Guess I’m going to San Diego Comic Con this year.

I thought I had my Con schedule all worked out for this summer, but in this fast-paced, jet-set world of mine things can change in an instant. (Yeah, right.)

So here are my latest (vague) plans. July 18-21 is SDCC. August 15-18 is GenCon in Indy. And I’m still hoping to get to World Fantasy Con in Brighton, UK at the end of October. As we get closer to each event I’ll post more info on any signings or talks or appearances I might be making. (Be sure to follow me on Twitter for the latest updates.)

Unfortunately, it looks like I won’t be attending DragonCon this year after all. Probably for the best – August was already pretty jam packed for me. That’s when I take my annual sojurn back to my Canadian homeland. (If you’re going to visit Canada, do it in July or August. Just trust me on this.)

Not a lot else to report right now. At least, not much I can talk about. We have an author blurb for Children of Fire from one of my personal favorites, though until it’s officially announced I can’t say anymore. But I’m very excited.

I’m also excited because we’re getting close to revealing the original cover art for the UK version of Children of Fire. That’s right – the US and UK versions will each have their own original cover art.

Okay, that’s about all for now. Gotta get back to work on The Scorched Earth, book two of the The Chaos Born trilogy. I’m not famous enough yet to leave you hanging for too long after Children of Fire hits the shelves.

Time for another update!

I’m in a great mood right now. My San Antonio Spurs look primed for a deep postseason run after sweeping the Lakers in round one of the NBA playoffs. And, more importantly, I recently received the Advance Reader Copies of Children of Fire.

Some of you may be wondering what an ARC copy is. Basically, it’s a not quite final version of a novel that is printed out and bound in trade paperback style with a non-descript cover: in this case a white and purple pattern with simple text. The ARC is sent out to reviewers and a handful of other folks by the publisher to get some advance buzz about an upcoming novel. You know how books will sometimes have quotes from other authors like, “Drew Karpyshyn is the future of epic fantasy”? Those quotes come from folks who’ve read the Advance Reader Copy.

An ARC isn’t the final version of a manuscript; there’s usually still a couple extra rounds of editing and proof-reading to go. But it’s close enough to give you a feel for the book. And as an author, it’s always cool to see your words in book form… even an ARC.

With the arrival of the Children of Fire ARC, I figure now might be a good time to go over my writing process. People ask about this all the time: how do you write your novels? Well, in this blog post I’m going to reveal all my secrets.

This isn’t going to be a blog about how to get published, or how to get an agent – check out my FAQ page for my stock answer to those questions. Fortunately, I don’t have to worry about that right now: I’m in a position where securing a publisher isn’t as difficult as writing the actual book. But I still think my methods might be helpful for others out there, even if you don’t have a publisher. Remember, to be a writer you actually have to write.

Okay, enough disclaimer. Here we go!

Step One – Start with an Idea
People often ask me where I get my ideas. I’m sorry, but that’s a question I can’t answer. I already have ideas. I have lots and lots of ideas. They just pop into my head at random times, sometimes inspired by something I read, see or hear; other times they seem to come from some mystical creative ether. When I get an idea, I add it to my idea file. That file is overflowing (digitally) with ideas – I’ll die long before I use them all up. And I’m constantly getting new ideas for the file.

The trick for me is to figure out what idea I’m going to work with next, and how I’m going to turn that idea into a full-fledged novel. So let’s take Children of Fire. The idea was simple – my version of an epic fantasy series. I’ve actually been playing with this idea for a long time, becuase as much as I love fantasy I always felt like there was a common, widespread flaw with the genre. It’s too slow; it takes too long for stuff to happen. So with Children of Fire I finally get to write a fantasy series that doesn’t have slow, boring chapters.

Step Two: Outline the Plot
Once I have the idea, my next step is to carefully outline the entire story, start to finish. A lot of writers don’t like to do this. They prefer to hash out their characters first, or they like to write and let the story take them to an ending they didn’t have planned out. I’m not saying this is wrong, but it doesn’t work for me. I find that a well constructed plot outline allows me to build in things like foreshadowing and twists, and as I work through the plot I start to get a better understanding for the characters.

This plot outline is pretty basic, but it contains all the events that will happen in the story. It’s usually 2-5 pages long. I don’t always stick exactly to the outline; sometimes I will change certain things as I go. But just having it as a reference helps, and I almost never change the ending I originally plan out.

Step Three: Chapter by Chapter Outline
After the basic plot outline, I start filling in the details. At this point, I’m going through the plot outline and imagining each chapter of the novel. This is where the characters really come to life for me, and where I get a real sense of the flow of the story.

