Man I love you guys.
Now, you may have noticed that I removed the expected month of release from the episodes page, replacing them with the expected ‘season’ of release. The reason I made the change was because your comments made me realize that my desire to get the books out on time was causing me a lot of stress. Even worse, it was keeping me from rewriting things when I got better ideas simply because I didn’t want to miss a deadline. That’s not healthy for me, and it’s not good for the story. Furthermore, since the story has gotten bigger and more complex, there are so many more variables to track and deal with. This increase in variables makes it not only more complex to plot, but it gives me so much more to play with. The possibilities are friggin’ endless, and I want to explore them.
I’m still going to shoot for 3-4 months between episodes, however, from now on, they will be done when they are done. Part one needs to end in such a way that it blows everyone’s minds, including my own. I’m not going to pull that off by rushing to meet a deadline. So, the best I can promise is that part 1 WILL conclude this year.
Now, when I start part two, I’m going to write the first three episodes BEFORE I release the first one, so that I have a buffer built in. This will also allow me to get the audio version ready so that all formats can be released simultaneously. Doing this requires that I take a year break from releasing new episodes of the main saga. However, I will be releasing a book in the interim, set in a different time period. (A sort of ‘prequel’, if you will.) In addition, the netcasts (short stories that will investigate how the bio-digital plague ravaged the Earth and her core worlds) will continue to be released once per month during the break, ending when the first episode of part two begins.
Moving on.
Luckily, it is getting a bit easier to write. I have been carefully following a 30 min writing/15 min break. (I tried the dictation route, and it just didn’t work for me. I may try it again later.) During breaks I get up and move around. I bought a bike as well, and every other break I take it for a couple of laps around our neighborhood. I also alternate from my desk chair to my recliner (with a big ass monitor on the wall). All this helps keep my back from getting sore. I’ve also started using a recording of the background noise of the universe. (It’s what they used for the constant humming of the engines on Star Trek TNG.) This helps block out noise and keeps me “in the scene” as I write.
More importantly though, I’ve started playing the guitar again and using one of those hand/finger strength exercise devices. This seems to help reduce the finger/wrist pain. (That and a wrist brace at night.) I’ve also found that I can think about the story while I’m running scales on the guitar. (I’m a bit rusty and need the practice before I start jamming with my brother again.)
Anyway, thanks for all your support. I will try to post updates about what’s going on in the future.
Thanks,
Keep up the good work Ryk, we will wait with bated breath for each one. Thanks for an excellent series.
Hey, Ryk ~ no worries. Just getting done re-reading the entire series and i am about 1/2 done with episode 12. Keep the juice flowing, and great choice of rest period with the guitar… I’ll wait eagerly for your books… Take care, and keep on strumming (and the stories flowing)! If you need some different background music to unwind, let me know and can email you some of my guitar compositions. cheers!
Hello Ryk, this is my first post on the site. I’m a huge fan of the series and never had a reason to post. I saw you were struggling with hand and wrist pain, and said you were doing gripping exercises. Just thought I’d pass along what I have learned about wrist and hand pain. I am a master automotive technician and a bass guitar player. I have used grippers for a while and never got much relief, so I Googled it and learned it’s all about balance. You have to exercise opening your hand under resistance as well. I use 5 or 6 rubber bands around my thumb and fingers and open them as far as I can. I have found this to provide a lot of relief. It’s all about a balance.
I hope this helps you out, and keep up the amazing work.
Thanks,
Tom
Tom: Thanks for the tip. Most of my problems are in the base of my left thumb. By the end of the day, I can barely move it. I tried the rubber band thing last night. It caused a lot of pain in that same location, so I think you’re on to something. I’m going to add that movement to my evening ‘hand’ workout.
Thanks,
Ryk
Ryk, to be successful you have to be true to yourself, so if the pace you describe works for you it works for you and we’ll wait, speaking for myself alone, I’d take quality over speed.
However, to be a bit of a Devils Advocate, be careful! I always found deadlines to be helpful in achieving my goals. There is a saying in manufacturing “it is time to shoot the engineer” Meaning a designer can tweak things forever and there is always an improvement that can be designed in.
