I’ve just wrapped the first draft of Century of Sand 3. This is the longest it’s ever taken me to write a book. The first draft of God Factory took six months. The first draft of CoS1 took eight. Nine years, though? To be fair, I started CoS3 while I was still drafting CoS1. The whole trilogy formed as a whole, and I wrote the final, final scene of CoS3 (in an embryonic form) some time in early 2008, before I even knew the main character’s names. Even so. Nine years is a long time to sit in one world. I don’t know if CoS3 is any good yet. If it’s anything like CoS1 and 2, it’ll take a couple more drafts (and a couple more years) before it’s passable. But it’s DONE, damn it. It’s finally done. I have something I can hold. Feels good, man.