ideas are cheap, but good :)

Sometimes people give me book ideas*. TRUTHSEEKER (out in September!) is one such idea, suggested by my friend Jai. Marith has given me a couple ideas over the years. Ted gives me ideas all the time, usually to my sort of gleeful despair, because I cannot possibly keep up with him. I have long-since had plans to take one of Deborah’s world ideas, turn it on its ear, and make a series of it. Geni picked a phrase out of a Shakespearian play which inspired a two or three book series in my little mind. And today I logged into my main chat room and was greeted by Merlin saying, “I had this odd novel idea you should write in your copious free time,” and then spelling a rather magnificent gaslight fantasy world out for me. He said, “I know I won’t write it, but it really wants to be written, so you must make it possible for me to read this.”

He is totally right, and someday in my copious free time I will write it, because it’s a *fantastic* idea. :)

In other (vaguely related) news, all 8 sets of the Walker Papers have been purchased, so I will get those in the mail this week. And if anybody else wants to buy a copy of COYOTE DREAMS or WALKING DEAD, let me know and we’ll get the particulars sorted out!

The Road Home: miles to Isengard: 172.5
ytd wordcount: 93,600

*This is not at all like the standard “I have a book idea, you should write it and we’ll split the proceeds” offer that writers so often get. One of the beautiful things about my friends is that they know a lot of working writers, and are very aware that while ideas are cheap, implementation is hard. Most of them, the occasional quelchable impulse aside, don’t want to write books. Most of them are also very creative, and occasionally have an idea like Merlin’s which they know perfectly well they won’t write, and so are happy to suggest it to someone like me, who *might*. And while there is not a chance I’m going to run out of ideas, I really do *love* it when someone hands over an idea like this**.

**this is not an open invitation for everyone to do so. :)