I try to write 2-3 paragraphs detailing exactly what will happen in each chapter. What character is introduced? How does this chapter progress the plot? What are the cool moments that will happen?

During this stage, I often find that I’m missing certain chapters. Maybe I need something to explain or set up an event that comes later. Maybe I need another chapter to give a better sense of a character. Maybe I need to move some chapters around to make the story flow better.

For me, this is a “dry-run” for the book itself. The more details I put into the chapter by chapter outline, the easier it’s going to be for me when I actually start writing the book. This process usually ends up with a 15-20 page outline, and by the time I’m done you have a pretty good idea of what the book will look like.

Incidentally, when I’m doing work-for-hire, like Star Wars or Mass Effect novels, this is the stage where I get the final approval for my storyline. I’ll be in contact with an editor throughout the process, but when I get to this stage they can see everything that’s going to happen in the novel and give me any changes or concerns they have. It’s a lot easier than writing the book and then having to make a bunch of changes.

Step Four:  Write the Novel
Okay, now we get to the hard part. Planning out ideas and outlining the plot is fun; it’s creative and imaginative and I really enjoy it. Actually writing the book is a bitch. Writing is hard – it’s a long, exhausting process. Working from a detailed chapter by chapter outline helps, but actually writing a novel still sucks. This is where I fall behind.

In theory, it shouldn’t be that hard. My chapters tend to run 2,000 to 5,000 words in length. When I write, I like to spend about 2 hours at a time writing; I can usually get around 1,500 words done. So writing a chapter should only take 2 or 3 writing sessions. If I have 40 chapters, then it should only take about 100 writing sessions to finish – basically 200 hours of work. If I work 2 hours each night, 4 nights a week that’s 25 weeks to write a novel – basically six months from start to finish.

It sounds easy, right? Unfortunately, there’s always something more fun to do than sit down and write. I’ll watch a basketball game. I’ll go golfing. Go out for dinner. Go to a movie. Go to Vegas. Whatever. Inevitably, I realize that I’m way behind on my schedule, so I go into panic mode a few months before finish. Now I have to write every night to make up the lost time. Or maybe I need to start doing a 2 hour session in the morning and the evening. Maybe I need to take a weekend and just write 6 or 7 hours a day for a few days in a row.

I hate that this happens, but it ALWAYS happens. I’m a procrastinator, and I need the urgency of an approaching deadline to make me get off my ass and write. The good news is that I rarely have to rewrite stuff. Because I’ve planned it out in such detail, I have a very good idea of what I want to write. I call it “pre-writing”. By the time I actually get to a chapter, I’ve seen it in my head many times already. So I don’t have to worry about having to write it and then later throw it away.

Once I’m done with a writing session, I save the work and take a break. But when I come back for the next writing session, I’ll start by reviewing what I did last session. This is usually a quick review; it takes 20 or 30 minutes max. But it does give me a chance to smooth over what I’ve already written, and it gets me back into the flow.

Step Five: Editing and Stuff
Once the manuscript is complete, I like to give a final read. Mosly I’m looking for typos or other errors that jump out, but I’m also making sure everything flows properly. It’s easy to get lost in the writing process and lose touch with what the reader will experience. Fortunately, because of my outline, I find that my prose usually flows as I’d expected.

Then I send the manuscript off to my editor(s) in a digital format. At this point I’m done, at least for a while. I can take a break for a few weeks and relax. Eventually, however, the editors will finish their job and they’ll send the manuscript back to me.

At this initial editing stage, they’re looking more at structural issues: do the character motivations make sense? Does the action flow logically? Will readers understand and believe what’s happening? Is there anything that is confusing or awkward? They send me a digital version of the manuscript back, with all their notes, questions and suggestions. I’ll go through and review their comments. Sometimes I need to tweak something or rewrite it to make it more clear, or to make it work better. These changes are typically fairly minor, and I like to bang them out in a weekend.

After that, the book goes back for a copy-edit and proofread pass. This is where we’re trying to find all the typos and other silly errors that can pull readers out of the story.

Brief side note here. We work hard to find all the errors, but some still slip through. It happens. It will always happen. It cracks me up when I get e-mails from fans who point out errors and then offer to “fix” my next manuscript. Listen closely folks: every book ever printed will have errors! You are not so special that you will find every error. Just because you see something in the final version, it doesn’t mean you would have seen all the other errors that were there before.

