About the schedule

I realize that I said I wasn't going to be dropping in on the forums, and I meant it. I really did! However, I happened to find myself sitting in a doctor's office reading things off my phone, and I checked the forums. And, lo and behold, there was a thread (which got itself snipped by Duckk in the fullness of time) about where the books are.

So, for those of you who missed it the first time around, I will summarize.

Current project: Uncompromising Honor, present word count approximately 185,000 words (Barregos just announced the Maya Sector's independence ), project delivery date, end of June. Current publication date, probably second half of 2018.

Current project: A Call to Vengeance, currently with Tom and Tim (who had to wait for me). Project delivery date Sometime Real Soon Now. Release date, March 2018.

Next project: the new Safehold book, starting 20-25 years after At the Sign of Triumph (with the discovery of the Lost Testament of Schueler). Projected delivery date, end of November. Publication date, probably second half of 2018.

Next next project: the second Sword of the South book. Project delivery date, first-quarter of 2018. No current projected publication date.

Next next next project (probably concurrent with the fantasy novel); sequel to A Call to Vengeance. (There are supposed to be at least four more books in this series.)

Hopefully, somewhere after this Python lump is out the door, Joelle and I will be looking at the next multiverse book, as well. We have two more, I think, under contract for that series.

Now, anyone who wants to make comments on my writing style, 2 D characters, etc., is certainly free to do so. It would appear to me that quite a few people disagree with those comments. I certainly do, and I hope that the projects I have in hand will be at least adequate.

For the record, I never said that Uncompromising would be the end of the Honorverse. I anticipate doing a lot more books in this literary universe. Some of the novels I want to write amount to backstory — Alfred Harrington's Marine career, for example. Others would explore threads I never got the chance to follow up on in the main arc. And others will probably continue with core characters from the current line of novels.

What I've said is that Uncompromising will pretty much wrap up my originally projected storyline that began with On Basilisk Station. In fact, it will wrap up the storyline that was supposed to begin after the OBS storyline per se ended with Honor's death in the Battle of Manticore and the negotiated peace which followed. The entire story line with the Solarian League and the Alignment was supposed to begin a couple of decades after her death in battle, but (as I'm sure I've said elsewhere) the collaborations with Eric screwed up my original timeline. Now, I'm not objecting, because, frankly, I always knew that killing Honor off would be a high risk move for the series and would cause me quite a lot of emotional pain after how long she and I have been together. I'm only saying that there was a certain amount of readjustment of storylines, and that I am now preparing to bring that readjusted storyline to the conclusion I had in mind from the beginning, modified by the fact that (so far, at least ) Honor is still alive.

I have no intention of shutting down anytime soon, folks. It does seem probable that I will reduce my output from 750,000-1,000,000 words a year to, maybe, 660,000 words a year and spend a little more time with my kids while I still have them at home and with my wife, who has a right to see me more than 90 minutes a day. And if that happens to mean that I get the amount of sleep I need, well, that's probably a good thing too.

I'm going to be around and writing for a long time yet, though. I'm not Jack Williamson. That being the case, don't expect any miracles, but barring something unforeseen, I anticipate at least another 15-20 years in front of the computer.

As Isaac Asimov once said, my greatest fear is that someday the publishers will figure out that I'd write whether they pay me or not. Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly, and David gotta spend some time sticking words down.

Thanks for the update.

Glad you decided to not work yourself to death to try meet your many commitments. We'll still be here when you get done writing and editing the books, take as long as you need to get it done.

And if the publishers ever try that trick, I suspect you could cut a deal with Amazon that would be mutually beneficial.

Thank you indeed for the update. I will try and be patient; I've got some non-fiction around here somewhere.

Look both ways before crossing the street and so forth

Aside from the Honorverse book, I'm eagerly awaiting the next Safehold installment. I wonder if the breakneck pace of technological improvement will continue during peacetime...assuming the decades after AtSoT were peaceful, of course. Diesel engines, large passenger steamers, and even passenger dirigibles?

Another 15 to 20 years? That means I have to live to nearly 100 to finish all the stories. Oh well, I'll try!

Cheers, John

runsforcelery wrote:I'm going to be around and writing for a long time yet, though. I'm not Jack Williamson. That being the case, don't expect any miracles, but barring something unforeseen, I anticipate at least another 15-20 years in front of the computer.

As Isaac Asimov once said, my greatest fear is that someday the publishers will figure out that I'd write whether they pay me or not. Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly, and David gotta spend some time sticking words down.

great to hear. really don't mind delays as long as you are well and planning to do what you must to stay that way.

looking forward to all those books you mentioned though if (i know it is a big IF) you could somewhere find the time to do a sequal to the Fury stuff, or maybe help John Ringo with a fifth Prince Roger book that would also be very super.

excellent, and excellent news on the schedule. i am looking forward to the travis books. other then the next honor book my biggest wish is awnsered in that we get the next Norfressa book sometime next year too. awesome man

runsforcelery wrote:Current project: Uncompromising Honor, present word count approximately 185,000 words (Barregos just announced the Maya Sector's independence ), project delivery date, end of June. Current publication date, probably second half of 2018.

so at 7000 words a day with 25 days left in june thats another 175000 with 185000 already in thats 360000. after edits and pass through thats a 285000 word book?
now this number seems low to me as i'm expecting a Jordan/Sanderson length tome to tie up the solarian situation. (dissolution, systems coming apart, new political units takign shape, the first of the Renaissance factors appearance on the galactic scale).

so i would expect the maya announcement to take place roughly 1/3rd of the way into the book which means that 100000 - 200000 words are still missing? so either word count per day is going up(please don't endanger your health david) or that mid to late july is more likely the delivery date to toni (at which point i feel like toni will lose 1 or 2 nights of sleep just reading and laughing at all us poor fans who have to wait for the xmas earc)

a question for others: Whats davids longest word count book? (i assume either multiverse or safehold will win that title)

AAC is the biggest physical book I have, and it's 300,269 works per MS word.

John Prigent wrote:Another 15 to 20 years? That means I have to live to nearly 100 to finish all the stories. Oh well, I'll try!

Cheers, John

runsforcelery wrote:I'm going to be around and writing for a long time yet, though. I'm not Jack Williamson. That being the case, don't expect any miracles, but barring something unforeseen, I anticipate at least another 15-20 years in front of the computer.

As Isaac Asimov once said, my greatest fear is that someday the publishers will figure out that I'd write whether they pay me or not. Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly, and David gotta spend some time sticking words down.

And it gives me all the more reason to keep going. As I wrote a long time(?) ago, Honor Harrington and her magnificent team were constant companions over the various times I lay in a hospital bed or went through chemo. I later discovered Bazell, Dahak, various princes and numerous other wonderful story lines.

And somewhere along the line you tickled MY muse ... and maybe one day I'll see if I can swindle a publisher into throwing a few crumbs my way.

I look forward to continuing this relationship.

Take care of yourself both for yourself and your family.

s/A fan.