Important Delving News

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Okay, gather 'round kids. There's something that old dad's gotta tell you. You might not like it, but I'm going to try and convince you that it's for your own good. Ready?

Here's the deal: In looking over the manuscript for the final Delving book, Delving: Culminations, I found that it didn't really live up to what I'd envisioned for the end of the series. I found that it didn't fully explore the key characters out to their ends, and that it didn't do justice properly to the series as a whole. I don't know about you, but I found that I didn't want Delving to end in a sort of sub-par manner. I didn't want to release a half-assed book.

To that end, I contacted Stone Garden and came up with a plan "b" - which I think is pretty great.

Here it is: Instead of releasing a not so great final Delving book in June, we're going to release the dark fantasy western that was supposed to come out sometime next year. This way, you still get a Falkner book this summer, and I get more time to completely rewrite Delving: Culminations, in the process making it something I'm proud to release, and making it something that you'll be stoked to read.

I understand that many of you were highly anticipating the final chapter of Delving, and for the delay, I apologize. This is completely my own undertaking, and all of the blame falls on me. However, I stress that I really do feel like giving the novel some more time is in both my, and the readers', best interest.

Calvin Dyer and the Reatian Horde is best classified as a dark fantasy western... something a bit off the beaten path--and yet wholly consistent with the stuff that I like to read. We'll have a lot more info about this particular book in just a bit, and if you've liked anything I've written in the past, I'm certain you'll dig this one as well.

Again, I'm truly sorry for the delay of Delving's concluding volume, but I promise it'll be worth the wait.

Thanks for your patience.
sff

The Big Nominal Update

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Hey friends. It's been a while since I've done an all-encompassing sort of update on what's going down in Scott F. Falkner World(s), so...

These sorts of things are kinda fun for you (I hope) as you can kind of see what I've been up to, what I'm currently up to, and what I plan on being up to soon. They're also good for me as I can sort of focus in on what I'm doing myself, as when you start shifting through as many projects as I tend to do, it can often get confusing as to what comes next - or even worse, I feel like the "on-deck" projects are just awash at the other end of my desk, waiting to crash over the top of me. Not a cool feeling.

So, here's a list of what's out, what's coming, and what might be coming after that. After all, the upcoming stuff is always subject to change depending on the whim of the Creator... (that being me):

First up, I'd like to refer to Exile: The Collected Helman Graff, which came out last January, ('09). I feel like "Exile" got a bit swept under the rug in terms of promotion and exposure, which is in large part my fault, another part timing, and altogether too bad. This was my first short story collection, as well as the first one of my books to be illustrated. Nathan Fehlauer's artwork in the book is amazing, and in my estimation worthy of the cover price in and of itself. As the title indicates, the stories are all linked through the character of Helman Graff - a sort of modern day Abraham Van Helsing. The book is naturally linked to my dark fantasy Delving series, yet, I've heard from several people who haven't read the Delving series who have read "Exile", and they've enjoyed it enormously. At any rate, if you haven't checked it out, I implore you to do so. A good review of the book can be found at Horrorworld by following this LINK. (scroll down six reviews)

Next up is Delving: Culminations. This book is scheduled to be released this June and will wrap up all things Delving and Helman Graff related. I'm putting the finishing touches on this one right now... with mixed emotions. The Delving series has taken up several early years in my writing career, and that's both a good and a bad thing. Good because I think it's a good story and it really allows me to flex my horrific, fantastical, and adventurous muscles. Bad, because it's a long story that's kept me from doing other things. I don't want to put too much of a downer twist on it, because I'm still very energized with the story. I loved the way that things spun around in Delving: Assassins, and hooking up things (albeit loosely) with the Graff collection has been fun. But, it'll also be nice to put the Graff family saga behind me... at least for a while.

Once Delving: Culminations is released, the time for short stories, comics, artwork, and signings will begin.

Since there wasn't really a "proper" signing tour - or tour at all - done for "Exile..." I want to focus on getting out and meeting you guys in person this summer. Tomorrow I'll be announcing a May signing for Northern Wisconsin, but I'd also like to get to the rest of the state and some neighboring ones as well. There's going to be a big push for signing/reading dates this summer, so keep and eye out for when I'm coming near you so you can swing by and say hi. (btw: if you're a midwest area bookseller and you'd like to set up a signing, email us through the website. If you're located anywere else, and you're willing to sport for 1st Class airfare and lodging... oh, who am I kidding? Give me a heads up and point me to the nearest freight train. I'll figure it out.)

Getting published early in my career meant that I didn't get to really cut my chops a whole lot in the short fiction markets. I feel like I kinda missed out on competing for spots in the major horror and science fiction periodicals, and I know there are several anthologies that I would love to be a part of . Short fiction is going to be key this summer.

Also, I'll be focusing on art this summer. I can't remember how long it's been since I did an oil painting, and that's not cool at all. I'd like to randomly shoot through five or six before Halloween if possible, but I'm not going to hamstring myself with a timeline or a number. I'm just going to make a point to do more art.

Between the shorts and the artwork, I'm also going to be focusing on what will be referred to as the "Demon Comic". I'm going to write a script for a comic book for the first time, and see if it's worth pursuing further. I'm a little loathe to reveal too much about this one as that whole superstition shadow tickles the hair above my ear when I do.

