As Yet Untitled…
It’s been about three months since the release of The Last Mixtape, and the novelty of being a first-time author has yet to wear off. And while the publishing buzz continues, I’ve realized that I have other stories to tell.
But that wasn’t always the case…
There was a point last spring when the final touches had been put on The Last Mixtape. I had made it to the finish line of the marathon. The book was done. I could claim to be a writer.
And then a new question emerged: Can I do it again?
I continued to get up before the rest of the family and hammer away at the laptop, but nothing I wrote seemed to be either the start or the part of a longer narrative.
Inspiration doesn’t keep to a set schedule, and after months of meandering ideas and micro-revising The Last Mixtape, an idea dawned on me and direction finally appeared.
It was July of last year when I started a new project currently known as As Yet Untitled Novel #2. It’s an idea with momentum, but not yet a name—so for convenience, we’ll just refer to it as AYUN#2. I don’t want to give away too much of the plot yet, but in this next book we fast-forward in The Last Mixtape universe. (Get it?)
At the start of AYUN#2, we find James a few years removed from the events of The Last Mixtape. He’s made a transition from teaching first grade to teaching middle school math (hmm…sounds like somebody I know) and is still wrestling with the challenge of finding his place in life.
James has landlords who argue too loudly, a part-time job coaching baseball, and a growing sense that he’s still not quite where he thought he’d be by now. AYUN#2 follows James through home shopping, career changes, and potential new romances.
I’m pleased to say that a first draft of AYUN#2 is complete! It’s very rough and definitely more unwieldy than The Last Mixtape. Jenni, my wife and editor, and I will be spending lots of quality time together polishing this one up.
I anticipate spending a lot of this year working on AYUN#2. I mean, the poor book doesn’t even have a title yet! I will be sure to keep you posted. Fill out this form if you want to make sure you don’t miss any newsletter updates.
