Cowardice and Sequels
The second book in my series, The Unfinished Song: Taboo
, launches today. It's all about being brave enough to break rules if those rules are wrong. Which makes it especially ironic for me to make this admission: I'm a complete coward.I wait with trepidation to see if anyone will buy the sequel, and if they buy it, if anyone will like it. It's ridiculous, I'm sure, but I'm really terrified no one will. What if they people who read Book 1, Initiate
, and hate book two? Also, in this book, more than the first, I edge ever so gently toward more controversial subjects. (Book 3, Sacrifice, will be the real dousy, though.) It's all very well to tell myself I will remain true to my artistic vision no matter what anyone else says, but then I am faced with real reader reaction, and I can't help shaking.Like I said, I'm a big coward.
It's so much easier to write when you are unpublished and don't have to worry about whether anyone will actually like it.
It's deadly to a writer to fret over what people think, or try to anticipate it. (You can't, anyway.) Some readers, even if they don't like every last bit about the book, will like enough that they will trust me to take the rest of the journey down the road to the concluding volume. Some readers will fall by the wayside. I have to hope that I can more eager readers as more books come out, not lose them, but there's not any guarantee. I have to be true to the story, even if I am afraid.
If you see someone stumbling around on a road, moving forward even as she has her hands over her eyes, that's me, going ahead with the revisions on the next book, Sacrifice, which is due out at the end of May.
Comments
I forgot to ask, but how many books are planned in the Unfinished Song series ? I seem to remember 3, but also have understood (from one of your comment in Conmergence) that it may be part of a greater scheme ?
BTW congrats on the Conmergence Short Stories Collection. I QUITE like that insight and explanation you added for each Short Story in there.
“I’ll tell you what bravery really is. Bravery is just the determination to do a job that you
know has to be done.” -Audie Murphy
If that's the way the books need to be written, then that's it, and there's nobody else qualified to decide but you. :)
Since you're actually publishing at the moment, your fear is twice as great as mine! This series sounds like awesomesauce, though, so I'm sure it will be great. I can't wait to read it!
Personally, I really like it. I was so pumped about the new release I bought TABOO this morning, already reading the first couple of chapters. It's perfect how you putbthe names of the speaker as a subtitle, this makes it much easier for me to follow all the characters.
I'm excited to read the rest of this book. I have one book ahead of this one. When I'm done with it, I will devote my commute reading time to TABOO. I'll let you know when I'm done and will post the review to my blog.
Ps next week I will feature TABOO as one of the books "in my mailbox".
Well said. If someone is breaking rules and they're not at least a bit scared, they're probably just unaware of what they're doing. Keep it up!
"It's deadly to a writer to fret over what people think, or try to anticipate it."
I wonder when I'll really realize this and get over what others think. It's been a rocky journey so far.
I bought your book. Can't wait to read it! I have such a long list to get through. Ugh.