Update on Training to Love It 3
So February is almost gone, and as many of you have observed, there’s no book yet. I’ve also done a poor job of managing expectations, so I apologize for that.
Unfortunately, I won’t be able to make a February deadline for the next book in this series. I’ve had a few distractions come up, in addition to the fullness of my regular life. I will say that I’ve written over half of the book, and it’s one of my most ambitious to date. It’s also been one of the most difficult. I wrote a long time ago something about not doing sequels, and as I write this final book in the trilogy, I’m reminded of why that is.
Will this be the book that you’re expecting, reader? Probably not. Was the second book? Based on your reviews and your emails, for many of you, it was not. A fresh book with new characters is easy. We start with a blank canvas and zero expectations. I’m allowed to tell whatever story I want. With a follow-up, everyone has an idea of what they want, including myself. Worse, I’m tempted to start bending my narrative to meet the expectations of everyone. That would be a poisonous path to take. One of my guiding principals as an author is to not do that. I write for myself, and as soon as I stop doing that, I’m going to stop writing. I posted this years ago, but it’s worth mentioning again (not just to authors, but for anyone who strives to create):
If your work is filled with the hope and longing for applause, it’s no longer your work–the dependence on approval has corrupted it, turned it into a process where you are striving for ever more approval.
Who decides if your work is good? When you are at your best, you do. If the work doesn’t deliver on its purpose, if the pot you made leaks or the hammer you forged breaks, then you should learn to make a better one. But we don’t blame the nail for breaking the hammer or the water for leaking from the pot. They are part of the system, just as the market embracing your product is part of marketing.
So Training 3. It’s being worked on. I promise. It’s more than halfway there, and it’s rolling now. I’m putting everything I have into it because the story of Erin and Tom (and AJ) deserve it. To all of you chomping at the bit for the book, I ask for patience. It’ll arrive. There will be some surprises. And this story will finally be told in full.
As always, thanks for your support.
