The Next Book's Title

[TheCuriousFan]

As we are all aware (and if you're not, what are you doing in the spoiler section?), there's a whole lot of political and character drama coming up after the end of Battle Ground, not really the sort of thing that should happen off screen. It turns out that Jim agrees with this because apparently Mirror Mirror isn't the next one. Fresh from the Legendarium podcast:

Jim: ...I'm gonna have to add another book in. I've gotta write, it's gonna a take a novel to deal with the aftermath of what happened in Battle Ground. I think the next novel is gonna be called Twelve Months and it's just gonna be about Dresden-well it's gonna be about more than that because it's a Dresden Files book with the usual insanity but the actual story is Dresden coping with all the damage he's taken over the years. You know that as a writer I'm not a fade to black guy in the Dresden Files, it doesn't happen very often, but it has happened. And every time I've the fade to black and that has happened, for the most part, it fades because Harry's pulling the curtain, because he doesn't share the really bad things with anyone, not even the reader. There are /bad/ things that have happened to Dresden and when bad things happen to you it's cumulative, it adds up. If you don't face it and deal with it it keeps adding up and adding up until it starts causing you psychological problems and difficulties with your friends and issues with your family. If you're out there in the middle of it you've got to be dealing with it, and he hasn't been. And we're gonna have a book about why, and the effects of the things that have happened over the years and the cumulative effects and how you deal with them and get over them.

Todd: Especially now that he's a father, that makes it especially emotionally charged.

Jim: Yeah he can't afford to just sit somewhere and feel sorry for himself or to drive himself to the brink of exhaustion and starvation trying to find a solution to his problems. He can't do that anymore, he's a grown-up, he's got a lot of things he's handling. And yeah, Maggie's the big one, kids change everything. If you've got a kid there waiting for you you can't be the guy that's sitting on the floor wailing poor me, that's not gonna work.

Todd: It's something we've covered in several episodes, how Harry takes all the guilt on himself and how that's not healthy. To see you say that we need something to deal with it, is that something that's been in the works for a long time or is that something that's come across organically kind of as you've written through seventeen books?

Jim: No, I wasn't planning to do a book about trauma and dealing with it, on account of I was busy not dealing with any of my trauma. But yeah when you start learning about it it's like "hey, this is something people need to know." And the idea's gonna be "look, I'm gonna show Dresden coping" and coping isn't always a particularly pretty thing or a noble thing. Nobody's pretty when they're in pain but it happens to all of us at some time or another, horrible things come along. And you've gotta deal with it and how do you deal with it. So partly this next book is going to be Dresden figuring out how to deal with things that are not slobbery monsters trying to chew his face off, those he can manage, he's really good with those, that's doable no problem. All these other issues are a different thing and..

Todd: And he has a wedding to prepare for.

Jim: Yeah, no kidding.

Link: https://thelegendarium.podbean.com/e/a-conversation-with-jim-butcher/

[Dina]

Ok this is huge! A very important change.

Frankly, I don't know how to react to this. For one hand, I am very glad to see that we will have time to see the aftermath of all what happened. We need it. But then, he does not say anything about Thomas and Justine, which are, in my opinion, the things that need urgent resolution. And with him not saying anything about that , I am afraid he is going to kick this until after the wedding (which seems more probable now than before).

[Eleyctra]

But then, he does not say anything about Thomas and Justine, which are, in my opinion, the things that need urgent resolution. And with him not saying anything about that , I am afraid he is going to kick this until after the wedding (which seems more probable now than before).

It's too soon to say, as Jim came about the next book organically (very likely during the writing of PT/BG). As a writer with a sudden new book thrown in next with no warning, he possibly only has point A and point Z of the next book figured out, and dealing with his brother's situation and everything else still needs mapping out. Which means he literally can't tell us any more info yet.

But I too am also glad there will be a book on the aftermath. There's so much to unpack these past 17 books. 

[ElJefe81]

I agree this is fantastic.  There is so much aftermath here and given that the next book was going to be Mirror Mirror it seemed like it was going to be difficult to touch on those topics very easily.  Hopefully if he's already got this in mind he's going to get it out soon after the next CinderSpires book

[The_Sibelis]

Noooooooooooo?!?
.....well, damn. This does bring up something I thought of after reading the end of BG. I recall Jim had wanted to do a book with Harry stuck in a mental institution without his powers. I wonder if this is him working that one in here. Something about how they were going to open up institutions for the psychological brainwashing of the people who witnessed the battle.

