When You Haven't Heard F﻿rom Me in a Month...

When You Haven't Heard From Me in a Month...

8/17/2016

...it's because I'm writing.

There are basically no exceptions to that. When I'm trying to finish a book, I almost always lock myself in a room and hammer it out for a few weeks at a stretch. Especially when I'm writing it quickly, as I am with Soulsmith.

Good news is, the book is almost finished! I'm trying to get it done this week, so that it can be washed and waxed for its incoming September release!

As many of you have noticed, while I've been taking Soulsmith days off of social media, I haven't released a short story this month. It's true; I wanted to finish the book before I wrote a new short story, but it's taken about two weeks longer than I anticipated. Fortunately, I'd built that margin into my release estimate; otherwise I would have said August instead of September and I would have to prostrate myself before you as I pushed the release date back.

See? I'm learning.

So...short story before the end of the month, Soulsmith on time for September, and you're all awesome!

Thanks for reading!

-Will

58 Comments

Tyler

8/17/2016 08:46:54 pm

All of the yes. Bring on Soulsmith. Bring on short stories. I am ready...I hope

Will link

8/18/2016 04:19:49 pm

YOU ARE NOT PREPARED!

...sorry. I had to ban myself from WoW because I was spending too much time prepping for Legion.

Jacob

8/17/2016 09:28:29 pm

So excited for Soulsmith! Can't wait to learn more about Cradle and all the happenings around it, let alone all the awesome new powers I hope we'll see!

Will link

8/18/2016 04:20:12 pm

I can't promise a whole lot, but I CAN promise awesome new powers.

Leon

8/17/2016 09:30:52 pm

Now only if your new books are readily available in South East Asia. I had to get friends to buy them for me overseas!
Heck I can't even buy them in ebooks!

Aaron J.E.

8/17/2016 10:54:18 pm

Really? I never have had that problem. I've bought the majority from them when I was in Korea, but I've also bought one when I was in Vietnam and didn't have any issues. Even the Kindle store doesn't work for you? Funky...

Will link

8/18/2016 04:21:47 pm

I have no idea how the paperback market works over there, but the Kindle store should work. The book is available in all Amazon territories and domains (or so they tell me). And I get a regional breakdown of sales, and I get quite a few from Japanese and Korean domains.

Suffice it to say, I'm surprised. Can you buy other Kindle books?

Leon

8/19/2016 09:55:59 am

I'm from Malaysia btw. And yes I tried getting your books from kindle. Heck I even tried iBooks but apparently they're not available in my region! I can see the cover arts of your books dangling freaking inches away from the screen of my damn computer monitor and iPad but I can't buy them!

Tried to do some shady region changing but needless to say that can't work as well.

Lucky for me, I had a friend visiting Australia at the time. He helped me buy your books from kindle.

If you're gonna come out with new books, I'm gonna have to do some traveling to get them. Unless of course you could do something about that...

Pretty sure I'm one of your first few fans from Malaysia btw.

Will link

8/19/2016 10:31:57 am

Awesome, Leon! Great to have you around!

I might not have been clear, but I was asking if you could get OTHER people's books through Kindle. If you can, that means something's weird about my region settings and I need to check them manually. They SHOULD apply to every region automatically, but Amazon has a habit of randomly changing settings without explanation.

Anyway, I'm glad you're enjoying the books!

Ramiro

8/19/2016 04:56:24 pm

I'm wondering are you trying to purchase from within the iOS Kindle app? Because due to Apple demanding money from in app sales Amazon removed in app purchase of ebooks. You should be able to use web browser to purchase from web site though.

Leon

8/19/2016 11:57:16 pm

Thanks for the suggestion Ramiro. I tried using the web browser as well. It pops out and says that 'this book is not available in your region.

To add Will, I could get books from other authors here (via kindle). Normally I'd go for paperbag versions before opting for ebooks. My local bookstores do have books from other authors. When I asked for yours though they told me that yours ain't printed here.

timasp

8/20/2016 01:49:58 am

I get them easily on kindle. Are you sure you can't get it?

Leon

8/20/2016 03:00:13 am

No.

Will link

8/20/2016 05:48:05 am

I'm sorry about that, Leon. I've checked my region settings and they're correct; they should apply equally to everyone around the world. Which means that whatever's happening to you is on Amazon's side, and I'm too ignorant to even speculate.