It’s really just a numbers game. Children of Fire is about 150,000 words – that’s about 750,000 characters. Assume somebody is so brilliant that they can read those characters with a 99.9999% accuracy. (Nobody’s that good, by the way.) That still leaves about 75 potential errors in the manuscript: a misspelled word, a missing punctuation mark, whatever. Now add in a deadline and  add in a bunch of other manuscripts that need to be checked, and it’s IMPOSSIBLE for a book of any significant size to have zero errors when it comes off the printing press.

Step Six: More Editing and ARCs
After the editing is finished, the book is sent for a typesetting pass. This is where someone decides what font will be used, what size and how things will be broken up on the pages. They make what they call a “galley” – basically a physical copy of exactly how the book will be printed, with page numbers and everything. A copy of this galley is sent to me, and I go through it page by page making sure everything looks right. Meanwhile, various copyeditors and proofreaders are doing the same thing. This is the final chance for any edits, corrections or changes before it goes to the printer.

While we’re doing this, the publisher makes up the Advance Reader Copies to send out to reviewers, book sellers and other folks they want to involve in the process. The ARC is unproofed, and it doesn’t have any cover art. I wouldn’t call it a rough draft, though, because nothing substantial will change between the ARC and the final manuscript.

Step Seven: Ship It!
After all this, the book goes to the printer where it gets printed, bound and shipped to stores. If things go well, lots of people buy it and I get lots of money. If not… well, hopefully that won’t happen.

So, there you have it – idea to the shelf in seven (not so) easy steps. Hope you enjoyed this, and I’ll be back in a couple weeks with another update.

Go, Spurs, go!

Life is good!

It’s Masters weekend; the NBA playoffs are only a few days away (go, Spurs, go!) and I just got back from a Vegas trip where I actually made money! But, more importantly, it’s time for another blog update!

I was going to talk about my writing process this update: seems appropriate since I’m deep in the middle of writing The Scorched Earth, the second book in my Chaos Born trilogy. But I think I’ll save that for next time, because there’s lots of cool stuff I want to talk about this week.

The big news - the cover for Children of Fire has finally been revealed! Click on the link and you’ll not only see the artwork, but you’ll have a sneak preview of one of the chapters from the book. (For those who don’t know, Children of Fire is book one of my original fantasy trilogy, The Chaos Born.)

The flame-wielding fellow in the cover art is a wizard named Rexol – the most powerful Chaos mage in the Southlands. Rexol isn’t one of the eponymous Children of Fire, but he plays a pretty important role in the story. However, if you’re thinking he’s going to be the wise and kindly mentor who gently guides his apprentices towards a better understanding of magic and themselves, think again. That’s not his style. He’s arrogant, defiant, confrontational and selfish. Controlling Chaos is a dangerous business, and Rexol isn’t out there to make friends. People who get in his way… well, most of them aren’t around anymore.

The excerpt actually gives you a nice glimpse into his character, as well as highlighting some of the political tension that exists between a mage like Rexol and the Order, a group of fanatical monks dedicated to controlling and containing Chaos magic in the mortal realm. Read the official publisher’s jacket blurb if you want to know more about the story.

But the release of the cover isn’t the only thing that’s been going on. Over at Kotaku – one of the major video game news sites – they’ve been doing a Mass Effect retrospective all week. Lots of articles about the games, some good and some bad. However, there are two in particular that focus on me and some interviews I did. The first talks about my experiences with the original ME, the second has me talking about the potential pitfalls of a Mass Effect movie.

So, there it is. Hope you like the Children of Fire cover and the excerpt, and I hope you enjoy the Kotaku interviews. I’ll be back in a couple weeks to talk about how I take a novel from initial idea to finished product.

Time for another update!

I’ll be honest – I was hoping to have some cool cover art to show you on this update, but we aren’t quite there yet. We just finished the last round of comments and feedback with the artist, and I’m pretty excited about it, but unfortunately I won’t be able to give you a sneak peek yet. Hopefully next update.

But we do have some news that I can let out of the bag. As I’ve said many, many times, my next novel is going to be called Children of Fire. (Already taking preorders at Amazon and Barnes & Noble and on the Kindle.) But I never really had a name for the trilogy locked down. Until now.

So, I’m happy to announce that the trilogy will officially be called The Chaos Born. Which makes my next novel’s official title: The Chaos Born, Book One – Children of Fire. It’s a bit of a mouthful, but I like the sound of it. Really captures the classic epic fantasy feel.

