Since The Ancient Chronicle came out, I’ve been sorting out what my next project will be. I have the next book in the Postdiluvian series more or less mapped out (in my head), and I started working on it, but I have not gotten far on it yet. Instead, I have a very different idea for a book, and I quickly wrote a nearly-complete first draft.

I started revisions several times, but the theming never seemed quite right. I suspect that to an outside observer, the correct course for the story might be obvious. Maybe from the inside of the project I can’t see it. It’s frustrating to see a book or a movie have a flaw that you think should have been obvious to the writers. I just want to be sure this book does not suffer from the same thing.

The problem centers around the motivations of the main character. There really wasn’t a problem with defining what she wanted and what her goals were, but they did not seem to match with what was happening in the story: indeed, the book began with her having just achieved her current goal. Where does she go from there? Well, the story forced her in one direction, but I didn’t think it was clear why she would choose that path. I had an idea recently how to fix it, but it would require more rewrites. I’m currently reevaluating.

Add to this that recently I have been finding it difficult to write. There’s hardly a need to reiterate that it’s been a difficult year, and like many have pointed out, having more time doesn’t necessarily translate to increased productivity, especially during a time of trouble. As such, it may be a while longer before this new project is complete.

But it is my hope that it will be worth the wait.