That being the case, send an email to [email protected] and let me know which books you're trying to buy, and I'll send them to you for free.

Peter

8/17/2016 09:44:36 pm

Awesome! Soulsmith was a great read.

When's the next Elder Empire book coming out?😀

Will link

8/18/2016 04:22:54 pm

(；๏д๏)

Jeremiah Halstead

8/19/2016 03:25:33 pm

Dastardly fellow! I name the my enemy and next we meet we dual!

Aaron J.E.

8/17/2016 11:04:02 pm

Awesome, can hardly wait for Soulsmith! It's a fun series and I definitely like the subtle Asian/Kung Fu theme. What most interests me is the chronology of the series though. Coming from the assumption that all your books are in a Cosmere-like shared multiverse, it just leads my to wonder if Cradle is the first book chronologically, or the last. I figure with dimension-shattering catastrophes happening everywhere, it sets a pretty ripe field for the creation of Territories, Elders, and other eldritch terrors as show up in your other works. (My running theory is, chronologically; Cradle, Traveler's Gate, Elder Empire).

A little sad there won't be a short story yet, but I understand the need to wait. It's just my email was buggy and spammed most of the ones sent so far, and I just got it fixed. Was looking forward to getting this one without issues.

Well, keep up the good fight, looking forward to reading our next book!

Will link

8/18/2016 04:24:21 pm

There is a chronology, but it gets a little messy because each world has its own timeline separate from the universal one the Abidan keep. So it gets a little...shifty. Hard to keep track of, I can tell you that.

I can say this, though: the Territories we know were created long before the current events of Cradle.

Aaron J.E.

8/18/2016 05:28:11 pm

Awesome! That throws a wrench into my head canon, but cool to know anyway. Look forward to seeing more from Cradle, and really looking forward to seeing the conclusion to the Elder Empire. Keep fighting the good fight!

Jeremiah

8/18/2016 04:23:09 am

Well, at least you were working. I had figured you for incapacitated or on one of those vacations that involves you leaving for one day and being gone for six weeks. And you were attacked by wolves. And were nearly eaten. And you had to resort to cannibalism for food. And then you had to face the sofa!

Will link

8/18/2016 04:25:01 pm

Usually I write on vacation.

And also, I'm currently on top of a mountain eating wolf meat raw.

iceman

8/19/2016 06:22:20 am

How long did it take you to make the cell tower for free wifi?

Will link

8/19/2016 06:42:13 am

I couldn't find enough metal, so the tower is all made out of deer antlers and lashed together with the sinews of bears. I get a lot of interference from the wailing of unquiet souls, but I can stream videos, so it's all worth it.

Scott

8/18/2016 08:00:16 am

Fantastic! Looking forward to it all :D

Chris

8/18/2016 08:04:35 am

Nice. I told myself there wasn't anyway. There was no way that I would like a new series written by you as much as I liked the other two. To be honest I didn't even intend to read the new series because I was so sure of that. Well, I did read it, and you have done it again. Amazing read, it flows well, and I love the way the book ends. It makes you anticipate the next book in the series so much. You've hooked me Mr. Wight. I will never doubt you again. If you write it, I am reading it, even if it is a book on the proper way to clean a sofa. Again, well done.

Will link

8/18/2016 04:26:09 pm

You should really enjoy my next title, then: "Greasy Elbows: Removing Deep Stains from Soft Furniture."

Wayne

8/23/2016 10:34:30 am

If you were to write such a book I have no doubt it would be entertaining.

Madeline

8/24/2016 04:01:29 pm

The furniture is somehow enchanted and the royal dynasty which rules the empire wisely and fairly will all die off if the stains cannot be removed because reasons.

James Johnson

8/18/2016 05:21:56 pm

Hey Will,

I know you are busy writing and all, but even you need a break sometime. Might I recommend a series I recently found? Critical Failures by Robert Bevan. Had me on the floor laughing.

I also wanted to ask if you ever play Tabletop RPGs? If so which ones? I am partial to D&D 5th edition now.

Will link

8/19/2016 06:45:01 am

I've never heard of that series before, but based on a quick google, the concept looks hilarious.

