The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers
Any news on Peace Talks
pcpoet:
I speculated in the past that the delay in Butchers writing war games had to do with the divorce and how may years his ex would share in profits from the books. I think that is the reason for the delay.
g33k:
--- Quote from: pcpoet on December 01, 2019, 09:21:41 AM --- I speculated in the past that the delay in Butchers writing war games had to do with the divorce and how may years his ex would share in profits from the books. I think that is the reason for the delay.
--- End quote ---
I presume you mean Skin Game not "war games." ;D
But far, FAR more happened to him than just the divorce. Including the lack of any "room of ones own" for writing in. It's really, REALLY not the case that writers can just sit down and be equally productive in all circumstances; it's not like being a sales-clerk or an bookkeeper or etc; creatives are profoundly impacted by their internal state. Mr. Butcher reports (with, I think, some surprise) that the editors and readers don't seem to be able to tell the difference between inspired-Jim (who just got shagged by his muse), and pedestrian-Jim (whose muse seems to be deleting his voicemails without even listening) ... BUT that his productivity goes down to about 1/4 inspired-Jim's daily wordcount.
Add in the fact that Aeronaut's Windlass is also somewhere in there, alongside the tons of disruption in his life, I don't think you need any extra motivation (such as trying to stick a knife in the Ex) for him to delay.
But this is, really, none of our business; and we can think whatever we want but I seriously doubt that anybody's guesses will be confirmed by anyone who actually knows. So if someone wants to allege that Jim was actually abducted by Greys and spent the time touring the habitable planets of TRAPPIST-1... well, I guess that's a theory to consider alongside the other unprovables...
pcpoet:
I meant to say peace talks. I don't know why I said war games …though that would be a cool title.
spiritofair:
--- Quote from: g33k on December 02, 2019, 12:37:53 AM ---I presume you mean Skin Game not "war games." ;D
But far, FAR more happened to him than just the divorce. Including the lack of any "room of ones own" for writing in. It's really, REALLY not the case that writers can just sit down and be equally productive in all circumstances; it's not like being a sales-clerk or an bookkeeper or etc; creatives are profoundly impacted by their internal state. Mr. Butcher reports (with, I think, some surprise) that the editors and readers don't seem to be able to tell the difference between inspired-Jim (who just got shagged by his muse), and pedestrian-Jim (whose muse seems to be deleting his voicemails without even listening) ... BUT that his productivity goes down to about 1/4 inspired-Jim's daily wordcount.
Add in the fact that Aeronaut's Windlass is also somewhere in there, alongside the tons of disruption in his life, I don't think you need any extra motivation (such as trying to stick a knife in the Ex) for him to delay.
But this is, really, none of our business; and we can think whatever we want but I seriously doubt that anybody's guesses will be confirmed by anyone who actually knows. So if someone wants to allege that Jim was actually abducted by Greys and spent the time touring the habitable planets of TRAPPIST-1... well, I guess that's a theory to consider alongside the other unprovables...
--- End quote ---
While it definitely is not of our business, surely, over the course of several years, someone can find a place where they are comfortable to write. I bet his publisher would even help pay for an office space, an extra apartment, comfortable decor, whatever.
I love his books, but I've never bought this "lack of writing space" excuse.
g33k:
--- Quote from: spiritofair on December 03, 2019, 07:29:24 PM --- While it definitely is not of our business, surely, over the course of several years, someone can find a place where they are comfortable to write. I bet his publisher would even help pay for an office space, an extra apartment, comfortable decor, whatever.
I love his books, but I've never bought this "lack of writing space" excuse.
--- End quote ---
Except it's not just "lack of writing space" -- although that's a Real Thing, and it matters (N.B. he DID have a writing space. It just wasn't his space (the same way a rented office wouldn't be); rolling out of bed in the undies to get a critical, dream-inspired hour of work in, from 2:45-3:45am? Not in a rented office! Blasting Ride of the Valkyries at feel-it-in-your-bones volume, to write a scene with Gard? Not in a rented office! Etc... ) .
Yes, spaces can be had, but (as I understand his situation) he was more or less expecting his (own) new space to be completed "within a short while" for at least a couple of YEARS (bad contractor), the actual "need" for a separate office/whatever wasn't really clear for a long time.
But even so, such temporary spaces are not the same, and not likely to be an equally-productive space.
And the book DID get written; just less-productively than we (and he, I presume!) would want.
But -- in addition to the "room of ones own" -- his marriage ended, his dog died, he found new love and got RE-married ...
Someone can go work retail, or a bunch of other jobs, largely without regard to their "internal state." They may have a spate of late-arrivals, their productivity may dip a bit, from a crying-jag or situational depression. But basically, they grind on.
A creative worker is a bit more limited; their productivity is profoundly impacted by their "internal state." Mr. Butcher has stated that he can and does "grind on," just v--e--r--y s--o--w--l--y (and so we got the book after an unexpected delay).
I... kind of don't see why anyone would expect anything else, given his circumstances?
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