New novel?
Done.
Like, just this second.
When will you get to read it?
Sometime in 2012, I would guess.
So now you have a reason to live. Through 2012, anyway.
What’s it about?
Fate. And destiny. And free will.
And lasers! And explosions! And space ships!
Man, it’s got everything.
Just you wait.
Ooh, I love everything!
Lasers and explosions and spaceships and destiny!?! Can’t wait. Congratulations on finishing, and on your fine car purchase as well.
Free will and a space ship. Who could ask for more?
Did you include a space ship shooting lasers just so your German Publisher will get the book cover correct and no other reason?
what, no bacon?
Jayowen:
It was a consideration, yes.
2012? I seem to recall something big happening at the end of that year. Hmm, oh … waitaminnit! Is your book going to cause the end of the world? I’m not saying that’s a dealbreaker, but it DOES put the pressure on, you know.
What? No kittens or puppies?
Crafty, very crafty. Schedule the book to come out just before the end of the world so that it’s the last thing we read. I tip my metaphorical hat to you sir.
@Tumbleweed – I’m just hoping that the book comes out before the world ends so I have something to read while everything falls apart. Perhaps I need to work on my “end of the world” priorities.
Cibngratulations!!!
Is it in the OMW universe or some other? Can’t wait!
Lasers and spaceships, huh? I can hardly wait to see the German cover!
A new OMW novel maybe? Or is the series complete with Zoe’s Tale?
Cool, hopefully I’ll have time to read it by then…
Yay, congratulations! Go, you!
Is “yay!” too short of a response?
Did you write and post this posting before or after you shipped the manuscript to the publisher?
Yay!
But John, now that you’ve put lasers and spaceships in it, your German publishers will be sure NOT to put that on the cover now . . .
Is this the novel that you were working on every day by attempting to get done 2k words? If so, when did you start and how’d you do in relation to your daily word count goal?
THIS is the moment I think about every day. The moment I can say, “It’s FINISHED!”
And lasers! And explosions! And space ships!
Man, it’s got everything.
I believe you! (Unlike some of your colleagues who are good with the lasers and explosions and spaceships, but who somehow don’t define “everything” to include “remotely believable female characters.”)
I am on Team Laser Spaceship Exploding Stuff 4 life. But with ladies in.
But John, now that you’ve put lasers and spaceships in it, your German publishers will be sure NOT to put that on the cover now . . .
You are giving away his cunning plan!!!!1!
Lasers, explosions, and space ships, oh my.
Congrats, Scalzi. Have a Coke Zero and a nice sunset on me.
Congratulations!
I can’t wait to read it! :)
Does this novel have a working title?
“Lasers?” … How quaint.
:D In non-jokeyness, congrats on finishing! Woo!
Congratulations, sir. Enjoy a Coke Zero. You’ve done a man’s work.
Question, though: Are you Clarkian or Heinleinian in your approach to rewrites?
Is it too early to preorder it on Amazon?
Nothing says “free will” like lasers. Not enough people recognize the importance of explosions in literature, thank you for including them.
Does it have cats and homosexuals? I like cats and homosexuals.
And Newfoundland. I like Newfoundland. A lot. Really. A lot.
Who is Will and why does he need freeing?
Seriously though, I can’t wait …
Doc Rocketscience:
Rewrites?
Bryan Sims:
Yes, it’s too early. There’s some other things what need to be done. Like letting my agent and publisher know it exists.
Hugh57:
It does have a working title but it’s spoilery, so I am likely to change it.
Congratulations!
Spaceships and lasers, huh? That’s cool. But does it pass Bechdel? I’ll read it either way, to be honest, but spaceships, lasers, and Bechdel is–well, Zoe’s Tale kind of rocked, is all I’m saying.
No sparkly vampires?
Well done! You’ve earned an afternoon off. Go play in a puddle.
Can you at least tell us if it is a stand alone book, part of a new series or part of an existing series. Please. Pretty please with bacon on top!
