and depending on how the next phase goes, I'll have it out for you soon.

Thanks for your patience, and I promise I'm doing everything I can.

-Will

31 Comments

Jim

10/26/2015 05:42:31 am

No worries man, the book will be ready when it's ready. Appreciate all the hard work from everyone involved. Enjoy Germany!

10/26/2015 06:40:54 am

I'm not gonna lie, I think the be rushed you on every post.. I'm glad it is taking my a little longer thank expected, this gives me time me to re read sea, shadow, and darkness!!

Keep up the good work and have fun in Germany!!

Jayson

10/26/2015 01:54:16 pm

No worries brother, I'm glad you're taking such time and effort to release a quality product. Too many times I've seen authors and other folk release something too early to please fans and it backfire...not to mention sometimes changing everything fans love about the product in an attempt to cater to them. Just remember, we love YOUR work, and have fallen in love with YOUR worlds, the way YOU made them. Please don't rush anything or change out of concern for us readers, we'll still be salivating at the gates eager for the next bite. :)

Will Wight link

10/31/2015 01:20:20 pm

Thanks, Jayson! Still trying to get it out ASAP, but I'm not killing myself over it. Soon, though! Soon!

Jeremiah

10/26/2015 06:41:22 pm

No sleep until next week!

Really, keep up the good work. I know the quality of the work is not adding to bill paying, but generally it's well rewarded. At least in installing computers and cash registers. Can't speak to literature.

Oh well, so much for that attempt at encouragement

10/31/2015 01:22:37 pm

I feel encouraged nonetheless. I try to take every comment in the spirit it was intended.

Zach

10/26/2015 08:42:43 pm

What's most refreshing is the constant updates, and I love the idea of re- reading the first books. I can't even imagine the level of difficulty in writing I. This format so nothing but admiration and gratitude from this fan!
Maybe Germany will give you additional inspiration!

Patrick

10/27/2015 01:32:16 am

Thanks for the update and for the hard work!
I will continue to check your blog for updates.

Interesting to read your impressions of the two book writing process. To be brutally honest I've never really understood why you'd choose to write two separate books (other than the opportunity for two sales). What does it really offer me as a reader? Most good fantasy epics cover multiple main character story lines in a single book without the need to split the book. I was not really happy with the two book format.
But you bought my loyalty with the travelers gate and I will continue to be a fan of your work, regardless of the format.

10/27/2015 12:12:50 pm

Not sure you got the same affect but I thought it was awesome getting the 2 completely different views of the same story not to mention I've never seen it done before so being a fan of new different cool stuff thought it was a home run as for the additional book sales he deserves it....happily pay the cost of a Starbucks latte for the entertainment value

10/27/2015 05:24:33 pm

Well to each his own then. Personally I didn't like the two book split.
But to be clear I don't mind the cost factor. I would happily pay premium dollar for the quality that he is pushing out (although I would dearly love to see a thousand pager from Will Wight - his books have been way too short imo).

Emily

10/27/2015 10:40:28 pm

I thought the reason was to try something new. For what it offers the reader is that most texts where there are multiple main characters the two stories are interwoven where you see one character then the next. Not read sequentially (although I actually did read the first pair by switching off books). The experience of reading just one person's story then the other allows one to become more fully immersed in whoever's story your reading. Whether or not you prefer the format it is a different experience so I wouldn't say it doesn't offer the reader anything.

10/31/2015 01:30:16 pm

I'm not entirely sure how these comments will stack, so I'll reply to all of them as best I can:

I think there's a lot of potential in a parallel story, so I wanted to try one.

There are a lot of parallel story ideas I didn't try, like two stories following the same character who makes different decisions in each. So I thought I'd spend this year trying out the format, for the benefit of future me.

It turns out it just takes a lot more work than I expected. I thought it would take twice as long (as one might expect), but in fact it takes longer. Live and learn.

The two purchases was something I was worried about, actually. I expected that to HURT sales; I knew I would make more from Travelers Gate #4 than from Sea and Shadow combined. If my primary intent had been to keep making more money, I'd have kept writing Traveler's Gate.

But I wanted to try something else, so I tried this. I regret nothing.

If I had to go back in time, I'd still write these books, but I'd work to plan and ration my time better.

Jason

10/29/2015 10:35:04 am

Will,

Is there anything, other than our patience, that you would like from us? I realize I'm taking the "Someone Help" more literally than you probably intended it to be but you have a very large group of people that would gladly help out in any way that we can (and no that's not a plug trying to become a beta reader). Enjoy your time in Germany and let any of us know if there's ever something we can do to help.

10/31/2015 01:33:14 pm

I appreciate it, Jason!

I know how you feel. Sometimes you really do want to help, even if you don't know what you can do.

At this point, there really isn't anyone else who can help me. I need to release this book, start recording the Crimson Vault audiobook, and in the meantime start budgeting my time so that Of Killers and Kings doesn't literally consume my soul.