There are a lot of advantages to self publishing but an advantage to the old style is you and a publisher agreed on a deadline. I wrote several books under the old style and having deadlines helped. Could I have written “better” books? Yes but I could take years to write a “better book”
Good luck
Mike
Hi Ryk, I like your writing and your stories, keep up the good work. In regards to the trouble you are having with your finger and wrists, you might try checking out the exercises on this youtube video. I don’t know if it will help you with your specific problems, but it seems to have helped a number of other people with somewhat similar issues. Hope it helps. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUyMNyrOHJQ
“Perfection” is for the naïve. Caution, OK, but we have heard of “Paralysis by Analysis” 🙂
We would be still planning for the amphibious landings on the Normandy Beaches, . . . yes?
Ryk,
I appreciate this Log Entry immensely. I have posted a few times in the forums that I would wait a year if that is what it takes you to bring us these excellent books. No ticker, no exact or approximate release date. This is good for you and also for us. I am totally engaged in the saga no matter what, so I will patiently wait and more importantly -for me at least- with no anxiety. Quality is a good thing, it takes time sn effort but at the end it is worth the wait.
I use Jean Michael Jarre’s electronic music for the same purpose, when I am head-down to get an assignment done.
Glad you are finding a system that works for you. Best wishes.
So it’s been a while since I have visited the site and I must say after reading your log, I’m so f*&^%$g excited!! The netcast and prequel have me excited and the year break, well you deserve it so enjoy it. Go flying and enjoy your self, just make sure you land it properly!
Enjoy Ryk and bask in the glory that your mind has created for all of us.
Will
New audio book listener and just want to say thanks for a great series! Up to book 7 so far and can’t put them down. Gonna suck when you finish the series. This needs to be a series like SG1 or Next Generation. It could keep going and going and going. I don’t think I’d ever get enough. This would be great to make a video game that followed the series events. I’d buy every one of them.
Love your work. Also want to say if it was your decision to have Jeffrey Kafer as your narrator! He has really make it a great audio series. So I thank you both and look forward to the rest of the books. Great work!
Hey Ryk, Great series , I chewed thru them all in the last couple of months and look forward to the new ones in the future!!
Now for my 2 cents on the guitar thingy,, as I dont know your guitar ability I will generalize….Throw the friggin finger exerciser out the window,,,cause more harm than good in my opinion (great for young kids). You wont build calluses on the finger tips with an exerciser,nor will you gain any muscle memory from it, as it pertains to the fretboard. If your having issues with finger strength consider putting lighter gauge strings on instead until you acclimate. You need to stretch the hands/fingers/wrist prior to practicing/playing , just like an athlete before exercising.If you feel pain while playing,,STOP. Be mindful of how much tension is in your fingers/hands/arms/shoulders/etc…and make an effort to relax those points of tension. If your thumb is bothering you , rethink your grip and or playing style for a bit till you get back into the swing of things…chords might be a better choice than scales for now depending on your hand positioning.
Anyways that is my .02.
Have fun with the guitar and make some music!!
Take your time Ryk remember the old saying measure twice cut once best to get it right the first time we can wait
Anyone alive out there? I login to this site almost everyday hoping to get an update but this site does not seem to be alive anymore. I hope Ryk didn’t burnout before the end of the first series….and there are 2 more series to go!
I have saved up all my pennies to purchase the next book and it is burning a hole in my pocket. If I don’t hear from someone soon, I will take all those pennies and buy a lunch at my favorite Indian restaurant. With my luck, that is when the next book will be released.
Lots of us are alive around here. Ryk included. Check out the forums from time to time. There’s new posts every day. Lately there’s been a lot of activity as people are coming out of the woodwork looking for #13.
It will come out when it is ready. Die-hards like me check the site compulsively, but I will buy it whenever it comes out.
Quality takes time. One thing you do not need is pressure. Then, Quality suffers.
Best….Richard Franchi
I have been a huge Star Trek fan since 1966. The frontier series rivals anything i have even seen or read. The series is by far the best and if anyone in holleywood had half a brain they would make them into movies or even a series on TV. I have enjoyed every book and wait impietently for the next to come out. Keep up the great work and look forward to the next book.
Ron A