Jumping Off Cliffs

1872: De Lome's Airship

This week, we're getting back to the drafting of Folley & Mallory #4. It has a working title, but I'm not entirely thrilled with it, so we're giving it a number here and calling it good.

But where's #3, you may wonder -- and that's part of the thing. Most people aren't wondering. Folley and Mallory have a few devoted readers, but no one is exactly clamoring for more adventures. Rings of Anubis has gotten all of 36 reviews in the year it's been out, and well, that's not swell. We don't talk about failure much, do we?

It's certainly put a crimp in my desire to write it -- which is funny, because I love writing Folley and Mallory. I open up the file and everything just clicks. These two have always been a kind of magic for me, and I know that's a blessing. Plenty of things are harder for me to write -- like the next book that isn't Folley and Mallory, oi! We curse a lot at that book.

But, I think we writers like to know our words are going to be read. That they're going to be enjoyed and discovered again and again. Rings never took off. I was very lucky I had a publisher friend say "hey, I dig this, how can I help," and so the adventures can continue. Book #3, The Honey Mummy, will be out this winter, so you three who are waiting for it, rest assured.

In going forward, even though Folley and Mallory aren't hard to write, they're hard to write. The idea that no one is waiting of the work is a challenge all its own. And likely the reverse is true -- if there were hordes of people waiting, that would be another kind of challenge.

What's a writer to do?

I guess we fucking write.

What would I do if I didn't write?

. . .

I mean, it's what I'm good at. It's what I know. It's what I love. So it's what I do.

Opening the file was DAUNTING.

No one wants this, the brain bats whispered.

Shut it, Folley said as she leveled her pistol at the beasts.

The bats scattered.

As of today, I'm 40% through the drafting -- and it's a good, exciting, rollicking adventure. I believe in my heart you're going to love it.

If you haven't met Folley and Mallory yet, you can do that here.

And here.

And here.

Let's do this.

(Aaaaaiiieeeee it's fulla bats down here!)