So my next book will be a science fiction novel set in space and will feature a hostile alien species, although not in the typical sense. We have an unlikely hero who is thrust into a world he doesn’t understand and who must learn to become the best fighter in history. The very existence of humanity – indeed all life in the Solar System – will depend on it. It’s about fate vs free will, individualism vs society, principles vs pragmatism. It’s got cloning, spaceships, first contact, space marines. It’s Ender’s Game meets Spartacus. I have a bunch of books already planned in the series and it’s going to be awesome.

This week, I finished the first draft. Of course, I’m very happy to be done with this phase so please join me in celebrating. All together now – woohoo!! (Thanks for humouring me…).

Last night when I saved the draft it just happened to be exactly 80,000 words. That is an immensely satisfying figure. It’s probably an average novel length and it’ll be a bit longer by the time it’s published but it’s nice to pause for a moment to admire the roundness of it…

Beat.

Okay, thanks. At the end of the next draft it’ll go to my talented and generous beta readers for feedback and then I can get on with preparing for the release. I can’t wait for people to read it, it’s going to be amazing.

I’ll leave you with what is currently the first line… (don’t tell me I’m trying too hard 😀 )

“The first time they cut off Rama Seti’s head, it was for a good cause. The most important cause in human history, perhaps. The second time, it was in order to save his life.”

Boom.