I ran 4-5 sessions of 5e a few months ago, and really enjoyed it. But the campaign didn't last long before I had to chain myself to a keyboard again.

If I got the opportunity to run another campaign, I would definitely continue with 5e.

iceman

8/19/2016 07:03:45 am

(This came out a bit longer than I expected, lol. Let's see if there's a character limit!)

I starting putting time into competitive Smash Bros a couple of months ago, and it's been super interesting to notice the similarities between that and Cradle. The local tournaments at my college have about 20 people competing, and while I'm not the worst there, I'm pretty close to it, usually going 0-2. There is one player there who is really good, almost always taking 1st, who I kinda made it my goal to beat in a tournament. Then, I moved to a different city for the summer, and the tournaments had close to 50 people. When the best player from my college came over, I got to see him play other people at his skill level. The others were slightly better than him, but still, the matches between them showed a mastery of their characters and an understanding of the game that I could only dream of having one day.

I got to watch a state-wide tournament, and there was even more competition for our top players. They weren't getting 1st there, but 8th and 12th, still pretty good placings for a tournament that big, especially since their losses were very close games. On Facebook, they started talking about how our state had the best Charizard in the world, and probably among the best Ryus and Toon Links as well. Although they didn't travel out-of-state very much, they watched videos of national tournaments, and thought they had a good chance of taking out at least some of the top players. And, finally, some of them got to travel to EVO, the largest tournament in the world.

And they got bopped.

Most of them didn't even get out of Round 1 pools, where there were only 15 other players, and they just had to win three to five matches. My state's best player, the Charizard main, got a bit further but still didn't make it through Round 2 pools, losing to someone that probably nobody's heard of except for his friends. That's when I realized: my state's best players, that I can't even take a game off of, are just pool fodder for the national high-level players? And those high-level players are just road bumps for the top-level players, the ones who actually stand a chance at winning EVO? Damn.

I have a long way to go.

Will link

8/19/2016 10:33:37 am

That's a GREAT way to illustrate the concept I'm going for. The characters should usually feel like they're great or unbeatable within their little region, but there's always a broader stage.

Also, Marth ftw.

Kevin

8/20/2016 09:01:21 pm

As always, your transparency and access makes your work even more enjoyable. It is a pleasure to be a fan of yours.

Will link

8/20/2016 09:06:41 pm

Thanks, Kevin, but I can't take all the credit. I'm only this transparent because my mother is a magnifying glass.

Jordan

8/27/2016 05:24:36 am

I tremble when I ask what your father is. Now that I think of it, he's probably a wight.

Bryce

8/21/2016 04:47:51 pm

THANK YOU
There are really only a few ways a release can go.
Its early(rare) on time and late. If its late you upset your fans. If its on time they are content and if its early they are elated.

SOOOO many authors cant seem to stick to their own release dates. They try to say it will be out as early as they can to appease their fans and then have to delay that release. While if they had pushed the date out farther than what they originally planned they are only setting themselves out for success.

THANK YOU for getting it

Will link

8/22/2016 06:41:01 am

It's taken me a long time to get it, Bryce!

Probably half of my releases have been pushed back. Not usually too long--a few weeks--but back. I can't speak for other writers, but for me, it's usually for one of three possible reasons:

1.) Because the project is bigger than I thought it would be, and I didn't know that until I got deeper into it.
2.) Because I did finish on time, but I didn't like it, so I took it back to the workshop.
3.) Because random life events got in the way that I didn't account for.

So what I'm learning to do, even though it kills me, is to expand my estimates to account for these things. I'm trying to under-promise in order to make sure that I can meet that promise.

I'm trying and learning the best I can, so if in the future I must shamefully push a release date back again, please don't hate me!

Jeremiah

8/24/2016 09:59:59 am

Quit pushing my buttons! I mean release dates!

If you push back OKAK again I'm going to hate you forever and ever and ever or until you release something else which will placate me. And then I will finally get OKAK and will forget all about it because you are you. There must be a coherent thought here somewhere, I'm sure of it!

Jordan

8/27/2016 05:29:31 am

Don't listen to Jeremiah, there is no hatred here, only books, shhh, yes go back to writing.
*turns to jeremiah*
*bops him with cane*
Enough of your non-coherent thoughts, be happy with what he gives us!

