Hi!

First, a little update. I’m going to write a post next week about my process for a book launch. There are a lot of great posts about this topic out there, but each one is a little different and I’m all about sharing info. After that post, this blog will likely go dark for a few weeks. To find out what’s going on during that time, visit my sister site matt-archer.com or click the link on top of the sidebar that says, “monster hunters, enter here.”

I’m coming to the end of a series…it’s both fantastic and scary. Matt Archer has been a huge part of my writing life since 2009, and now we’re closing that chapter. Does Matt get his HEA? You’ll have to read Redemption to find out. But what about me? That’s the question every writer has to ask when a big series closes out. Some decide to quit writing (Susanne Collins). Others branch into wildly different genres (J.K. Rowling). Others go on create one awesome series after another (Holly Black). This is the moment of possibility. It’s liberating…and terrifying.

Luckily for me, I have a couple things in queue. I’d shelved a few projects to finish Matt and I’m dusting those off. One in particular has my attention now. It’s something I wrote for my former agent, but reclaimed the rights to when we parted ways. I’ve always loved stories about what makes us human, and I’ve been drawn to shows like Battlestar Galactica, where the “artificials” seem more human than the humans around them.  Now I’m writing a story that examines that question. It’s a near-future SciFi that reimagines Pinocchio.  What makes a “real boy” really? Is it heart? Is it soul? Is it shared experiences? I’ve gotten the first manuscript drafted, but the last quarter needs a major overhaul, so I’m plotting a series to help me focus the direction. Still, it’s scary to be facing something brand new. Yes, I have the beginning of a story penned, but where does it go from here? Who are the characters? I know the characters in Matt’s world. But who are Lexa’s friends and enemies? That’s what I have to find out. I’m having some fun with it, but the nerves are there. Starting over…it’s hard.

How about you? Have you ever gone from one long term project to another? And how did you say goodbye to the old and hello to the new?