RDF/RSS Feed
Atom Feed
…But it’s fixed now and none of you will ever know why I had to dive back into Kings of the North, fix something, email my editor about it, have her point out what was wrong with the fix, fix it again….
This sort of error didn’t happen with the original Paks books because I wrote them all at once, no stopping until done, and thus could be sure that sequencing was straightforward throughout. (And also–one main POV character.) What happened was that something happened in the story that I thought (writing Kings) was offstage, but realized today (in III) had to be onstage, because a POV character was onsite and would have noticed and the event is onstage in III. POV could not have NOT noticed. That little event didn’t affect that POV’s actions through the rest of the book, but not mentioning it would have had at least a third of you asking “Why didn’t POV notice it…did this other thing (that didn’t happen) happen?”
Along with thread-pulling earlier, this is making III’s fabric lie flatter to be cut and shaped into the book you want. I hope. FWIW, III is behaving like a middle book, needing considerable combing and straightening to make its loose fringe threads line up with Kings‘ loose fringe threads. It would really like me to go on and writer IV, which is impossible (she says, eying the deadline for III.)
It’s a really, really good thing I found this today and not after I’d dealt with copy edits and the thing was typeset. Changes now are a nuisance but not a disaster.
Comment by Damiana — April 21, 2010 @ 4:57 pm
Hooray for editors who do more than run the story through spellcheck! A good editor is a writer’s best friend, even when said editor is telling you something you really don’t want to hear.
And I am filled with so much glee that there is so much more story waiting to be told that I am literally bouncing up and down in my seat. I would love to send your muse some good chocolate as a thank you!
Comment by Gustovcarl — April 21, 2010 @ 6:56 pm
If book 3 wants you to write book 4, go for it! I’d buy it.
Comment by chris hero — April 21, 2010 @ 10:34 pm
When Is Kings expected in a bookstore near me? Or anywhere?
Comment by elizabeth — April 22, 2010 @ 6:56 am
Next year. I don’t have an exact date, but I expect it will be about a year after Oath‘s release, so sometime in March. Release dates are somewhat fluid until next year’s catalogs are done.
Comment by elizabeth — April 22, 2010 @ 7:04 am
Good to know…but my editor has to buy the idea first…
Comment by Dave Ring — April 22, 2010 @ 9:19 am
I hope that sales of Oath are brisk enough to favorably resolve any uncertainty about a fourth volume. I know Palo Alto’s library had already ordered two copies when I recommended it, and the Peninsula library system, which serves several towns in southern San Mateo County, has six copies.
How well do library purchases predict general sales of a book?
Comment by Dave Ring — April 22, 2010 @ 9:29 am
Thinking further about library acquisitions, I wonder if there is a website that tracks new purchases (and their circulation status) at a strategic selection of library systems. Might be a good site for publishers to advertise on.
Comment by elizabeth — April 22, 2010 @ 10:02 am
Dave, I don’t know anything about library sales v. general sales…have no idea if more library sales implies more general sales, or just that the books circulate when libraries have them (which is the kind of thing librarians choose books by…how many patrons ask for them, and do they stay in circulation if in the collection?) I do know that circulation figures are used by library system managers to select books for purging–no record at all is kept of books read in the library (where I used to read a lot of books, in addition to the ones I checked out) , as public libraries are generally open-stack.
In the long run, I suspect that library demand presages eventual sales of some books (read in library, purchased later) but I don’t think anyone has a clue what the conversion ratio is.
Comment by Jim DeWitt — April 22, 2010 @ 11:37 am
I don’t think you can apply “stupid” to catching an error at this point. If you’ve read any of Christopher Tolkien’s compilations of his father’s work, you know Prof. Tolkien struggled mightily to keep his invented fantasy world self-consistent.
A realistic, self-consistent fantasy world is hard to write. I’ve tried. The traps of sloppiness (too many examples to mention), superficiality (again, too many examples) or losing the story in the detail (Robert Jordan) are all too real.
Paks’ world strikes a very nice balance. It reminds me, in a lot of ways, of Ursula LeGuin. And I can’t offer higher praise.
Comment by Kalita Benway — April 22, 2010 @ 6:16 pm
Hello from Spokane. I wanted to drop a note to say THANK YOU! for writing another Paks book. I bought it as soon as I saw it at my favorite indie bookstore. I’m already more than halfway through, and having a hard time putting it down. I’m so glad there’s going to be more Paks books. The wait is going to be difficult.
