Comments on: A Painful Calculus, or Should I Delay Publication by a Year?

By: blakecharlton

blakecharlton — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:42:38 +0000

[quote] just know Blake, that what ever you decide, you’re going to have people cheering you on. [/quote]

oh, i know it. in fact i just bought some pom-poms online. they’ll be showing up at your door in a few days thanks so much for the support!

By: Kei

Kei — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:52:49 +0000

[QUOTE]For what it’s worth, another consideration: every grad student I know hit a major wall at some point — either their brain needed a rest, or they got seriously physically sick (the body’s way of slowing us down?). Give yourself a little wiggle room if you possibly can, because the odds are really high that you’ll need it.[/QUOTE]

Great point~ just know Blake, that what ever you decide, you’re going to have people cheering you on.

By: Jess

Jess — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:01:52 +0000

This makes my head hurt. No idea what the right choice is.

For what it’s worth, another consideration: every grad student I know hit a major wall at some point — either their brain needed a rest, or they got seriously physically sick (the body’s way of slowing us down?). Give yourself a little wiggle room if you possibly can, because the odds are really high that you’ll need it.

By: blakecharlton

blakecharlton — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:12:16 +0000

Thank you sir, and a welcome back to you. I think you’re very wise about sticking to a decision about priorities (writing vs. medicine vs. sleep) and not looking back. But what someone else pointed out the other day, is that i’m probably obsessing a little too much about life three years hence when my life changes so radically from year to year. I’m guessing that over planning can be as dangerous as under planning.

By: Jack Kincaid

Jack Kincaid — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 16:20:36 +0000

In your situation, I would probably lean toward the off-and-on approach you mentioned. Probably. I’m not too intimate with having a life outside of composing fiction (in one form or another). Thus the allocation of time has never been an issue. My only advice would be: once you make a decision, do your best to stick to it. Otherwise, you might end up with future dilemmas. Of course, you might anyway, as life is inherently a complicated mess. Welcome back.

By: blakecharlton

blakecharlton — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 06:43:46 +0000

Thank you both for the support.

It’s funny about the need for books 1 and 2 to be within a year of each other. There are plenty of counter-examples (I’m sure Pat Rothfuss is about to be the next one), and yet, I still am wary of it.

I think it’s because when I read a debut novel, I’m not really ’sold’ on an author until I’ve seen the second attempt. Which is maybe not fair. A lot of writers and musicans I know worry about a “sophomore jinx”. As one friend put it “You have your whole life to write your first book, and only a year for the second.”

I’m not sure if Eragon was a counter-example or a special case: Paolini was only 14 when he started it (right?). I think we’re likely to give him a little extra time for that. And the fact that he was carried by a mainstream house that threw their full weight behind him might have helped also.

By: Kendall

Kendall — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 03:52:06 +0000

Knowing little about any of these topics, I hesitate to comment. But…as much as I’d like to read your debut novel, delaying may be best. Eragon aside, I feel that having books 1 & 2 not more than a year apart is good. A delay before book 3 isn’t as big a deal, IMHO. Just speaking as a reader.

But my head spun reading this post, so take with many grains of salt!

By: Kei

Kei — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 23:13:09 +0000

Ah, Blake, I wish I had some advice on the subject. Alas, I don’t but hope that whatever you decide leaves you with peace on the decision. That said, didn’t Eragon have 2 years before book 1 and book 2? Still greatly successful!