[Snark Knight]

I agree this is fantastic.  There is so much aftermath here and given that the next book was going to be Mirror Mirror it seemed like it was going to be difficult to touch on those topics very easily.  Hopefully if he's already got this in mind he's going to get it out soon after the next CinderSpires book

Assuming this is a real change of plan rather than an offhand remark, it's disappointing that MM is delayed even further. It struck me as more interesting a concept than any of the other books for quite a while pretty much ever since Jim has been talking about it.

That said, it kind of makes sense that the character has to get his head right before doing a book about conflict with his alternate self. Carrying around as much guilt and blame as Harry does, it would have been pretty difficult to write prevailing over his reflection in a way that felt earned or believable, short of using all his self-hate as fuel to go ham on the other guy, which would probably leave him even more stained after 'winning'.

And, frankly, jumping out of universe in the very next book and leaving so many loose ends flapping in the wind would have felt weird.

Still, a full length novel of just dealing with trauma for a year is going to be a tough structure. I think it would almost have to center some kind of actual plot around hunting Justine while Nemesis stays a step ahead, and then interweave subplots (training with River on getting his head straight, feds sniffing around, Lara, fleshing out Wizard of Chicago and the castle as Paranet HQ, and trying to mend things with Eb).

[Conspiracy Theorist]

This sounds like it might be a linked story /novella collection in which case Christmas Eve is already written to slot in as the mid point. This may be quicker to write as it is episodic rather than a chronologically tight narrative of the usual files and would allow for Jim to write chunks between other projects during the lockdown. We know BG took place on the 21 June, Christmas Eve 24 December, so I presume the latter is the turning point where Harry starts to properly heal. Very much a different book to that we know. Jim stretched himself breaking format with Zoo Day, he may be trying the same here and if Twelve Months is half as good as that story then we are in for a treat. I also wonder if this period is going to be when the Maggie and Mouse stories are going to be set, in parallel to the events of Twelve Months.

Mab had expressed in BG that she expected Harry to be seen with Lara at a number of events, doubtless they will feature. I would expect one to be Harry studying with River Shoulders, perhaps return of Gen? Another dealing with Bradley and Rudy. Perhaps one dealing with the n- ?. One or more dealing with the White Council trying to involve themselves in Chicago and/or the Paranet, there are plenty of story threads which can picked up, and allowed to develop over time so we see in the background Harry setting up Camelot, coming to terms with the deaths in BG, the evolving relationships with his children, the rebuilding of Chicago, the hunt for Justine and the recovery of Thomas.

As for Mirror, Mirror, just as Harry gets his life straightened out, his evil twin tries to steal it. Works for me as a set up.

[Dina]

Still, a full length novel of just dealing with trauma for a year is going to be a tough structure. I think it would almost have to center some kind of actual plot around hunting Justine while Nemesis stays a step ahead, and then interweave subplots (training with River on getting his head straight, feds sniffing around, Lara, fleshing out Wizard of Chicago and the castle as Paranet HQ, and trying to mend things with Eb).

Oh yes, that part will be easy. Eb will be delighted to know Harry is going to marry Lara.

Seriously, I would like to see something about Ivy and/or Kinkaid.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Been through the podcast, apparently Bob is going to be Harry’s home cinema and he is going to have gargoyle pitbulls on the Castle (presumably one of the defence features Marcone has overlooked), but friends for Mouse.

[Snark Knight]

Oh yes, that part will be easy. Eb will be delighted to know Harry is going to marry Lara.

Everyone likes to say "I told you so".

[bigdangmoose]

Been through the podcast, apparently Bob is going to be Harry’s home cinema and he is going to have gargoyle pitbulls on the Castle (presumably one of the defence features Marcone has overlooked), but friends for Mouse.

Him, Disney's Gargoyles? Will there be a Goliath?

[Mira]

  It makes sense, Harry has been through a lot, I hope he has someone who can help him.  What was really shocking after Susan was half turned and went away and threw Harry into a severe depression is who little understanding or sympathy he got from anyone.  It was all "how could you let yourself go like this?"  Yeah, I hope he goes and trains with Rivershoulders, and maybe Listens to Wind will show up as well.

[Dina]

The fact that he keeps Bob and can even use it for that makes me incredibly happy. He needs to stop being so alone and it is good that at least he can now see the same things than others. I also need him being more in touch with his friends. Particularly, he shouldn't take the Alphas for granted.

[SintraEdrien]

What jumped out at me, and makes me think that this was not originally planned, was this sentence:

Jim: No, I wasn't planning to do a book about trauma and dealing with it, on account of I was busy not dealing with any of my trauma.

Link: https://thelegendarium.podbean.com/e/a-conversation-with-jim-butcher/

[Dina]

I want to thank TCF and everyone commenting on this. As I don't hear the podcasts (they are difficult to me to understand) I like to read whatever I can, specially when it is so juicy as this.