Really super happy with how book one, Less Than Nothing, turned out. When you start writing in a new genre, you never know. And when you try a completely different approach, as in first person, present tense, written from a seventeen year old street kid’s perspective, your confidence that you don’t wind up with garbage is even lower than normal.

When you write first draft, you just write – you get the story out. Second draft is where you discover whether it’s complete crap or not. It’s the major surgery draft, if the story lags, or if there are plot holes, or if the characters aren’t sympathetic – whatever. Third is where you polish, and then the editor gets hold of it and further refines it, hopefully bringing out more of the cool elements of your voice while catching the worst of your grammatical gotchas.

I’m terrible during second draft stage, because I’m highly skeptical of anything I’ve written, and walk in believing it’s shit. So when I’m in second draft, I’m pounding my head against the wall, going, “Jesus, what was I thinking? Why am I even trying to be a writer? I blow goats. This is gibberish.” And so on. Third is where I generally go, “Hmm. Not terrible. Maybe it’s got a chance.”

On second draft of this one, I got seriously excited. Seriously. Excited. And that’s carried forward into Book 2.

It’s a great feeling when you believe you’ve nailed the story, the pacing, and most importantly, the characters. It’s like soaring on an updraft, effortless and brimming with elation. The manic part of the manic-depressive writer’s life.

Looks like the first two volumes will go live in October. Book 1 will be available for pre-order within a couple weeks. I think a lot of people are going to be surprised by this trilogy. I know I am. And that’s a good thing. Really.