There was a mix up with ordering the proof, and we got it late. As much as our noses are in the grind, and are fingers are flipping through the pages and eyes scanning every word, we're hitting the mark a little late. Not a problem. The book will drop in March. We're giving this last proof extreme care before rolling out the okay for release. I've been doing more interviews, being e-mailed questions, asked questions, and when 12 Stories is finally out on the market, there will be a wide range of topics to cover. The Core Four (The Ronin Poetz
, 12 Stories High, Code-47
, and A Company of Moors
) will finally be at the forefront they deserve.But along with all this work, there has been some definite play. The next BIG project, the project that will be released after 2 Enlighten The G.O.D.Z., is in the middle of its casting call. The characters for the first part of this grand tale are being shaped, and the main character is near his finale. So much so, that I'm extremely excited. His look has been put together, a sort of concept art in my head, and made into notes on a page (saved in a word document). I'm pulling from different sources and existing characters from movies, books, and other forms of stories to bring out his personality. I know who the character is, but I don't want one emotion to become his personality and ultimately being a cliche. That goes for any of the characters. At the same moment, because there's a greater story beyond the first book in this project, a backstory is being formed. I'm connecting the dots to make the story plausible and a whole picture. A timeline is being created to make sure character ages and time periods add up.
This story was not originally attached to this larger story that arcs over several projects (books) when I first started to outline the idea back in late May of 2000. Over the years, much has been attached to this particular story, including what I'll describe at the moment as a creative structure that itself was supposed to be a separate idea and project. This story holds a lot of mysticism, and is a stand alone story to the rest of the books planned for the series. But I felt it was an excellent gateway into this mystical world. The ultimate, modern African-American fairy tale. There was so much of a rich history inside this larger world (as I composed it separately, beginning around 2002), so much that could not be told within the story, and it felt that something was missing, this story's template could tell that missing element. When readers dive into the next part of this story, they'll appreciate the setting because they'll know the struggle(s) that past characters had to go through to bring about where the other installments will be set.
A new idea emerges. I'll spend the next two weeks putting together the first group of characters for this project, trying to shaping their individual arcs, and create a palpable environment around them. There's one aspect to the story, at the moment, that I have to look closely at to see if the timeline of events makes sense, spanning from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. Once that has been solidified, actual writing will begin around late April.
I'll keep you posted between 12 Stories High and there.
b write black