So there it is: The Chaos Born trilogy. But most of the time I’ll still be referring to the specific novels by name: Book One – Children of Fire; Book Two – The Scorched Earth; Book Three – Chaos Unleashed. Probably not as cool for most of you as some awesome artwork, but at least there’s something for this update, right? And just in case you missed it last update, here’s the official publisher’s synopsis from the Random House website:

Speaking of things you might have missed, last week I hosted a live Ask Me Anything chat on Reddit. For those of you upset that you missed out on it, what can I say? I mentioned it a few times on my Twitter feed – that’s all I can do with stuff that comes together unexpectedly. (FYI – here’s a transcript of the AMA in a slightly easier to read format courtesy of the folks over at Rooqoo Depot.) 

I guess that’s mostly it for this update. And fair warning: the next couple months are going to be a bit sporadic for this blog. We’ve got friends and family visiting throughout the spring, and I’m squeezing in one more Vegas trip before my big push to finish The Scorched Earth and get it out to my editors.

But I’m very excited about what’s coming this summer. GenCon; DragonCon and the release of Children of Fire, Book One of the Chaos Born! (Yeah, I like how that sounds.)

Later.

Big news – we’re taking Children of Fire pre-orders now!

We still haven’t locked down the cover (though we’re getting close), but Amazon and Barnes & Noble are already taking pre-orders. (It’s already listed for Kindle, too.)

For those of you who don’t know, Children of Fire is the first book in my original fantasy trilogy. Right now, the trilogy is also called Children of Fire, which could get confusing since it’s also the name of the first book, but it worked for The Hunger Games, so I’m just going to leave it for now.

Most readers know me from my sci-fi books (or science fantasy in the case of Star Wars). But my first love has always been classic fantasy, and I’m thrilled to be able to return to it in a world totally of my own creation. I’ve updated my NOVELS page with a little more info about the book, but for those of you too busy (lazy?) to click on the links, here is the official publisher’s synopsis from the Random House website:

As we get closer to the release, I’m going to start doing more things to promote Children of Fire. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m targeting both GenCon in Indy and DragonCon in Atlanta this year. I’ve also joined Goodreads, though I’m still feeling my way around the site. I’ll probably do a couple giveaways or chats through it once I get more familiar with it, but for now you can go there to see my ratings for many of the books I’ve read – it should give you a feel for the kinds of things I like (and sometimes don’t like). I’m also trying to set up an Ask Me Anything on the Star Wars EU sub-Redditt  - I’ll be posting details on my Twitter account once this is a go.

Okay, one last thing before I go. We’re still taking sign-ups for the Lifelong Friends Charity Golf Tournament. If you live in the Austin area and you’re a golfer (or just an animal lover), I really hope you can come by on Wednesday, March 27th to help out a great cause.

Time for another update. Some more Children of Fire news, but first I want to talk about a charity golf tournament for a great cause.

My beautiful and overly compassionate wife, Jennifer, volunteers at Lifelong Friends, a privately funded, no-kill animal shelter. She’s also the organizer of this year’s annual Lifelong Friends Charity Golf Tournament. It’s a four person scramble event being held on Wednesday, March 27th at Tera Vista golf course in Round Rock, TX.

March is the perfect month to golf in Texas – lots of sun, temps in the low 80s. So, if you’re going to be in the Austin area and you love golf (like me), or you love animals (like my wife), then please register for the event. You can sign up as a full team, partial team or individual – we’ll make sure you get paired up with fun folks and we’ll do our best to balance out the skill level of the teams. Last year we had about 50 players, and we all had a great time. Hope to see you there!

Okay, that’s my good deed for the day. Now on to Children of Fire. Last month I announced the release dates for the UK and North America: September 5th and September 10th, respectively. But, as I said before, things change. There’s been so much anticipation and excitement over the novel that Random House Del Rey has decided to move the North American publishing date FORWARD to August 27th! You can see the official posting and jacket blurb on the Del Rey website.

You might notice that the new release date lands right between two major SFF convetions – GenCon in Indy on August 15-18 and DragonCon in Atlanta on August 30-September 2. Although I don’t have any official details yet, there’s a strong chance I’ll be showing up at both of these cons to promote Children of Fire, sign some books and meet with the fans. If things go well, we might even have copies of the book for sale right at the Del Rey booth on the show floor! As I get more info about my schedule, I’ll be sure to post it to my Twitter feed and here on my blog.

I’m also trying to put together a special contest where a few lucky fans will have a chance to win advance copies of Children of Fire before it officially goes on sale, but we’re still a couple weeks away from there. Again, once I have the details I’ll post them here and on my Twitter feed.

