How Does SRD Write A Series Of Books?

[Metal-Demon]

What I mean is this: now that "Runes of the Earth" has been released and The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant has begun ... just how far ahead has SRD written?

I'm sure it's a difficult question to answer, but I'm just wondering if he has the next book finished, and working on the third ... or are the remaining three book done and just being edited/re-worked ... or what?

Now, I don't claim to be a professional writer, but I can't imagine him just getting started on the second book (or the 8th, depending on how you look at it).

I mean, just how do authors approach this type of situation? Write one book at a time? Do they map out events two or three books ahead? Do they write all the books in sucession and release them one at a time after they are all complete?

I'm just looking for some insight as to how SRD goes about writing a series of his wonderfully captivating books ...

[variol son]

SRD has said in the gradual interview that he always know swhat is going to happen at the end of any of his books, because that is the point of the book - to convey the story to the readers. Then he works backwards.

So it would probably be safe to say that he knows what will happen at the end of Fatal Reveant, Shall Pass Utterly and The Last Dark, even if he hasn't officially written anything down.

Sum sui generis
Vs

[matrixman]

Also, due to the book tour in support of Runes, SRD has not yet been able to begin working on the second book. He is as frustrated about that as we fans are, but it should be understood that he is also committed to doing what he can to promote Runes.

[dlbpharmd]

Just to add to what Matrixman said - SRD contracted with Putnams for 3 years per book. The clock on Fatal Revenant started when the final mansucript for Runes was approved (sometime last spring.) Book tours, signing copies etc. have already cost SRD about 6 months of the 3 years for Revenant. Now, we find out that he's working on text corrections and revisions for the paperback version of Runes.

Sounds to me like SRD will only have about 2 years to write Revenant. No wonder he's frustrated.

[CovenantJr]

It's also worth referring to one of SRD's comments at the Manchester Q&A. He does indeed have to know what the ultimate conclusion will be before he can start writing, but he doesn't necessarily know what will happen in between, or what the endings of the other books will be. In this case, he does know the ending of Fatal Revenant. When he wrote the First Chronicles, he had everything mapped out in advance, but he doesn't work that way anymore.

[Nav]

Another thing that SRD mentioned in Manchester was that it's his choice to work on corrections for Runes. Apparently it's quite uncommon for the author to do that kind of thing his/her self.

[The Dark Overlord]

Hey Metal-Demon, is that you in the picture? It looks like a cross between Lemmy from Motorhead and Rob Zombie