Ask the Author: Michael Edelson
Answered Questions (4)
Michael Edelson
Hi Richard,
I apologize for the late reply. Goodreads did not alert me to your question!
The answer is, it's not written yet. Theft of Fire is doing very poorly, sales wise, unlike all of my other fiction titles. I think that's because mainstream thriller readers/listeners don't usually read the works of independent authors. Or I haven't figured out how to market it yet. So with poor sales, writing a sequel isn't worth it. I have no problems with the other books, sales are great, but this one can't seem to find any traction.
I apologize for the late reply. Goodreads did not alert me to your question!
The answer is, it's not written yet. Theft of Fire is doing very poorly, sales wise, unlike all of my other fiction titles. I think that's because mainstream thriller readers/listeners don't usually read the works of independent authors. Or I haven't figured out how to market it yet. So with poor sales, writing a sequel isn't worth it. I have no problems with the other books, sales are great, but this one can't seem to find any traction.
Michael Edelson
Theft of Fire, an espionage/sci-fi(ish) thriller about an invention that can change the course of history, and a terminally ill Detachment Delta killer who is trying to save it and its creators long enough to avoid the end of human civilization as we know it.
The invention in question is a quantum computer so powerful that it can crack the cipher used to encrypt nuclear launch codes in a fraction of a second using traditional brute force software. Such a device, with the right programming, can intercept, alter and resend encrypted communications in real time, break into any system and change any data without anyone ever knowing it was there. In a world almost completely reliant on computers, the implications of such a device are astounding.
The invention in question is a quantum computer so powerful that it can crack the cipher used to encrypt nuclear launch codes in a fraction of a second using traditional brute force software. Such a device, with the right programming, can intercept, alter and resend encrypted communications in real time, break into any system and change any data without anyone ever knowing it was there. In a world almost completely reliant on computers, the implications of such a device are astounding.
Michael Edelson
There are two very important skills when it comes to writing stories. One is the writing itself, which is actually quite common. I bet if you talk to ten of your friends, at least three of them can do it. But that doesn’t mean they can write a book, or even a short story.
I also think that the importance of the writing itself is a bit overstated. I've read plenty of great books by people who were very mediocre writers but knew how to tell a tale. If you’re a fan of literary fiction, you'll disagree, and that's fine. I see the appreciation of language as a different form of entertainment. If I notice the writing, then I am sucked out of the story, and I don’t like that. If you share this view, if you want to create the sort of fiction that pulls people in and keeps them there, then you need to understand that as a skill, writing is second fiddle to the ability to weave a cohesive story with all the necessary elements to make it compelling, including characters that readers can form a genuine bond with.
That ability is exceptionally rare. If you have it, but you're not a very good writer, then don't worry. You can still write a novel, just don't focus too much on the language. Write simple sentences with matter-of-fact descriptions. You can always go back and fix it later. Writing is a skill that improves with exercise, just like anything else, and so you will get better at it as you do it. If you read, then you know what sounds good in your head and what doesn't. Don't pay attention to what you're writing until you finish at least one chapter, then go back and read it, and change the things that don't sound good.
The most important thing to realize is that your first book is probably going to suck, and that’s okay. You can rewrite it later. The reason most people who finish a novel don’t ever manage to do anything with it is that they become fixated and fail to move on. You wrote your first book? Great. Put it away for at least a year and start your next one. It’s going to be better. Much, much better. And when you’ve written two or three more, go back to that first one. Laugh at how bad it is, then when you’re done laughing, fix it.
I also think that the importance of the writing itself is a bit overstated. I've read plenty of great books by people who were very mediocre writers but knew how to tell a tale. If you’re a fan of literary fiction, you'll disagree, and that's fine. I see the appreciation of language as a different form of entertainment. If I notice the writing, then I am sucked out of the story, and I don’t like that. If you share this view, if you want to create the sort of fiction that pulls people in and keeps them there, then you need to understand that as a skill, writing is second fiddle to the ability to weave a cohesive story with all the necessary elements to make it compelling, including characters that readers can form a genuine bond with.
That ability is exceptionally rare. If you have it, but you're not a very good writer, then don't worry. You can still write a novel, just don't focus too much on the language. Write simple sentences with matter-of-fact descriptions. You can always go back and fix it later. Writing is a skill that improves with exercise, just like anything else, and so you will get better at it as you do it. If you read, then you know what sounds good in your head and what doesn't. Don't pay attention to what you're writing until you finish at least one chapter, then go back and read it, and change the things that don't sound good.
The most important thing to realize is that your first book is probably going to suck, and that’s okay. You can rewrite it later. The reason most people who finish a novel don’t ever manage to do anything with it is that they become fixated and fail to move on. You wrote your first book? Great. Put it away for at least a year and start your next one. It’s going to be better. Much, much better. And when you’ve written two or three more, go back to that first one. Laugh at how bad it is, then when you’re done laughing, fix it.
Michael Edelson
For me it's creating worlds that feel incredibly real. When I'm writing a book, I'm in that world. I'm one or more of the characters, feeling what they feel, seeing what they see. Sometimes that can be difficult, but overall it's a wonderful feeling. Unfortunately, when the book ends, I tend to go through a bit of a crash, emotion-wise. I know that I'll never go back into that world again, never experience those things again, and that's a profound sense of loss. But then, there's always the next project!
The second best thing is the feeling you get when someone really loves reading something you created. It's incredibly rewarding.
The second best thing is the feeling you get when someone really loves reading something you created. It's incredibly rewarding.
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