Besides the UK and North America, we’re also working on some foreign language release dates, but we still need to dot a few i’s and cross a few t’s before I can say much more. But it’s interesting to note that my Mass Effect novels have been translated into numerous languages: French, German, Polish, Chinese (simple character) and Spanish so far. It’s cool to see my work translated into other languages, but it’s presented me with a bit of a dilemma.

Whenever a foreign language edition comes out, the publisher usually sends me 5 or 6 copies. I always like to keep one for myself, and if I have a friend who speaks that particular language I’ll give a copy to him or her. (Mostly so they can read it and tell me how close it comes to the original – you’d be surprised at how much can get lost in translation.) But that still leaves me with several copies of a book in a language I can’t actually read. Right now they’re just taking up storage space in my house. What I need is to find something cool to do with them.

So I’m asking you, my fans, for suggestions. FYI: ”send a copy to me” is a TERRIBLE suggestion, so don’t bother. Remember, I started this blog by promoting a charity golf tournament, so let’s try to keep that theme going. I’m looking for a good cause that can make use of these books – maybe a library or school program for foreign language students? I don’t know… that’s why I need your help. So, if you have any bright ideas please send me an e-mail with the subject line FOREIGN TRANSLATIONS.

Okay, I guess that’s about it. For those of you that don’t follow my Twitter feed (or missed it because you follow TOO MANY people), I’ll leave you with a link to a short on-line interview I did with Starburst Magazine, and another one I did with Hollywood.com.

Drew

As promised, this update is going to be chock full of information about Children of Fire!

First, let me just say that I realize the update is a day late. But today is my Dad’s birthday, so by pushing things back one day I don’t have to buy him a present. (That’s how it works, right?)

Incidentally, my Dad’s birthday is the same day as Wayne Gretzky, the greatest hockey player of all time. Growing up in Edmonton, I had the pleasure of watching Gretzky during his Oiler years… maybe that’s why I don’t enjoy hockey anymore. I was spoiled by an era when goaltending equipment allowed each team to average 4-5 goals per game; now the average is about half that. There’s just not enough scoring for me anymore.

However, watching the Oilers play did inspire me to one of my first writing projects. It was called “Gretzky with the Puck”, a ten year old Canadian boy’s take on Casey with the Bat. It earned me an A in school, and my dad got Wayne Gretzky to sign the poem for me. I still have it somewhere. (FYI, unlike the original Casey at the Bat, in my version the home team wins.)

Okay, enough indulgent rambling about days of yore. Onto Children of Fire! I’m proud to say we finally have official release dates for both the UK version and the North American version. Originally the plan was to wait until the first and second books were done, then releasing them at the same time – probably in 2014. Well, things change.

I’m happy to officially announce that across the pond the book is being published by Del Rey, an imprint of eBury and Random House, on September 5, 2013. Here back home, the book is also being published by Del Rey/Random House on September 10, 2013. So why is it a few days earlier in the UK? I don’t know… time zones or something, I guess.

I’ve mentioned my agent, Ginger Clark over at Curtis Brown Ltd., before. But I want to give another shout-out to her for everything she’s done to help me get Children of Fire published. And she’s not done yet, folks! We’re in talks with several other publishers about a number of non-English versions; as Ginger closes these deals I’ll be making announcements about the foreign editions on my Twitter feed and on this website.

Ginger isn’t the only one I’ve been working with lately. I’ve had two great editors – Tricia Narwani in the US and Michael Rowley in the UK – helping make Children of Fire the best it can be.

Michael is an Englishman through and through – born in Liverpool, lives in Lancashire. He has a BA in English and History and an MA from Liverpool University in Science Fiction studies. He came to Del Rey UK in 2011, where he was editor on the just released Mark Hodder novel A Red Sun Also Rises.  

Tricia and I have actually worked together before; she was the editor on Mass Effect: Revelation and Mass Effect: Ascension. She’s also worked with authors such as Kevin Hearne, Peter V. Brett and Robert V.S. Redick.

As I’ve said before, Children of Fire is the first book in my own original fantasy series. The second book, The Scorched Earth, will be coming out in 2014. And Chaos Unleashed, the third novel, will probably be coming in 2015. Here’s the dust jacket summary for Children of Fire:

The Old Gods are dead, sacrificing themselves to create the Legacy: a magical barrier to protect the mortal world from the fires of Chaos and the legions of Slayer, the once mortal champion who dared to rebel against them. Now, after seven centuries, the Legacy is slowly crumbling. The Order, fanatically devoted servants of the Old Gods, seek to preserve the Legacy and thwart Slayer’s return by brutally stamping out the forces of magic and Chaos that seep into the mortal world. But Chaos cannot be controlled or contained. Across the scattered corners of the land four children are born of suffering and strife, each touched by one aspect of Slayer himself – wizard, warrior, prophet, king. Unaware of their true nature, the Children of Fire are hunted by both the religious zealots of the Order and the minions of Slayer. Cursed by their bloody, violent births, each must do whatever it takes to survive, unaware that one of them holds the key to restoring the Legacy… or to tearing it down.

