Fitz Fool 1 ??? (Spoilers all Hobb books incl CoD)

[Farseer]

This may stem the tide of curiosity...or not. Robin has responded to the query thus so:

With great reluctance, I am addressing this thread, as it simply won't go away, I suppose.

The accidental listing on Amazon.co.uk is extremely premature. I'd say very extremely except that's a misuse of adverbs. I'm not blaming anyone for being curious about what the listing means! I just wish it hadn't happened at all.

Clearly, for some time, my publishers have wanted me to write a continuation of the Fitz and Fool story . It was my hope to work on such a story slowly, carefully and very privately. For years. Because if I do it badly or hastily, I will have ended my career.

Thinking about readers' opinions about what I'm writing while I'm writing a story has never been conducive (at least for me!) to getting words on paper.

I had hoped to avoid suggestions, ideas, queries, IM's etc about such work by not publicizing that I was even considering starting it.

But it's out there now and there's no dodging it.

I'm going to avoid posting about this. I'm not going to reply to any queries about it. Not because I'm trying to be a diva or an artiste, but because I need to focus on writing, not talking about writing. I think I've posted here before about what I see as the difference between Being a Writer and Writing. I'm not going to Be a Writer about this. There will be no hints, page counts, updates, teasers, or warnings that A Main Character Will Die! I know that many other writers use things like that to build excitement and increase internet chatter. But I don't. For me, writing is like working on a long complicated math equation. If someone in the room is reciting phone numbers or saying the times table out loud, everything gets scrambled. So I'm going to insulate myself.

Oh, and while I'm very disappointed that this leaked out, I'm certainly not angry at anyone. Just wishing it hadn't happened.

Robin

Well said, Robin, I say! I'd feel exactly the same...though I'd be *far* less accepting of the leak.