Comment by elizabeth — April 23, 2010 @ 3:10 pm
You’re welcome, Kalita. I wish I could write these books faster, but…just can’t.
Comment by Jonathan Schor — April 24, 2010 @ 5:47 pm
I don’t think writers are stupid. The act of creation of a story is quite difficult. Sometimes I am surprised that any stories get written at all.
I just finished listening to the recently released recording of Sheepfarmers Daughter – very well done. I look forward to the next too books. I also have the new one but will have to wait until I hear the next two.
And don’t worry about writing faster – you have to do the work.
Thanks again,
Jonathan
Comment by arthur Piantadosi — April 24, 2010 @ 7:31 pm
Personally, I was NEVER as into Le Guin as I was into the Deed. To my mind, at least, the Deed of Paksenarrion takes the post-Tolkien fantasy “Grand Crown” for the best fantasy. I don’t this to belittle Le Guin, i like her books, just not as much.
Comment by elizabeth — April 25, 2010 @ 8:58 pm
Thanks, Jonathan…hope the rest work for you, too.
Comment by elizabeth — April 25, 2010 @ 8:59 pm
Wow, Arthur, thanks.
Comment by Robin — April 26, 2010 @ 4:38 am
Elizabeth,
First I want to say thanks for returning my email and letting me know where I can keep up with all things Paks and her friends.
Secondly, I would think continuity between scenes, books and POV’s can be difficult to keep track of and properly flowing. Do you have a reader who’s only job is to help you maintain that continuity? Or do you just keep copious notes reminding you of everything.
As far as stupid goes, I don’t believe that what with everything you as the writer must keep track of you should be allowed “mistakes” if you will.
I think today I will be spending time in basement tracking down all my favorite books that I have packed away and reread them.
Comment by bonnie holmes — April 26, 2010 @ 1:05 pm
i pre-order oath of fealty but i still haven’t gotten it yet.my poor book store lady just shakes her head at me when i go in every day to see if it has come in.she said she will phone if not in by en of the month.
Comment by elizabeth — April 27, 2010 @ 6:38 am
Robin, I keep copious notes. The problem I had with the new group of books was the 20 year gap, which meant the carefully preserved notes weren’t where I thought they were. Or anywhere else I could find. I know I didn’t throw them out. But I had to reconstruct details from the existing books…which didn’t contain the background-background details, the stuff behind what’s on the page.
Comment by Daniel Glover — April 27, 2010 @ 7:27 am
Elizabeth,
I can sympathize. I know I’ve got a paper from high school (the best one I’ve ever written) that hasn’t left the house in the ten years since I’ve last moved but I can’t find it.
Putting it all into electronic form isn’t necessarily the solution either (magnetic tapes go bad, floppy drives were notorious, media becoming obsolete (Zip drives anyone?) not to mention the whole nature of electronic media–electrons migrate on their own if they aren’t fixed in place by opening the file with some kind of regularity. I still think that microfiche is among the best for long term storage. But it’s really clunky to create and read for the stuff we’re talking about here notes and other scribblings.
Comment by Gareth Griffiths — May 8, 2010 @ 8:48 am
Just finsihed Oath. Deed has been my most re-read book for a long time. Really look forward to watching more of the plot strands weave back together (or go their own way). Very impressed that you have re-entered the Paks universe so well. Doesn’t feel like such a long gap. Please go for it with IV if III proves to be a fertile child!
Pleasantly surprised (but slightly worried) that Oath appeared in paperback straight away here in the UK. Was worried that I’d have to wait ages (or pay the expensive price of hardback – which I would have been unable to resit). Hope it doesn’t mean the publisher was concerned about sales. Your books don’t seem to make the shelves as well here in the UK (usually buy them when I’m in the US).
Can’t wait to see Kings and III.
Comment by elizabeth — May 8, 2010 @ 9:04 am
Glad you’re enjoying it, Gareth. I think publishers worldwide are worried about both sales and production costs–a lot of writers, on the writer lists, have seen changes in how their work’s presented…trade PB instead of hardcover, delays in publication schedule, etc. Having Oath appear in paperback but on time was better than a delayed hardcover would’ve been, in my opinion.