I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again: authors hate giving the “elevator pitch” of their books. The things that make a novle unique are the characters, the details and the author’s style, and those don’t really come across in this kind of summary – it can make things sound a bit generic. If you like my other books, you’re going to like Children of Fire. 

Like most of my novels, Children of Fire has multiple POV characters, and the line between good and evil is frequently blurred. There’s a strong emphasis on action and moving the plot forward; I don’t spend a lot of time describing the elaborate feast at somebody’s hall, or detailing the trees and flowers as characters wander through the woods. And none of my characters will ever recite a poem from some lost and forgotten age. I know some fantasy fans enjoy that; maybe it draws them into the world. But I want to draw you in with compelling characters doing cool stuff; I want to keep the pace moving.

A common reaction to my novles from fans is, “I loved it, but it was too short”. I sort of take that as a compliment; it means I didn’t bog things down with anything unnecessary. Having said that, Children of Fire is much longer than any of my previous works. My Mass Effect books were roughly 80,000 words in length. My Star Wars novels were roughly 100,000. But Children of Fire is about 150,000 words. It’s still what I consider a tight, fast-paced book… there’s just a lot going on. In other words, you’re going to get your money’s worth.

Okay, I guess that’s about it for this update. I’m off to Vegas next week for the Super Bowl. Haven’t really picked a horse in this one yet; all the teams I cheer for have crashed and burned. Leaning towards the ‘Niners, I guess. Maybe being devoid of emotional investment means my pick is based on logic… or not.

Drew

Happy New Year! I’m off to a great start in 2013 – already a day late with my first update.

In my defense, I’m still fighting a wicked cold I brought home from Canada. Honestly, I don’t do well when I’m sick – I get grumpy and depressed and I sit around and watch bad TV instead of doing the things I should be doing like working out and writing.

So my plan for this weekend is to take it easy, watch some NFL games and hopefully by Monday I’ll finally be feeling well enough to start making a dent in 2013.

This year should be an interesting – and hopefully fun – one for me. 2012 was a good year. I did leave BioWare, stepping away from the best job I’ve ever had, but it was so I could move onto what I hope will be bigger and better things. I was lucky enough to find an agent and an editor who believed in me enough to give me a contract for Children of Fire, my original fantasy trilogy, and I finished the manuscript for the first book in the series. Now in 2013 I need to step it up another notch.

Like most of you, I have made some New Year’s resolutions. Like always, I’m vowing to get in better shape by working out more regularly and I’m planning on bringing my golf handicap down a few strokes. Those are the standard resolutions for the past decade, and progress has been minimal. This year, however, I have a couple other resolutions that are much more important.

First, I have to finish book two of my trilogy. I don’t want to be one of those authors who makes readers wait years between books; I want to buckle down and get the story written. The first book was easy to deliver on time; I’d been working on it off and on for several years, so most of it was done even before I signed my publishing contract. The second book, not so much. It still exists mostly as a rough outline, so I need to get off my ass and start working on it. The worst thing I could do would be to procrastinate and force myself to rush to meet a deadline.

Children of Fire, the first book in the trilogy, is probably the best thing I’ve ever written by a long shot. I’ve poured more of my heart and soul into this novel than anything I’ve worked on before. I’m not a mercenary gun for hire on this one – I *own* this story in a way I didn’t own my Star Wars or Mass Effect novels. I need to make sure the second book (The Scorched Earth) measures up. It’s a lot of pressure, but I think it’s a good kind of pressure.

My second resolution is also tied in with Children of Fire. When we release the first book, probably later this year, I obviously want it to do well. I know there are a lot of fans out there who enjoy my Star Wars and Mass Effect novels. But will I be able to draw them in to something else? I know if people read it, they’ll like it. But there are a lot of products out there competing for your entertainment dollar. You only have a limited amount of time. Sometimes it’s hard to bring people into something new. So I need to promote the hell out of Children of Fire to make sure as many people as possible know about it.

To accomplish this, I’m resolving to go to as many conventions and expos as possible this year to get the word out. Seems like spring and summer are the busiest times, so I anticipate doing a lot of traveling, a lot of talks and a lot of signing events. I’ll try to make sure these are posted here on the website well in advance, and I’ll also be mentioning them on my Twitter feed.

