In sequels, tedious tangents, new and unneccessary characters, and disconnected themes sometimes spring up and seem to waste the writer’s, reader’s, and editor’s time. If these flaws were not a part of Book #1 of the Darkwind/sword/storm/dragon Saga, then the readers would seem to have a basis for complaint.

One of my fans pointed this out to me. It was like reading a breath of fresh air. FINALLY! Someone who gets it!

Thank you so much for your thoughts.

It seems like a lot of readers think their favorite authors owe them to finish that sequel or that next book. Writers don’t owe their readers anything, other than to just put out the best product they can on their own schedule.

I would never, ever, ever call out a writer for being too slow. Writing’s a different process for all and everyone moves at their own pace. You can’t hurry genius!

GRRM and Patrick Rothfuss and anyone else… just remember that quote above next time some whiner whines about how long it’s taking your next book to get published.

GRRM thought it was a trilogy when he started writing, four books when he was deep into the first book, and then six as he started writing the second book. He stuck to that into the struggle with the fourth volumel, and then allowed himself one more book to deal with the loss of the very important five year gap that he had intended from the time of the A Clash of Kings.

So in essence, the first four novels all exist because GRRM’s plans evolved. The very popular third novel would never have existed if he “stuck to an outline”, as so many now seem to urge in retrospect.

He’s now stuck to seven as his plan, in any case, even after the split of the fourth volume into two books. Could well be that he’ll have to add an eighth, but he seems to be doing his best not to have that happen.

Ashman, if it helps them write, authors can dance the Macarena naked to the tune of the Imperial March for all I care. Anything that doesn’t hurt other people unnecessarily seems fine to me.

“I find it very amusing that you assume there wasn’t careful planning. “Planning,” however, is not equal to “execution,” and things change in the actual writing.”

Oh, of course things can change midroute, though careful planning is realistic planning.

In the case of David Gerrold, I guess we can write that Chtorr thing off. A bit like X-Files: the real solution to the problem, if it existed, will never be revealed.

In the case of GRRM, I would at a guess have thought the original plan was three books (1. civil war, 2. dragons, 3. ice and fire cataclysm) and then it swole, for whatever reasons. Into something that for the last nine or ten years, alas but obviously, doesn’t seem to have enthused the author.

But it’s not like the basic structure of the story has been invalidated, it just seems like the road to getting to the end has been getting longer and longer. My advice to GRRM would thus be to make a new, simpler plan.

Very much appreciated!

Catchy, but not enough that I would buy it on a T-shirt.

No worries.

“This entire discourse is unique in my experience. I have never been able to contact any author so directly or immediately even when I have wanted to.”

Interesting; most authors I know at this point do, in fact, have a public e-mail address. Somewhat less commonly (but not uncommonly) they now also have blogs and Web sites which allow comment/communication. It’s entirely possible that it is now easier to communicate with authors than it’s ever been before. But even in the old days readers could still do it through regular mail or author appearances, etc. And of course there was never anything to stop readers (and critics) from talking about authors and their books, with each other or with an audience, of which the author was not presumed to be part of (but sometimes was).

Relating to me specifically, I should note that I’m not personally put out that much by pushy fans, partly because my own personality is of the “you get what I give you when I give it to you and if you don’t like it, tough luck” variety. It also helps I was a professional critic for a number of years and understand the process. But there are a fair number of authors who don’t possess such a thick skin, and have to balance the laudable goal of staying connected with readers/fans with the need to give themselves a bit of distance from some of the harsher (and sometimes unfair) criticism and fan expectation.

Also, you know, some of the fans who are being pushy might not realize how pushy they’re being. Thus the entry this comment thread’s related to.