Juan

10/30/2015 02:19:51 am

I have read many series of books, in which each successive title released is a little worse than the last. I continue to read the series because I felt I could connect deeply with the characters (in the first book at least) then I become angrier and angrier the longer I continue. One of the reasons I enjoy your books so much is I have not experienced this with your books. I thoroughly enjoyed House of Blades, and I feel like every book you put out is better than the last.

Your books are exceptionally emotionally satisfying and I am happy to wait. Recharge your batteries with lederhosen and German Beer by the litre (and post a photo so your fans can live vicariously through you).

10/31/2015 01:35:06 pm

Thanks, Juan! I try to grow as a writer each time, but I've still got a long way to go.

JohnW

10/31/2015 01:09:43 pm

I'll try to help with some advice.

I think this dual-book experiment is mostly a failure. Not that the books are bad, but they could be better. And not that the format is too difficult, but the format is not worth the extra effort.

I think you would do much better (for your next series, I'm not saying stop the format for this series) to choose the character and time period that you think makes for the best story, and tell the story from that character's POV over that time period. If, during the writing, there is some important part of the story that cannot be told from that character's POV or without flashing back, then go ahead and do so, but keep that sort of thing to the absolute minimum (if it is more than 10% or so of the book, then you can do better).

During the writing of that main story, you will probably spend time thinking about, writing notes about, or perhaps even writing passages about, other time periods or other characters POVs. Do not throw those ideas out, but do not throw them into the main story. After the main story is done (or at least after the current book is done), then you can evaluate other stories that could be told. If any of those stories are good enough, then write those stories in whatever format they deserve (short story, novella, prequel, or a whole different series). But do not force them into the current story. Trying to force elements that belong in another story into the current story slows down the writing, and more importantly, makes the story less focused and less engaging to many readers.

11/1/2015 11:44:40 am

I could not disagree more. I love the younger years being mixed in with the "now" and really enjoy getting the story from two very different points of view. Even with as time consuming as it's been to write for Will I believe this experiment has been a resounding success.

As for your advice on how the author should and should not write their books, I don't know what your chosen career is but think how you'd feel if a random stranger came by and publicly insulted your hard work. As a reader your choices are to read what the author has written or not, no where in that reader/author relationship does it say you get to insult their hard work in a public forum. An author has beta readers to give harsh opinions in a private forum and it STILL falls to the author's discretion as to if they want to make changes or not. Have some respect.

11/1/2015 04:10:25 pm

Constructive criticism is not disrespectful, nor did I insult anyone. To answer your implied question, I welcome constructive criticism on my work. I may not always agree with the criticism (as in this case), but I am not insulted by receiving it.

By the way, my bet is that Will did not think my advice was insulting. I think his lack of comment on it indicates he does not agree, but that is obviously his prerogative. Do you really think Will was insulted by my advice?

11/1/2015 04:19:17 pm

Getting back to the meat of the issue -- you say that you enjoy having the story jump around time periods and POVs. Certainly there are many readers who express such preferences, but I think they are in the minority, albeit a vocal minority.

One of the problems with having multiple stories told in a single book is that the different stories are often not equally engaging to the reader. This presents the reader with a dilemma -- skip over the boring parts and risk missing something relevant to the main story that the author expected you to know in order to understand the main story -- or suffer through the boring parts.

The solution is for the writer to focus on telling one story per book. Then the reader has no such dilemma -- if the story is boring, just stop reading. And the author can still tell additional stories in other books or anthologies. That has the best chance of pleasing the greatest number of readers, since those readers who are interested in backstory or stories from the POV of other characters can always read additional books or short stories. They can even mix them together themselves if they so desire.

11/2/2015 01:39:59 am

Hey guys,

My lack of response indicated that I wanted to think about what to say for a while, because I wasn't sure how to say "I don't agree" without coming across as mocking or dismissive. I would rather sound positive, so I'll do my best!

I know you would prefer a linear story focused solely on a single protagonist, and I respect that. In fact, I prefer to write that way a lot of the time. But I don't agree that every story needs to be told in that format, nor that most people would prefer the linear approach. I think it changes on a case-by-case basis.

As it so happens, I do plan to write my next original series by focusing closely on one character in one time period. But I don't think that's the universally best way to write, I just think it will work best for that story.

11/1/2015 06:18:54 pm

What makes you think that people who enjoy jumping timelines are in the minority? I love getting both stories and think the story would be less if only one timeline was told.

If jumping timelines was not a good strategy in general why do so many great books (including this series) do it? (Stormlight, Kingkiller Chronicles, Lies of Locke Lamora to name a few)

It is true that some stories suffer from one pov or timeline being more engaging, but when done well you become more engaged with whatever you are currently reading. Also having to wait adds to the suspense which is a bonus

11/1/2015 09:51:40 pm

Well, it sounds like you are limiting your interpretation of my statement to the fantasy genre, whereas I did not intend my comment to be limited to any specific genre.