*wonders where the cane came from, and if jeremiah will be offended*

Caned Jeremiah

8/30/2016 03:35:52 pm

Not offended, just wondered which territory the cane was summoned from

Mick

8/25/2016 05:24:46 pm

I just read Unsoulled and let me tell you it was a complete distraction from work. I couldn't put it down.

I'm also pleased to hear that I'll have another instalment of the McGyver of Mandra coming soon in September.

Will link

9/1/2016 02:51:08 pm

Mandra sounds like a barbarian that crushes his enemies beneath his enormous biceps.

Jordan

8/27/2016 05:26:13 am

As long as you keep up the good fight, I am satisfied. I follow authors who are far less less transparent and release far ower. In other words, bruh you good.

Will link

9/1/2016 02:51:38 pm

I do the best I can, but I'm always trying to do better.

Alex Martin

8/27/2016 05:18:54 pm

Will give us a range of days that the book may be released on I'm so excited and I really want to know what will happen as lindon progresses on the path of twin stars

Will link

9/1/2016 02:49:49 pm

Sometime between September 2nd and 30th.

Madeline

8/29/2016 11:18:11 am

Out of curiosity will I have time to get both my characters to 110 so I can read Soulsmith while I'm in dungeon queues or will I walk off cliffs because I'm attempting to level a character and read Soulsmith at the same time?

Will link

8/29/2016 11:27:41 am

If you're on Arthas, I'll see you on.

Madeline

8/29/2016 07:03:52 pm

Medivh and Dawnbringer.
Medivh guild has taken over the server. Dawnbringer wants to take over the server when Legion comes out. Must level fast and not walk off cliffs because reading.

Chris

8/31/2016 07:59:33 am

Will,

I need you to come through for me brother. Please finish the book on time. No lie, I moved my surgery back 2 weeks so I could wait on the book to be finished to have something good to read while I laid in bed for a couple of days. I don't think I am going to be able to come up with another fib to move the surgery again, so do me a solid and get that book out there! On the other hand if you need more time to finish I understand. I will watch TV or something I guess. Do they have TV's in hospital rooms? Time will tell. Keep doing what you are doing Mr. Wight, you are worth the wait.

Will

8/31/2016 12:15:15 pm

When's your surgery, Chris? Because if it's tomorrow, I'm afraid I won't be able to help.

Chris

8/31/2016 04:16:10 pm

It is supposed to be Tuesday, but I just heard from the scheduler that the doctor might need to move it to Friday. I am feeling optimistically hopeful the book will be ready, but understand if it isn't.

Jordan

8/31/2016 11:44:52 pm

I sit here, waiting for the August short story, and my first thought is, you're late! Then I realized something, you could totally slow way down and be producing far faster than most authors. So I don't even care if it's two months from now, as long as it eventually exists.

Andrew

9/1/2016 09:42:00 am

I have been jumping at every email notification seeing it's not the short story then frantically refreshing just to make sure..... I think my eye is starting to twitch....

Will link

9/1/2016 02:48:58 pm

I'm late, I know! I can only blame the fact that I'm working on a much bigger project, it's eating up my time, and I just arrived at DragonCon.

I will make it up to you, but it will probably be after Soulsmith comes out.

Andrew

9/2/2016 07:01:31 am

No worries Will, though we often comment on your tardiness it's really just that complaining makes us feel better. I guess we are all just whiners at heart...

Chris

9/1/2016 11:43:23 am

I tried not to, but I did anyway. I was going to save the traveler's gate trilogy to read in the hospital as a fallback, but my impatience seemed to win out. I have read them now 5 times through, including this last time. The only series I have read more is Harry Potter. But, I had a lot more time on my hands when that came out. I was sitting in Iraq either patrolling or reading through the first 5 books in the series. I'm pulling for you to finish the book! I will leave it alone now. I have invoked the rule of 3 with my comments and now I trust that the God of writing will support me in the completion of soulsmith! However, I am feeling pessimistically hopeful today and if you don't finish, which is understandable as you pump out books faster than any other author I read, I will go for the sixth time through Traveler's gate trilogy. Honestly, I don't know how you do it. Getting quality books out expediently that is. Generally, either it takes years to get books out, or authors get them out too quickly and the book is horrible. You are a gem Mr. Wight, and as stated on an earlier comment if you write it I will read it.

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