On March 21st 2016, I published The World Walker—my first novel—on Amazon. And now, five months later, I've written the sequel. Which you've just finished reading.
Oh, hang on. Before I go on, I have to address a little problem I didn't anticipate first time around. Apparently, some people read the Author's Note before they read the book. Why? I can't answer that, because I've never done it. But I have solid evidence that it happens. So, can I just point out that Author's Notes sometimes contain spoilers? You might read something that diminishes your enjoyment of the story.
So...don't do it.
Seriously.
I’m talking to you, Auntie Hazel. Stop reading immediately, go back and start at the beginning. We'll wait.
Right, on with the note. Honestly, some people. Tut.
The World Walker took me about eighteen months to write from the time I first scribbled the initial idea into a notebook. The Unmaking Engine took five months. So, if my calculations are correct, the next one should take about 15 days. Hmm. Apparently, there are folk out there who can write that fast. I haven't a clue how. I imagine they have some sort of Faustian pact with a minor demon who slows down time around them in return for sexual favors and exclusive access to their immortal souls.
Just so you know, I don't think I'll ever be able to write a novel that fast. If I did, I’m reasonably certain it wouldn't be worth reading.
On the other hand, I can't ever see myself following in George RR Martin's footsteps, making desperate readers wait years for the next book in a series.
(An aside on George RR Martin. He's my equivalent of an Indy band you discover years before the rest of the world catches on. In the early 1990s, I read Fevre Dream, a vampire story set on the Mississippi in the golden age of the steamboat. A long, long time before Twilight made vampires ubiquitous. Anne Rice was doing her lush, sensuous vampire stuff of course, but there was something about Fevre Dream. Maybe it was the evocative prose, or the wonderfully flawed human hero, Abner Marsh. Maybe it was the believable vampire culture and history. Maybe it was the tightness of the story—compact, fairly short, possible to read in one or two obsessive sittings—which I did, first time around—try doing that with A Song Of Ice And Fire. I love Fevre Dream. I've given copies of it away at least three times and bought myself a new one. In fact, looking on my shelves, it’s not there now. Time to buy it again. These days, of course, everyone knows who GRRM is. Which—totally unfairly—irks me. I am irked. He was my author. I wish I was a bigger man and could be unirked. But I can't. Grr.)
Back to the point. I hoped to write a second book. I had lots of ideas about developing the story, and one book couldn't do justice to all of them. I avoided a cliffhanger ending for The World Walker, because—sometimes— they make me want to throw my Kindle out of the window. But I knew there was more to come. I just wasn't sure when I'd find the time. And that's where you come in, gentle reader…
After the first few weeks, The World Walker started selling a constant number of copies every day. Also, there were plenty of people borrowing it through Kindle Unlimited and Select. Not enough to buy a new car/pay for a child’s education/upgrade to First Class on any future airplane trips, but enough sales and borrows to encourage me to take a risk and make time to write the sequel sooner rather than later.
Once I'd made the commitment, I wrote pages of notes and carefully plotted most of the book, including the ending. Which is hilarious, because—when I look at my notes now—almost everything has changed. The ending is completely different. It's the strangest sensation when a story takes on a life of its own. There's one chapter in The Unmaking Engine which came from nowhere. Straight from my subconscious onto the page, bypassing my conscious mind completely. And you thought Manna was weird?
What I'm trying to say, in a long-winded and rambling way, is that those of you who read The World Walker made The Unmaking Engine possible. I've been incredibly lucky—thousands of people have read the first novel, and the reviews (please do review any independent author's book you've enjoyed, it makes a HUGE difference) have given me the confidence and impetus to keep writing.
I have more in store in the multiverse of The World Walker. There’s at least one more book to write about Mee, Seb and—perhaps—the next generation. I also have lots of other stories to tell. If enough of you want to keep reading, I'll keep writing.
Reading opens our minds, lets us see how others perceive the world—even an imaginary world. This is a good thing. And the world needs more good things. Thanks for reading.
Ian W. Sainsbury
Norwich
August 19th, 2016
World Walker 2: The Unmaking Engine Page 32