It would be great if you could write a bit more about that year of getting the book ready you mentioned. You create these characters and likely live with them in your mind deeply during the many months of writing. Then Memorial Day comes and it sounds like you switch to more of the mechanics of getting the book out. What does that involve in more detail? What do you do? What do others in the process do? If you've shared this sort of info previously, I must have missed it. Thanks for the weekly news letter.
I adore The Time has Come!!! I listened to both of them and both radically influenced my heart. I can’t wait to read your next one and love hearing about your process. Novel writing is a fascinating art. And I had NO TROUBLE following the 7 characters and still remember them almost a year later. ✨
I know there is scholarly debate about what Shakespeare meant by "shuffle off this mortal coil (or coyle)" and I am not a scholar. What do you think Shakespeare believed the meaning of "coyle" or "coil" was at the time he wrote it?
I dare not write Justices Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavenaugh, Roberts or Barrett about the meaning at the time it was written since they would make up "scholarship" claiming a definition of what they want it to mean now. You, however, have no motives for misinterpreting the term.
I imagine it--perhaps wrongly--as simple as the coil of a spring. You go down the coil? I guess one could shuffle down one! (I suppose I haven't thought about it as much as perhaps I should have.)
I'm actually in the middle of The Time Has Come, and it hasn't disappointed. I don't usually read novels, but this book has so many great, interesting characters. I just got to the part where the crazy guy with the iguana shows up at the club.
Enjoyed The Time Has Come and loved hearing you talk about it on the book tour in NYC. Actually gave a copy to a friend this morning! Looking forward to the next one.
I didn’t read a ton of books last year, but The Time Has Come was my favorite. I’ve gotten back into books since reading it. From the hints you’ve dropped, I anticipate that your untitled next project will be my favorite book of 2025.
It’s hard to explain, but I get super excited by posts like this. Maybe it’s the vicarious thrill, maybe it’s fondness for you, or maybe it’s selfishly knowing this project will entertain me next May and engage me until then. Whatever it is, I love the insight into your writing process and having a book to follow the production of. This has me really excited this morning.
I hope the meeting goes well and your title finds you!
I not only read your books, I read the books you recommend. I have not, however, listened to your podcast with Bernie of late for obvious reasons. Too depressing, too 2023. Keep the books coming Will-
Everyone thinks of Albini as the Surfer Rosa and In Utero guy…but he’s also the Magnolia Electric Co. and Low Guy! Glad to see your knowledge of 90’s/00’s indie is still as deep as usual.
Oh man, I saw them touring The Great Destroyer (their best album, Dave Fridmann is the anti-Steve Albini and god bless Low for using such disparate producers), and they played those songs totally stripped down through their stage monitors and the entire crowd had to be silent to hear them. Incredible.
Interesting that you have this particular system for writing books. I tend to take a month or so off after writing a book and then start in on the next one. I got off track when my sister died and have yet to write another word of that book. I instead started a whole new one. All my previous books (except a couple of kids books I did for a small press) have been genre novels I wrote under pen names. The latest one, The Trailer Park Rules, I wrote under my real name. It's a more serious work, about some people living in a trailer park, and it explores the themes of income inequality, memory, class and race. Reviews have been everything I could ever have dreamed of. I'm trying to get on top of all my other writing commitments to finish the previous manuscript (the last in a genre series) and then to get to the next book. I canceled Netflix and have gone back to reading just as many books as I can. I'm in my 50s and can't afford to waste however much life I've been given watching shitty TV! There are more books I want to read and write than I could finish if I lived another 100 years. My mom only lived to 50; my sister died in a wreck two years ago at 52. Read more, watch less!
Sometimes I dream of moving back to the SF Bay Area or New York, but Southern California does have its strong points.
It would be great if you could write a bit more about that year of getting the book ready you mentioned. You create these characters and likely live with them in your mind deeply during the many months of writing. Then Memorial Day comes and it sounds like you switch to more of the mechanics of getting the book out. What does that involve in more detail? What do you do? What do others in the process do? If you've shared this sort of info previously, I must have missed it. Thanks for the weekly news letter.
I'm sure I will get into this at some point ... but i gotta space out these navel-gazing bookwriting posts. I don't want to exhaust people!
I adore The Time has Come!!! I listened to both of them and both radically influenced my heart. I can’t wait to read your next one and love hearing about your process. Novel writing is a fascinating art. And I had NO TROUBLE following the 7 characters and still remember them almost a year later. ✨
This is nice to hear ... thank you!