Speaking of my Twitter feed, that’s also where I tend to mention any interviews or stories about me that get posted on the web. I used to try and mention all those here in my blog, but I’m doing more and more of these, so it’s hard to keep track of what I’ve mentioned and when. I’ll still try to bring it up when I remember, but Twitter makes it so much easier because I can just post it right away. Twitter’s also a good way to keep in touch with the fans, though for some questions you need a longer answer, and in those cases I still think e-mailing me is a better way to go.

Okay, I guess that’s it. Sort of a rambling update, but as I mentioned before, I am sick, so cut me some slack.

Welcome to my last update of the year.

2012 was a pretty good year for me. Another novel cracked the New York Times bestseller list, as Star Wars: Annihilation made the hardcover list for December 2. It didn’t climb as high as Revan – which cracked the top 10 – but anytime one of my books makes the list I’m happy.

The reach and scope of the Star Wars universe continues to amaze me, as evidenced by this interview I did with Bastion, a Polish language website. Don’t worry if you don’t speak Polish; the link is to the original English version of the interview.

This year I also managed to get out to a number of conventions to do signings, panels and appearances, and I’m looking to do even more in 2013. (Along with a few more Vegas trips – going to be there for Super Bowl!) Interacting with the fans in person is always a great experience; it’s far more enjoyable than reading forum posts. It’s partly because people are much nicer in person, and partly because there’s an energy and excitement in the air when you go to an event with a large group of people with whom you share a common passion to bond over.

Of course, the biggest news of 2012 – at least from my perspective – was my decision to leave BioWare and pursue my own original projects. Fortunately, I was able to find an agent (the inestimable Ginger Clark) and an editor/publisher (Tricia Narwani over at Random House, who worked with me on my first two Mass Effect novels) who were willing to take a risk on my Children of Fire fantasy series.

It wasn’t easy walking away from BioWare, and I know a lot of fans are upset that I’ve turned my focus away from Mass Effect and Star Wars (for the time being). But I’ve been working sporadically on Children of Fire for more than a decade, so seeing it finally become reality is the fulfillment of all my childhood dreams. (Except for the part where I become a pro golfer… but one dream at a time, right?)

The first book – Children of Fire – is already written, and I’m in the early stages of book two, The Scorched Earth. We still don’t have an official publication date for the first book yet, but I’m hoping it will be sometime in 2013. And I’m happy to say that several publishers outside of North America are taking an interest in the series. I can’t reveal any of the details yet, but I can say that English is not the only language it will be published in.

As I’ve mentioned before, Children of Fire is classic fantasy. I hate making comparisons to other authors, because I like to think my work has it’s own style and feel. However, I don’t mind listing some of the major influences on my style. Of course you have Lord of the Rings, but I’ll be honest – it feels a bit “dated” to me. The pacing is a bit slow for my taste, and I think my writing more closely reflects the influence of Terry Brooks, David Eddings, George RR Martin and Guy Gavriel Kay.

Like most of my novels, Children of Fire has multiple POV characters, and the line between good and evil is frequently blurred. This isn’t a fairy tale with classic morality; things are messy and muddled. I also put a lot of emphasis on action and moving the plot along. My pet peeve with fantasy is chapter after chapter of wandering down the road, singing songs, looking at flowers and trees and describing every damn meal – I just want to get to the important stuff! (I’m an impatient reader, and I’ve been accused of being an impatient writer… but I am what I am.) I can promise you this – Children of Fire is never boring.

Great, you say, sounds awesome. Love your style. But what is the story actually about?

That’s a fair question, but I’ll answer with a caveat. I think most writers hate the “elevator pitch”. Taking an epic story and boiling it down to a few sentences always diminishes the details that make something memorable. Too often it makes things seem simplistic and derivative. But I understand that people want a brief summary to pique their interest. So, with the understanding that there is a lot more depth to both the story and the characters, here’s a brief “jacket blurb” for the first novel:

The Old Gods are dead, sacrificing themselves to create the Legacy: a magical barrier to protect the mortal world from the fires of Chaos and the legions of Slayer, the once mortal champion who dared to rebel against them. Now, after seven centuries, the Legacy is slowly crumbling. The Order, fanatically devoted servants of the Old Gods, seek to preserve the Legacy and thwart Slayer’s return by brutally stamping out the forces of magic and Chaos that seep into the mortal world. But Chaos cannot be controlled or contained. Across the scattered corners of the land four children are born of suffering and strife, each touched by one aspect of Slayer himself – wizard, warrior, prophet, king. Unaware of their true nature, the Children of Fire are hunted by both the religious zealots of the Order and the minions of Slayer. Cursed by their bloody, violent births, each must do whatever it takes to survive, unaware that one of them holds the key to restoring the Legacy… or to tearing it down.