So is this done, done or first draft done, still need to fiddle with a few things but really, it’s 99% done?
genuinely curious in a craftsmanship sort of way. Curious how authors judge a work done.
No sparkly vampires?
You’re not from around here, are you?
And now I’ll be humming Free Will by Rush for the rest of the day.
Well, not the whole song — just the opening two lines, since that’s all I remember at this point.
But I’m sure that’ll be a small price to pay once I get to read the new book.
2012? can’t you push the release date to 2013 instead? I mean if it is released in 2012 then the Mayan Prophecies will have nothing to make them stop the apocalypse after they’ve finished reading it. If it is in 2013 then they’ll have to cancel the 2012 end-of-the-world because they will be waiting for the book the following year.
*wild applause* In a British sort of way, ‘cos I’m British.
Congratulations, John!
Can´t wait to find out about the title! Did you consider “Between the stars” or “War of the Clones” to annoy Heyne?
Well, I really am happy to read something new by you, even if it means waiting until 2012. I guess it will be worth the wait, and until then we will get Fuzzy Nation. Sounds good to me!
w00t! Now I’ll have something to read next year besides Brandon Sanderson’s great Wheel of Time wrapup.
I’m pleased to see that I’m not the only one who wanted to make a “foreign edition cover” joke.
Well done, Mr. Scalzi. I look forward to reading it.
Never before has my reason to live been primarily to find out whether I die. …Or perhaps, now that I think about it, it has always been thus.
Congrats on finishing the book! I hope Lt. Fischer managed to dodge the laser this time around.
Good for you, John.
Please tell me I made it in the cast of characters and I’m important.
Will bowls of hearty stew be served?
Congratulations! It’s always good to have another reason to live. That is one of those things where it never hurts to have overlapping projects.
Congratulations on finishing the novel!
“Fate. And destiny. And free will.
And lasers! And explosions! And space ships!”
You wrote a new Lensman novel? :-)
@ #48 Anonymous: The problem is that as you aren’t a named character you get killed as soon as the fighting starts ;-)
Also, yay on the new book!
Woo, and also hoo. First “The Wise Man’s Fear” appears in my mailbox, and now this. I am all atingle with SFnal happiness.
Three or four cheers.
Counting down the days…
Scalzi: “Rewrites?”
so… Heinlein, then.
That must feel GREAT! Good job hitting the finish line on this thing. Here is one person who will buy it the day it is released.
Yay!
Well, the world is supposed to end on December 21st, right? Of 2012. So as long as the book drops by the 20th I’ll have time to read it before the world ends.
But will it be available in my favorite ebook format?
KIDDING! John, put the mallet down… Oh lord, and the flamethowe…. AIEEE!!
(PS: Congrats)
Well done. And congratulations. May it turn out to be a bouncing baby bestseller!
free will, spaceships, lasers and explosions….
Sounds original ;-)
I didn’t see “laughs” on the list. Are there laughs? Please tell me there’s laughs!
Hm. This makes me wonder: do you generally get a contract for a book before you begin writing it, or write a book and then sell it?
It would be good if you could get it published before Worldcon, together with the paperback of Fuzzy nation. Then you could do some signings while sitting in front of the fire with a fork (That is what a toastmaster does isn’t it?). I’m hoping to come from England for the event.
I heard no mention of Cats, nor Cake.
Re to Sef – Sounds like John’s taken to doing stuff on spec (Fuzzy, this) rather than entirely pre-selling (most stuff since OMW). I like him having enough comfort and freedom to do that.
Given that John would probably sell 35,000 hardcovers of “The Annotated Doom-song Singalong with DVD including Jon and Wil sing the Doom Song”, it’s unlikely that a spec book won’t sell, but it is slightly more daring. His agent and the usual suspects at Tor might taunt him mercilessly for a day or so before buying it.
No bacon?
First, congrats.
