So, the read-along has gotten derailed, in part because it’s a Home Truth that Writers need to Write, if they wanna get paid, and especially if they have a contract promising that they will get paid, if they do Thus and also So.
I have two books under contract, one due next year sometime, and it had become … rather important that I pick which one I was going to write next.
The two possibilities were! The fourth and final novel dealing with Jethri Gobelyn ven’Deelin, which is at this writing so late it was carried over from a previous contract, and what may perhaps be the final Padi yos’Galan book.
I was having a hard time choosing, frankly. Part of the problem was that, though I had been lead on (both iterations of) Balance of Trade, I had not been moved in the direction of writing anything else about Jethri.
Continuing the sub-series was Steve’s vision; he liked Jethri and his regard was returned, so I left them to it, and, during the spaces when Steve was lead on a Jethri book, wrote the Carousel series.
What this meant is that I had a … lack of confidence regarding my ability to wrap up Jethri’s adventures.
I had just come to Balance of Trade in the Liaden read-along, in fact, and decided, in the spirit of flipping a coin to step out of line and read Trade Secret and Fair Trade immediately thereafter.
I also read Ribbon Dance, to give Padi her chance.
Long story short, I came to the conclusion that I can work with Jethri, so the next book up is Trade Lanes, working out from the three novels, and building on the notes and drafts Steve left behind.
However satisfying it is to have made a decision and started to work, this process has truly scrambled the read-along from my end.
For those who are still checking in, I will be transcribing my notes for the Jethri books, and for the Crystal books, while picking up my own reading of the Universe with Fledgling.
Follow this link to introduction for Balance of Trade.