Giving birth (sort of)

That's about what it feels like to send my latest novel out into the world. (Yes, I know, I'm not a woman, so how the hell would I know what giving birth feels like? Hey - I have an imagination, and I'm not afraid to use it, OK?)

Maxwell Volume 3, 'Adapt And Overcome', went out to beta readers this morning. I've asked them to get back to me within a week, then I'll spend the next week to ten days fixing the problems they find. Meanwhile, Miss D. and I will write the cover blurb, then we'll get together with Oleg to prepare the cover.  I'll set up the template for the print version, and have everything ready to upload the corrected final edition as soon as it's ready.

Meanwhile, the 'pantser' fantasy novel is already over 13,000 words, and galloping along.  I'm deliberately not planning it at all, letting the words flow and seeing where they take me.  It's a completely new way for me to write, and as such a big challenge, but also a lot of fun.  It may turn into something publishable in due course. We'll see.  It's definitely going to be in the style of 'classic' fantasy, rather than urban-edgy or horror-nasty, and definitely not Dungeons-and-Dragons-interminably-going-on-forever-world-without-end.  Tolkien I'm not, but who knows?  I might turn out to be a literary Gollum, if I work at it!

I've already worked out the basic outline for Maxwell Volume 4. I'll kick that off during December, but at a less frenetic pace than this year's been so far.  I'm planning to publish three Maxwell novels next year, with the 'pantser' fantasy book as a possible fourth, but only if I can do that without working myself to the limit as I've done this year.  My health (mental, physical and spiritual) is more important than making like a humanoid word processor regurgitator.

Peter