Unexpected Sequels
So my newest book, PSYCH 101: ZOMBIE is now out (yay happy dance).
But writing a sequel to PLAN B: ZOMBIE was most definitely not on my writing to-do list after PBZ came out. In fact, I was quite adamantly sure that, after having published three books in the previous six months, I deserved a nice break to plan out my next year, including events I wanted to attend. In-between events, I thought I'd spend some time, finally, working on several long-term writing projects that I'd pushed aside while feverishly writing DEPTHS OF PERCEPTION and finishing PBZ.
But what I want and what comes out on the page are not often the same thing.
In this case, there were more zombie stories wanting to come out, because I kept thinking, zombie reform would probably produce some internal mental issues from the stresses associated with controlling an appetite that exists for brains. So when I started writing, a few scant weeks after PBZ came out, another zombie story rolled out - or rather, another twelve zombie stories.
This time around, however, all the stories wanted out at the same time while a huge part of me wanted a break from satire and a return to dark fantasy or sci-fi. So I decided to start all of them. At once. I opened twelve new Word docs and wrote anywhere from 100-500 words for each one. Then I had to finish them, had to follow a new deadline, had to let the characters breed and breathe their way out of my head.
So despite having started the sci-fi/fantasy mash-up, the biographical play, and the three fantasy epics I'd already started, I worked instead on my zom-com sequel, P1Z - what?!
But here it is, out at last, and I'm incredibly thankful that I listened to the characters, to the movements of my fingers as I typed satire, farce, and tongue-in-cheek silliness instead of robot takeovers, the beginning of the world, dragon awakenings, and mage families. Because looking at both books side by side, I know I made the right choice. Those other stories are still sitting, somewhat less patiently in my head, but they will come, too. And I'll translate their broken thoughts and shattered dreams soon enough.
In the meantime, I get to laugh at zombies, and hopefully you will, too.
And you know, that's not such a bad way to start off 2014.
But writing a sequel to PLAN B: ZOMBIE was most definitely not on my writing to-do list after PBZ came out. In fact, I was quite adamantly sure that, after having published three books in the previous six months, I deserved a nice break to plan out my next year, including events I wanted to attend. In-between events, I thought I'd spend some time, finally, working on several long-term writing projects that I'd pushed aside while feverishly writing DEPTHS OF PERCEPTION and finishing PBZ.
But what I want and what comes out on the page are not often the same thing.
In this case, there were more zombie stories wanting to come out, because I kept thinking, zombie reform would probably produce some internal mental issues from the stresses associated with controlling an appetite that exists for brains. So when I started writing, a few scant weeks after PBZ came out, another zombie story rolled out - or rather, another twelve zombie stories.
This time around, however, all the stories wanted out at the same time while a huge part of me wanted a break from satire and a return to dark fantasy or sci-fi. So I decided to start all of them. At once. I opened twelve new Word docs and wrote anywhere from 100-500 words for each one. Then I had to finish them, had to follow a new deadline, had to let the characters breed and breathe their way out of my head.
So despite having started the sci-fi/fantasy mash-up, the biographical play, and the three fantasy epics I'd already started, I worked instead on my zom-com sequel, P1Z - what?!
But here it is, out at last, and I'm incredibly thankful that I listened to the characters, to the movements of my fingers as I typed satire, farce, and tongue-in-cheek silliness instead of robot takeovers, the beginning of the world, dragon awakenings, and mage families. Because looking at both books side by side, I know I made the right choice. Those other stories are still sitting, somewhat less patiently in my head, but they will come, too. And I'll translate their broken thoughts and shattered dreams soon enough.
In the meantime, I get to laugh at zombies, and hopefully you will, too.
And you know, that's not such a bad way to start off 2014.
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