But even within the fantasy genre, I think people who prefer the story to jump around are in the minority, although it is certainly a larger minority than literature in general.

One of your examples does not belong -- Kingkiller Chronicles limits the framing story to a small fraction (certainly less than 10%) of the books. The vast majority follows Kvothe's POV in chronological order.

As for Stormlight, I had the dilemma I described earlier with several of the POVs. I ended up reading the boring parts, but tending to skim quickly. I cannot really remember Lies of Locke Lamora, probably because I skipped or lightly skimmed a lot of boring parts.

It takes an exceptionally talented author to do the unfocused, jumping around story well. And even exceptionally talented authors tend to fail at it much of the time (look at GRRM's later Song of Ice and Fire books). Most of the time, from most authors, the story is going to be better if it is focused. And it will please more readers that way, since those who prefer focused stories get what they want, and those who prefer to read backstory or other POVs can also get what they want if the author releases the stories in separate books or anthologies.

11/2/2015 12:06:24 am

I limited my examples to fantasy because I assumed they would be books we both know but I can think of plenty other stories that do this as well.

I'm not disagreeing that it's valid to prefer a a story with only pov I just think your idea that the majority of people feel that way is not substantiated and is certainly not my experience.

As for Kingkiller I think the first 100 pages are in the framing (which on my first read I totally skimmed all the framming parts, more to your point) which is a substantial amount of backflash to read even if it's only a small percentage. (also I loved all of Song of Ice and Fire so far)

If you believe one can get the same experience of having multiple pov from just seperate releases then similarly you can get the experience of the focused story by choosing to just read one pov.

Things multiple pov give you:
* they can build suspense through giving the reader knowledge that the protagonist doesn't have
* deeper understanding of the world and character
* showing different viewpoints on a single event
*the sheer beauty of seeing how different stories combine
* suspense of slowly revealing information (why Lucan's in prison, shera's assassinating the emperor)

There are probably other good reasons that I can't think of right now.

Of course it takes more skill to do multiple pov/multiple timelines well. We can disagree about whether or not it succeeded. But when it does succeed the book is more than the sum of its parts: two separate books would not be the same. Clearly I enjoy this style of writing more than you do. Nothing about our own preferences allows us to say one is in the majority and one is better. The fact that many of the bestselling fantasy books seem to have multiple pov though seems to suggest that when done well it is a successful strategy...

11/2/2015 01:48:26 am

Readers' genre expectations are framed by what they've read in the genre before. In fantasy right now, it's very common to see multiple POVs over several different time periods, so it's not something that I think will catch most people off-guard.

Whether they like it or not is something else entirely, but if it's consistent with their understanding of the genre, they at least won't dismiss it out of hand.

Also, there's a reason why fantasy in particular tends to rely on multiple POVs: because the focus is on the world. If you want to show the reader many places in the world you created, you have to either rely on one character to explore as much of it as possible (The Dresden Files, the Drizzt books) or have a new story going in each unique location or situation (ASoIaF, Stormlight).

I don't think either structure is inherently better or worse, and I tend to write each story differently. Some series I'll focus on one protagonist in one time period, sometimes I'll follow multiple protagonists over multiple time periods. Not everyone will like everything, but that's okay.

Have to try new things!

Brian S

11/10/2015 04:28:12 pm

Look at all the big names being tossed around.

I'll take Will Wight over Pat Rothfus or George RR Martin any day of the week. I know that Will can finish a story. He may run off to his favorite mountain top or scurry off to Germany now and then, but that doesn't stop him from actually publishing books like it does some people. Until that changes, I'll consider Will the better author.

See what I did there Will? You're welcome. Now publish the next book so you don't make a liar out of me ;).

11/11/2015 02:14:15 pm

I always get intimidated when these big names are thrown around. I've never wanted or intended to compete in the same arena as Patrick Rothfuss, I just wanted to write the best $4 fantasy novels I could.

And the next one is coming soon, I promise! Thanks for waiting!

MarkG

11/3/2015 09:14:45 pm

Have a good break, Will. We'll still be here (and waiting) when you get back. You don't need me to tell you that writing is a marathon, not a sprint.

11/11/2015 02:35:16 pm

Except I normally sprint, Mark! These parallel novels are a lot of fun, but they're a challenge, and they're making me marathon.

Kate

11/11/2015 12:53:47 pm

I've been compulsively checking Amazon for Dawn and Darkenss but like the majority of your fans, I would rather have all the "kinks" worked out first. I always appreciate an author who takes the time to make sure previous and future books are consistent. I can't wait and I guess I'm the meantime I'll go back and read the first three again.

11/11/2015 02:36:06 pm

This is incredibly encouraging to me, Kate! Not just that you're willing to wait, but that you're impatient in the first place.

Thanks for being so patient, and I promise it won't take any longer than it has to!

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