Mirror Mirror Tracking on Butcher's official site!

[Lord Kinbote]

The "When's the Next Book?!!" slider for Twelve Months has been REPLACED by a slider for Mirror Mirror.  Wholly unexpected by me, notwithstanding his public pronouncement that he wants to be done with Mirror Mirror before the promo tour for Twelve Months.

As of this posting, it rests at 14%.

[Mira]

Don't think he has a choice, because his readers have anticipated this book for years now.  I don't think we would stand for a three or four year wait after Twelve Months for it.

[RobReece]

Also, in a recent video, his wife needs him to finish it before the new year I believe,  over a comment or discussion with a redditor?

[g33k]

Also, in a recent video, his wife needs him to finish it before the new year I believe,  over a comment or discussion with a redditor?

IIRC, she got annoyed with some cynical/sarcastic online commentator who was going on about the pace of Jim's writing / likelihood of a multi-year completion, so she said firmly that he'd be done this year... and now is urging him not to make her wrong.

[Mira]

IIRC, she got annoyed with some cynical/sarcastic online commentator who was going on about the pace of Jim's writing / likelihood of a multi-year completion, so she said firmly that he'd be done this year... and now is urging him not to make her wrong.

  Hope it doesn't screw up the quality of the book, these things tend to go at their own time.  But then again it might mean I will be able to finish the series before I die...

[g33k]

  Hope it doesn't screw up the quality of the book, these things tend to go at their own time.  But then again it might mean I will be able to finish the series before I die...  

It's the first time, I think, that Jim has been partnered in his life with another published author.  I suspect she'll have more experience of what an author actually needs, and be more-able to support him.  OTOH -- being a working author herself -- there's also some potential for her to draw off some of Jim's "writing mind" to support her.

I suspect we won't actually know how the time-and-attention flow works for Jim until we see several novels' output & timing (it may take that long for them to settle into their "new normal"): will he be on-pace for his prior best production rate?

I don't think we can hope for "novel-per-year," because these latest volumes are chonkier than the ones he was writing at that place (not counting first 3;(SF/FM/GP all published 2001, presumably because he was grinding away at writing while the first one was moving slowly through the agent/editor queue (as per an unproven author) rather than being given "nearly guaranteed NYT besteller" treatment/priority)... but the next ELEVEN novels were one per year(!) ... then blipping up to 1.5 years for SG; so 18 months per novel is my hope; but (alternating with Cinder Spires) that would be THREE years between DF novels   :_(

[Lord Kinbote]

It's the first time, I think, that Jim has been partnered in his life with another published author. 

IIRC, Butcher's first wife was a published author of romance novels.

[Fox]

It's the first time, I think, that Jim has been partnered in his life with another published author.  I suspect she'll have more experience of what an author actually needs, and be more-able to support him.  OTOH -- being a working author herself -- there's also some potential for her to draw off some of Jim's "writing mind" to support her.

I suspect we won't actually know how the time-and-attention flow works for Jim until we see several novels' output & timing (it may take that long for them to settle into their "new normal"): will he be on-pace for his prior best production rate?

I don't think we can hope for "novel-per-year," because these latest volumes are chonkier than the ones he was writing at that place (not counting first 3;(SF/FM/GP all published 2001, presumably because he was grinding away at writing while the first one was moving slowly through the agent/editor queue (as per an unproven author) rather than being given "nearly guaranteed NYT besteller" treatment/priority)... but the next ELEVEN novels were one per year(!) ... then blipping up to 1.5 years for SG; so 18 months per novel is my hope; but (alternating with Cinder Spires) that would be THREE years between DF novels   :_(

In fact it is not. I feel like we should avoid speculating on how JB’s personal relationships affect his writing timeline, beyond specific comments from the man himself.

 Also for a while JB was releasing two books, a Dresden Files and a Codex Alera, every year.


Regardless, I’m incredibly excited both for Twelve Months and Mirror Mirror. I can’t even remember when Jim started talking about Mirror Mirror at this point. Was it before Changes?

[Mira]

I don't think we can hope for "novel-per-year," because these latest volumes are chonkier than the ones he was writing at that place (not counting first 3;(SF/FM/GP all published 2001, presumably because he was grinding away at writing while the first one was moving slowly through the agent/editor queue (as per an unproven author) rather than being given "nearly guaranteed NYT besteller" treatment/priority)... but the next ELEVEN novels were one per year(!) ... then blipping up to 1.5 years for SG; so 18 months per novel is my hope; but (alternating with Cinder Spires) that would be THREE years between DF novels   :_(

She may help him keep on track, as in finish one series before he starts writing the next.  Though yes, many have enjoyed the other series that Jim has written during the past twenty years, part of the reason for the lags as long as five years between Dresden File books is he was writing other series, and in some cases more than one. 

[g33k]

... keep on track, as in finish one series before he starts writing the next ...

Jim has said that he often uses one series as a "break" from the other series; by the time he's finished one of the DF novels, he's kind of sick of writing Harry.  But if he writes in another universe, he comes back to the DF enthusiastic about it.

[Mira]

Jim has said that he often uses one series as a "break" from the other series; by the time he's finished one of the DF novels, he's kind of sick of writing Harry.  But if he writes in another universe, he comes back to the DF enthusiastic about it.

I can see that, however five years between books in a series that is over twenty books long is unfair to fans.  Maybe more isn't better?  Edit the number of books and finish the series sooner.

[g33k]

...  Maybe more isn't better?  Edit the number of books and finish the series sooner.

Given that BG was # 16 +1, taking the original 20vol series to 21...
and 12M is #18, taking it to 22...

I don't think Jim in heading in the direction you have suggested!

 

He went 15 novels without adding any "extras" and now we've had TWO.  There are 4 more to go before the BAT and I won't be surprised if there's another extra in there...   

It's gonna be so tragic for so many folks when it all finally wraps up after the BAT!
Whatever will we all find to complain about?
Which successful author shall we criticize for their writing habits?