Second, now that you have a an expanding number of Scalzi-verses from which to choose, to you find it harder or easier to come up with creative settings for your plots? Do ideas spring forth fully formed, or do you find you have to take an idea through the various ‘verses to see which, if any, fit?
And now you can sit down tomorrow and start the 2k-a-day habit on the next novel.
Okay, one hint, please? Does it revisit any characters from a previous story? Sheep?
Congrats!
::looks over at her own still-in-progress novel; hates Scalzi a little::
::gets over it::
::mostly::
But congrats!
It’s called War And Peace II: More War, Less Peace
You wrote a new Lensman novel? :-)
Don’t tease me, bro. That idea is just too awesome to contemplate.
Congrats and looking forward to reading it. And then my daughter will swipe it and I’ll never see it again! I assume…no stew?
Sorry to be the party-pooper, but to have this statement:
… followed by this statement …
Is. Just. Wrong!
I want it noooow!
(begins holding his breath… hoping the nice, blue shade will cause the book to be published faster…)
Er, good!? After completing my new novel in relative obscurity and living like a wei-guk hermit in the black carbon-covered mountains of South Korea, I actually NEEDED a reason to live. Black lungs just ain’t cool . . .
My day just improved by about 43%.
Duuuude! Congrats.
Woo! *attempts to start The Wave*
Free will, spaceships, and lasers!!!!!! Sounds great. Actually, it sounds so awesome that I fear the act of reading it will make my head explode in a fashion similar to that poor chap sitting next to Michael Ironside in SCANNERS.
Maybe your publisher can get Mr. Ironside to narrate the audiobook version?
Geez, we gotta wait till 2012? Yikes. Ah. I have a solution! John, Please meet Cory (whom you already know I’m sure). Cory has this wonderful tendency to read his stories on his podcast. Nah, it won’t hurt your sales. I’d buy all of your books anyway (as I do Cory’s too). I’m sure we all would, right everybody?
Of course, you’d have to have a podcast, or borrow Cory’s… Just what you need huh? Another thing to keep up with!
Is this the OMW novel where Anakin turns to the Dark Side and the screen goes black in mid-sentence while “Don’t Stop Believing” is playing in the background?
If so, belated spoiler alert.
Shway cool! Do the kids still say that? Did they say that?
Nice. Good work, Mr. Scalzi.
Here’s to hoping that it’s more God Engines stuff.
Ooh! I can’t wait to write a one star review for it!
Ditto N. K. Jemisin. Also, high five.
Congratulations!
Yay!
Could this novel possibly have an ICE SHARK in it?
[enter blackmail here] SeNd Me ArC oR IlL oNe StAr YoU oN aMaZoN! hAvE a NiCe DaY!
Imagine for a moment, Don LaFontaine introducing the movie adaptation of John’s latest book:
“In a world, where lasers cut up fate, destiny explodes and free will escapes in a space ship….”
I think a movie must be made of this book! ;-D
Congratulations, John.
Once more I eagerly anticipate the starkly incredible blazing incandescence of your space opus, Your Proximate Supremacy!
Hi John, really great news. Serious question: why will it take until 2012 to get it onto the shelves? +9 months seems like a long time between the end of the writing process and distribution. It may be perfectly normal of course, which is why I am curious. I work in videogames and the gap between a game ‘finalling’ and hitting the shelves is usually a couple of months…
Wait. Destiny AND free will???
Interesting. Very interesting.
Jon Rissik@92: When a game (or pretty much any software) goes final the testing and bug fixing has already been done. When an author finishes a book the testing and bug fixing (proofreading and editing) is just beginning. Plus paper just takes longer.
I hope you wrote it in 3d.
Hurray!
Now please, don’t let it be December 2012. Thank you.
I know the working title.
“Stew and You”.
So, Ursula Vernon blogged just today about the intense melancholy she feels whenever she finishes something. Do you get that? or do you feel relief?
What? No sharks?
Oh, well.
Seriously looking forward to it though.
I imagine there will be a purty Subterranean edition eventually too?
Deos it have blue sheep?