Twelve Months stuck?

[g33k]

... at 50%
per jim's little "progress-o-meter" widget.
https://www.jim-butcher.com/faq/upcoming-works

I think I recall it at 50% kind of a long time ago...

Is Jim having another case of writers' block?

Is he so feverishly-productive that he's had no time to update his widget?

Did the Dresdenverse suffer a temporal anomaly, and he's had to go back and re-write a bunch of stuff?

Or...?

I'm hoping Jim's event at last weekend's Comicpalooza (or last month at the Steampunk Expo) shook loose some in-person bit of info, that "the channels" didn't see.

Or maybe it's all already old news somewhere else...?

[LaraBeck]

According to a fan who attended Comicpalooza this past weekend, Jim said he's planning to turn the book to the editors by July 1st.

In theory, that could give us a release by the end of the year.

I don't trust him to keep that schedule, personally, but let's hope.

[Just Al]

Do I remember reading that Jim had another case of COVID? If so, that could explain the delay. Long COVID is a bear to deal with (bear being spelled so it rhymes with witch). It's also possible that he's just gotten distracted again.

In any case I too wish he'd finish this book and move on to complete the series. I'm getting old and want to find out what happens in the BAT. If it takes him another 20 years to finish I don't think I'll be around for the ending.

[g33k]

According to a fan who attended Comicpalooza this past weekend, Jim said he's planning to turn the book to the editors by July 1st.

In theory, that could give us a release by the end of the year.

I don't trust him to keep that schedule, personally, but let's hope.

OK, the widget's just out of date, then -- TYVM, Lara!

Not even Jim "I couldn't keep a writing schedule if you threatened me with a radioactive wood-chipper" Butcher could estimate July 1st if the draft was only 50% done.

Like you, I don't trust that timing; but it's a strong indication that the draft is close (way closer than 50% done).

[RobReece]

According to a fan who attended Comicpalooza this past weekend, Jim said he's planning to turn the book to the editors by July 1st.

In theory, that could give us a release by the end of the year.

I don't trust him to keep that schedule, personally, but let's hope.

Thanks Lara, at least that's more promising than the 50%  but I'll be happy so long as he gets it done

[Dina]

Today we have 54% 

[Mira]

Today we have 54% 

  And only 46% left to do!

[g33k]

Today we have 54% 

Hrmph.
That is... not as much progress as I was hoping we'd see (after the stuck-at-50% blockage & his estimate delivered at Comicpalooza).

Jim -- if you're reading this -- you'd best advise your editors you'll be missing that "July 1st" ETA!

[Dina]

Agree, but at least the loading bar is moving again. I am almost sure Jim won't be finishing it for july, regardless of the loading bar. Nevertheless, I think it is a signal that he is writing, and that is always good.
Do you (collective you, not only g33k) know if Jim is writing something else, like a short story, right now?

[g33k]

... Do you (collective you, not only g33k) know if Jim is writing something else, like a short story, right now?

I don't know of any; but I don't know he's not, either.
I believe  he has been relatively busy this past Spring, doing conventions & similar events.

I don't feel an urgent need to figure out why he's writing apparently-slowly... though it'd be very nice to be reassured that this slowdown is transient (ideally, that it's over and his pace is picking up again)!  It's nice to see at least some progress, though... 58% today!

[KurtinStGeorge]

Agree, but at least the loading bar is moving again. I am almost sure Jim won't be finishing it for july, regardless of the loading bar. Nevertheless, I think it is a signal that he is writing, and that is always good.
Do you (collective you, not only g33k) know if Jim is writing something else, like a short story, right now?

I’m not aware that Jim is writing anything else.  Someone who has been at a con or other personal appearance might have heard different.  I think the fact that the upcoming works bar is moving again I doubt there is anything else at the moment.  I haven’t expected Jim to finish Twelve Months before the end of Summer or sometime in the Fall.  My guess is we won’t get Twelve Months until next Summer.

I wonder if Jim will write another novella before Twelve Months is released because he has said that he wants continue to do what he did with the last Cinder Spires book.  It worked in that case.  The story; Warrior Born, was a tightly focused story and was a nice introduction to The Olympian Affair but it didn’t make the mistake of giving too much away about the story in the novel. 

The Law, the last novella Jim wrote in the Dresdenverse, already takes place after Peace Talks, so I don’t know if Jim will feel the need to write another novella that takes place before Twelve Months.

[vincentric]

It could be something quite simple.

Twelve Months is an unplanned book. It's not in the decades long outline that Jim uses for the rest of the Dresden Files. He may just need more time to tidy up the flow of the story and to keep it reconciled with continuity.

[Regenbogen]

It could be something quite simple.

Twelve Months is an unplanned book. It's not in the decades long outline that Jim uses for the rest of the Dresden Files. He may just need more time to tidy up the flow of the story and to keep it reconciled with continuity.

This.
I can totally imagine that this book would be difficult to write, both because of what you said and also because it is emotionally straining for Jim himself. This book is supposed to deal with trauma.

I am no author myself but I can imagine, when you write about someone else's trauma you force yourself to deal with your own. Sure it can be therapeutic,  but also exhausting in the process.

[Dina]

Thanks Kurtin. I agree Warriorborn worked well.
Vincentric, why do you say 12 months has not been planned?

[Regenbogen]

Thanks Kurtin. I agree Warriorborn worked well.
Vincentric, why do you say 12 months has not been planned?

Because he planned to write Mirror Mirror but noticed there should be a book in between where Harry deals with his trauma.
All the other books have been planned or rather outlined before Storm Front was published. Twelve Months is a necessary addition.