On plans for further YW books

[Diane Duane]

Let me just slip in briefly and put a few recently expressed concerns to rest.

(a) The YW series emphatically will not end with Wizards at War. One story arc which has been developing may reach something that looks like a conclusion during that book, but at least one other and possibly two others will open up.

(b) Believe me when I tell you that there are a lot of topics implicit in the structure of the YW universe that I've never had a chance to get near yet. I'm planning to take my time about this business. To that end, at least three more books in the series are planned after WAW; we have no contracts for them as yet, but I don't see that as being a problem under the present editorial "administration".

(c) My editor at Harcourt and I have still not come to a conclusion regarding what to do with the third book on the present contract (WH and WAW are the other two). It might be another Wizards book, it might be a book intended to start off an entirely new series; it might be something else entirely.

(d) I plan to keep writing YW books until I get tired of them, or otherwise get a sense I have nothing further to say in that venue. I'm nowhere near that point yet. So those of you who were concerned...relax.

-- DD

[This message was edited by Diane Duane on 20 July 2003 at 7:04.]

[WizardWolf]

If you don't mean that, I stay the same as I am now..
However, it's far more likely that you DO mean that, which means that I will probably either explode or rampage the universe for long-life+inspiration/continuation pills to mix in your morning coffee... (do you drink coffee?)

[Garrett Fitzgerald]

Oh, thanks, Wizardwolf. :-) I thought you were responding to a _new_ Diane post, not one predating WaW. :-)

*settles back and keeps waiting semi-patiently -- i can haz starlight?*

[KitRodriguez]

It might be another Wizards book, it might be a book intended to start off an entirely new series

My own personal preference would be for another wizard book, not that there's anything wrong with a new series but I can't get enough wizards books. I <3 Kit. I don't like finite series, I understand that the structure of some stories have to be that way but I disagree with the whole 'it can't be classical if it's never ending' 'all good series are finite' way of thinking.

So yay for more Wizard's novels.

[Kathy Li]

Sorry, everyone, it's been a while since I've done it--you know I have to do this periodically.

I would prefer it if DD took a break from YW to finish up the Song of Five (aka "the Door Books"). I mean, it's only been 17 years since the last one. (And you think you had a long wait for A Wizard of Mars).

[Garrett Fitzgerald]

Now, now, Kathy -- you and I worked on that bibliography together, you know it's The Tale of the Five. :-)

I've mentioned before that if I ever win a sufficiently large lottery jackpot (clear my debts, buy a house, send the girls through school, travel a bit, and still have enough left that I don't have to wonder for about 25 years if I can afford a trip to Borders), Diane is getting a large check so she can take the time to finish up old projects/generally write what she wants for a while, instead of needing to do what's going to keep her fed and housed. :-)

[Kathy Li]

Now, now, Kathy -- you and I worked on that bibliography together, you know it's The Tale of the Five. :-)

Hey, you can edit those FAQs, too, my fellow admin.

And I know what you mean about shoving money at DD--but... are you sure it would work? I mean that's essentially how Big Meow got resuscitated as a project and ... (duck).

[Trialia]

Well... Would it work if lots of us did it? 'Cause if I had more money, I totally would. :P

[Kathy Li]

Again, I point to The Big Meow. Which was supposed to be finished before Worldcon. Of 2006. I'm just saying, money good, but life still gets in the way. And, as someone else commented when discussing the whole George R.R. Martin ASoIaF thing (I'd use Neil Gaiman's now-famous tagline for this, but I'm not supposed to use bad language on this board ), "You rush a miracle man, you get rotten miracles."

If DD isn't moved to write it, and it's not coming naturally, chances are good, it's better unwritten. Much as I long for GRRM to be writing Avalon, if he needs to be doing his Seven Kingdoms stuff instead, that's what he needs to be doing.