I know there is scholarly debate about what Shakespeare meant by "shuffle off this mortal coil (or coyle)" and I am not a scholar. What do you think Shakespeare believed the meaning of "coyle" or "coil" was at the time he wrote it?
I dare not write Justices Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavenaugh, Roberts or Barrett about the meaning at the time it was written since they would make up "scholarship" claiming a definition of what they want it to mean now. You, however, have no motives for misinterpreting the term.
Thanks
I imagine it--perhaps wrongly--as simple as the coil of a spring. You go down the coil? I guess one could shuffle down one! (I suppose I haven't thought about it as much as perhaps I should have.)
I'm actually in the middle of The Time Has Come, and it hasn't disappointed. I don't usually read novels, but this book has so many great, interesting characters. I just got to the part where the crazy guy with the iguana shows up at the club.
Well, I hope it doesn't fall apart for you moving forward!
Not at all!
Finished it late last night and thought the ending was perfect. How Lucky is next, and looking forward to your new one for sure.
Great job.
Enjoyed The Time Has Come and loved hearing you talk about it on the book tour in NYC. Actually gave a copy to a friend this morning! Looking forward to the next one.
Yes! That was one of my favorite events on the tour. I'm gonna come back for the next one if they'll have me!
I didn’t read a ton of books last year, but The Time Has Come was my favorite. I’ve gotten back into books since reading it. From the hints you’ve dropped, I anticipate that your untitled next project will be my favorite book of 2025.
It’s hard to explain, but I get super excited by posts like this. Maybe it’s the vicarious thrill, maybe it’s fondness for you, or maybe it’s selfishly knowing this project will entertain me next May and engage me until then. Whatever it is, I love the insight into your writing process and having a book to follow the production of. This has me really excited this morning.
I hope the meeting goes well and your title finds you!
Thanks! (Also, keep reading more books!)
Dodger Stadium: sneaky old. The 3rd oldest park in MLB.
I always say that it feels like Bob Hope is mayor of the place.
I not only read your books, I read the books you recommend. I have not, however, listened to your podcast with Bernie of late for obvious reasons. Too depressing, too 2023. Keep the books coming Will-
Well, at least they won today.
No pressure but turn this thing around Goldy
Everyone thinks of Albini as the Surfer Rosa and In Utero guy…but he’s also the Magnolia Electric Co. and Low Guy! Glad to see your knowledge of 90’s/00’s indie is still as deep as usual.
I only got into Low after Mimi Parker died, much to my regret. I love them now.
Oh man, I saw them touring The Great Destroyer (their best album, Dave Fridmann is the anti-Steve Albini and god bless Low for using such disparate producers), and they played those songs totally stripped down through their stage monitors and the entire crowd had to be silent to hear them. Incredible.
Hey, thanks for sharing the Washington Post article. It was a hoot....and scary.
Ben Terris always writes super fun pieces like that.
I talked about my first trip to St. Louis (because the Mets were there) on "National League Town" (FF about 10 minutes): https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nationalleaguetown/episodes/Choose-Your-Saint-e2je616
GO KNICKSSSSSS!
Congrats on the new book, Will. I can't wait to read it!
You went to Dodger Stadium (jealous), and I went to Illinois Field. Illinois Baseball is fun! They really can hit the ball.
Go Dodgers! Go Illini!
Time 2 read some books — I’ve become old enough that my favorite blogger is now an accomplished novelist!
Well, I don't know about "accomplished." But they do get finished!
Interesting that you have this particular system for writing books. I tend to take a month or so off after writing a book and then start in on the next one. I got off track when my sister died and have yet to write another word of that book. I instead started a whole new one. All my previous books (except a couple of kids books I did for a small press) have been genre novels I wrote under pen names. The latest one, The Trailer Park Rules, I wrote under my real name. It's a more serious work, about some people living in a trailer park, and it explores the themes of income inequality, memory, class and race. Reviews have been everything I could ever have dreamed of. I'm trying to get on top of all my other writing commitments to finish the previous manuscript (the last in a genre series) and then to get to the next book. I canceled Netflix and have gone back to reading just as many books as I can. I'm in my 50s and can't afford to waste however much life I've been given watching shitty TV! There are more books I want to read and write than I could finish if I lived another 100 years. My mom only lived to 50; my sister died in a wreck two years ago at 52. Read more, watch less!
Thanks for sharing this, I love it. And good luck!