I just sent the manuscript for my third novel to my agent. Unlike both The Vaults and Scorch City, I haven't had anyone else read it before sending it to him. In large part this was just a time issue as I finished the draft just in time to send it off. It's always a bit nervewracking waiting while the first person reads a new manuscript. No matter how happy you are with what you have, there is always that nagging worry that it's not as good as you think it is or that it won't make sense to anyone else. It's nice to get that first reaction out of the way so you can just relax and work on revisions.

A lot of people ask me if writing the third book was "easier" than the first or second.  The quick answer is — no. Not at all. I've definitely learned a lot with each book that I've written, but I think the effect has been to make my writing better, not easier. Parts of the third book were more challenging to write than anything in the first two, but my feeling is that the result is (or I should say, will be) something I wouldn't have been able to write two years ago.

I'm really looking forward to someday meeting someone who finds writing novels to be easy. I would love to find out their secret.

Originally posted on June 7, 2010