Middle third of ForgeIt is 2017. And, as you all already know, Forge did not come out this last summer. And I have been silent. My silence is a choice I made, and that’s on me.The first draft of Forge is written. It clocks in at just under 250,000 words. Just shy of a quarter million. That is almost twice the length of Shatter.This book is much longer than I anticipated.This book took me the longest any book has ever taken me to draft.This book has required a lot of me.Most first drafts take me anywhere from three weeks (at my fastest) to five months (my previous slowest). It has never taken me over a year to write a completed draft. But this book has been different for a lot of reason. This past year has been different for a lot of reasons. I have been different for a lot of reasons.You may think me closed off and non-communicative, but I’m not in a place where I’m comfortable to talk about the things that have happened. Just know, that this last year has been challenging for me. I did not want to miss my deadline. I did not want to let you down. I wanted to be able to hand you something when I posted next.I wanted to have an estimated release time frame for Forge when I announced. I kept working and working and hoping. I had hoped to have it in July. Then July became August became September became—Well, you get the idea. Said 240+ notecardsBut I don’t have anything except a finished draft and hundreds (literally hundreds) of scene notecards covering my basement floor that I’m trying to weave into something book shaped.I care about this book.I care about finishing this story.I care that you care.I’ve just not been in a super good headspace, so I’ve stayed away, kept my head down, kept doing the work, and kept silent. Because admitting that I’d let you, my readers, down was very painful for me to face.But, here I am.The book isn’t done. But the book isn’t abandoned.Here’s what I can promise. The book exists. I will finish this book. I can’t tell you when yet. But know that I will keep working at it until it is done.I will update you on my progress.
I’m sorry that I can’t promise more than that. I’m trying to take care of myself and keep my head above water.