All right, the next novel-length book I'll be writing will be a horror novel - and beyond that, It'll be a post-apocalyptic novel. That's right, it's the end of the world and I'm writing the words. God, being a God is Grand. I'll be starting this book in the Fall - specifically I'm not sure of a date or even a month. I'll start when it feels right. I'm gonna go a bit slower than usual on this one as I'm writing it for a specific, larger publisher, and will be writing with their criteria in mind. Other than those tidbits, mum's the word.

Intending to spend the entire winter on that Horror novel, springtime will allow for work on someting that's been on my backburner for far too long. Spring, 2010 will be when I finish writing my YA Fantasy novel, "Netherwood." I think about this book often, and I think the end of winter will be a lovely time to write it.

Next summer brings us to another Horror novel that's been waiting on deck for far too long. Wellsprung, a title that probably won't stick, has several chapters already finished. There's some more research I'd like to do on this particular book before completing it, research that I hope to finish this summer in the form of a week-long vacation at a local resort...

Beyond that, as far as new stuff goes, there's a few more ideas in the hopper, but I've got some time to flesh them out.

ALSO, in 2010, Calvin Dyer and the Reatian Horde, a dark-fantasy western novella of mine will be released by Stone Garden. I'm not sure where in the year that one will come, but it will be in 2010. I'll let you know as soon as I find out.

I feel like I'm missing something...

AH! Yes. I'm hoping to get a FalknerCast up and running as soon as "Delving: Culminations" is completely wrapped. "What's a FalknerCast?" you ask? hahahahahaha. You'll have to wait and see.

As I said before, all of these plans are subject to review, rejection, admonition, appreciation, and termination. But they do offer a blueprint of where I "think" I'm headed.

Cheers.
sff

Do You Want To Be A Writer... Or Do You Want A Life?

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"Do you want to be a writer... or do you want a life?"

It's a good question, and entirely valid, especially when you have a wife, three kids, two cats, and a dog who would all very much like some attention paid to them even when you've got a book deadline that seems highly unattainable.

I recently read a book for my book gang called Freakonomics. In one section of the book, the author(s) wrote about how being a crack dealer is sort of a "tournament" job: Other tournament jobs are Professional Athlete, Rock Star, Actor, and of course, Writer. What does that mean? A tournament job means that most likely you're making next to nothing (financially) or you're making everything. (And yes, there are exceptions. There are bar bands that make okay money on weekends, there are stock actors who perform in localized theater that do okay, and yes, there are midlist writers that do okay as well - but I'm not speaking to the exceptions. I'm speaking to the general rules of the "tournament".)

A tournament job runs in the following way: One starts out in the lowest possible position and exhibits their talent/prowess at the given profession. Through a multitude of factors that include savvy, sticktuitiveness, and lots of luck, certain "players" are noticed, and move slowly up the ladder. The goal for all of these "players" is to eventually hit that highest echelon of the given profession: (ie. Crack God, Major League player with a Major League Contract, a Rock Star playing Arenas and touring the world, or, knock on wood, the likes of Patricia Cornwell, J.K. Rowling, Steve King, or John Grisham). But what about regular jobs? You have to start at the bottom and work your way up in any profession, right? Yes, that's true, but the thing about tournament jobs is that there are no guarantees. There's nothing that says just because your last book was pretty good that anyone will buy your next one. There's nothing that says that just because you "show up" and do the work, that you'll get paid. In other words, the "job" is based on faith - faith in your own abilities. Faith through passion. Faith that the whole thing will work out.

From someone standing outside of the tournament lifestyle, that faith can be a hard thing to get on board with. When the money isn't what one would hope, attitudes echoing "move on with your life" can become the norm... and that can be a hard thing to hear. However, it is my belief that a real Writer sees that as one more obstacle that must be overcome in the tournament. A real Writer believes that the stories must be told, whether they are read by ten people or ten million. And so, a real Writer Writes... the critics, personal, public, and private alike, be damned.

I've consistently attempted to buck the trends when it comes to having it all, the family, the career, the whole nine yards. I've been warned that it would be difficult, and warned that it would be impossible - but I've lived my life accepting the possibility of the impossible, and I don't intend to stop now.

"CULMINATION" INFO

Her presence regained, Marissa Graff has found herself more powerful than ever.

As Delving: Culminations begins, we find her systematically slaughtering the Rogues at the behest of the Delving Council.

In return for her service, the Council has promised to search for Marissa's exiled father, Helman Graff.

The surviving Rogues also search for Helman, hoping that his discovery will bring an end to the Council's tyranny over the Delving Tradition once and for all.

But once found, who will Helman side with...

...his own daughter or the resistance?

A monumental struggle between good and evil.
The ultimate confrontation between father and daughter.

The very existence of the Delving World hangs in the balance as Scott F. Falkner's epic saga culminates in this final volume of the Delving trilogy.

"Delving: Culminations" will be released this June from Stone Garden Publishing. Watch http://www.scottfalkner.com/ for pre-order information. For more on the first two volumes of the Delving trilogy, visit the official Delving website.


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