So there it is; hopefully that teaser is enough to get your interest percolating. As I said before, the first book is already written and we’ve actually just started talking about the cover. We’re bouncing around some concepts, and Random House has picked out an artist… but I can’t really say anymore because nothing has been officially announced. However, as we go into 2013 I’m expecting to have numerous updates to keep you all hooked in.

Okay, I guess that’s it for me. I’ll be back after the holiday season, hopefully refreshed and rejuvenated… unless the Mayans are right.

Drew

Happy Thanksgiving! In keeping with the theme of the day, I’m thankful that Star Wars: Annihilation is on sale now! 

You can buy it by clicking on the links from my NOVELS page, or by clicking the links here for Kindle, Audio, or apple ibook formats and through Barnes and Noble in hardcover and Nook formats.

Actually, I have to be honest – Thanksgiving is not my favorite holiday. I’m not a big fan of turkey or the other traditional Turkey-day foods, despite appearances to the contrary. (If you see me in person it’s clear I shop at the hefty gentleman aisle in the clothing store.) For me, the carnivore ladder has three basic rungs: beef/pork > turkey/chicken > fish. So my stomach isn’t really thankful today.

I’m also not a big bargain shopper, so the Black Friday deals don’t fire me up. When I want something, I tend to buy it right away - I don’t like to wait. And I hate lines and crowds, so the appeal of bludgeoning my fellow consumers to save a few dollars on a TV just doesn’t cut it. So I guess I can’t be thankful for super shopping deals (though I hope lots of you decide today is a good day to buy my books).

I was hoping to have some news on how Annihilation was doing on the best-seller charts; maybe I could be thankful for that. But that information won’t be coming out until next week. It’s funny, because back when the first Darth Bane novel came out (2006) the best seller lists would show books within days of their release; much of the data was based on pre-orders and the number of units stores shipped into their inventory, rather than actual sales. But now, with so many sales being through on-line retailers and so many copies being sold digitally, the industry has shifted to reporting actual results instead of extrapolated assumptions. It’s a much better system, but it takes a little longer to get results. So I’ll be posting that info in my next update… though if you follow me on Twitter I will be posting best seller results as soon as I find out.

I do, however, have some reviews for Annihilation to be thankful for, along with some new interviews. Seems that people who like the book want to know more about me, and “me” is one of my favorite subjects. Knight’s Archive (interview) seemed to like the book, as did EU Cantina (interview), Fangirl Blog (interview) and Roqoo Depot (interview).  (In case you couldn’t figure it out, click on the name of the site to see the review, and “interview” in brackets after each site to see the respective interviews.)

As you’ll see from these reviews, a lot of people really enjoy Annihilation. Of coruse, like all my novels, there are critics and fans who don’t like the book for one reason or another. I’ve learned to accept that, though I wouldn’t say I’m thankful for it. Some people don’t like my writing style, some people don’t like my interpretation of pre-existing characters, and some people are just assholes who want to bitch and complain, and the internet gives them an audience.

Sometimes folks who don’t like my novels contact me through Twitter or e-mail to ask me questions or comment on my work. I don’t have a problem with that, and if they’re reasonable and respectful then I’ll try to respond. But here’s a tip – if you send me a Tweet or an e-mail and you’re just being a dick, I’m not going to bother responding. If your communication starts with “why did you ruin…” then I’m probably just going to delete it.

It’s amazing how people can be so rude on the internet, yet get offended when you don’t want to engage with them. Fortunately, this doesn’t seem to apply to the real world, as every fan I’ve ever met has been polite and reasonable, even if we disagree about things. So there’s another thing to be thankful for. (Maybe it’s because in real life people are worried about getting punched in the face. It’s almost like potential consequences make people think about their actions – what a concept!)

Okay, enough of my old-man rant about how shocked I am at the death of manners on the internet. Here’s an example of the internet actually doing some good. The folks over at g33kwatch are running another Mass Effect Marathon to raise money for charity, starting tonight and going through the Thanksgiving weekend. They’ve already got over $10,000, but they’re shooting for $30,000 – help them out if you can.

And that seems like a nice, positive thing I can truly be thankful for, so I’m going to sign off now. 

Drew