Post by Susan Hillwig on Feb 2, 2016 20:18:27 GMT -5
Reckon I should start this off with an apology: it's been nearly three-and-a-half years since WWQ#24 posted, and I take full responsibility for that lag. This entire arc was very difficult for me to write, as it was the most complicated DC2 story I've done to date. Lots of characters to keep track of, lots of stuff going on with them, and lots of buildup to create something that was worthy of all that hassle. In truth, the first part of this -- WWQ#23 -- was going to be entirely different, but it just wasn't pulling together, so it got chucked out the window and only referenced briefly in the second part (all that Black Spider business Thunderborne alludes to and Johnny has a flashback of).
Then, around the time WWQ#24 went up, I got it into my noggin to self-publish my first novel, Swords & Sixguns, as I was sick to death of trying to get it published through traditional channels. Just as I was starting to get those particular ducks in a row, however, my husband lost his job, meaning that it wasn't the right time for me to sink a couple thousand dollars into a venture that would likely bleed money for the first year or so. Also, my DC2 Elseworlds title, Jonah Hex: Shades of Gray, was taking up a good amount of my time, as was the Jonah Hex history project I'd begun in 2011, so WWQ kept falling further and further into the background. Then in 2013, I somehow caught a break, and a publisher showed interest in my novel...and the next thing I knew, I had a signed contract in my hand. Between that and my husband's new job, things were looking up. Sure, I would have to wait until 2016 for the book to be published, but I was okay with that! It gave me time to write the second novel, which now became my primary focus. As much as I love doing fanfic, it's not something I can make money off of, and I'm a notoriously slow writer, so something had to be cut.
Unfortunately, by March 2015, I found myself being the one who was cut. My publisher decided to restructure their company, and let many of their authors go, including myself. We hadn't even gotten to the editing stage with my novel. Knowing I wasn't the only one who got a pink-slip softened the blow a little, but it did put me in a bit of a funk. Luckily, DC2 came a-calling around the same time, as they were organizing a little event you may of heard of called "Ten Years Later", and wanted to know if I would participate. Honestly, I had no idea at first what I could contribute. I wrote in the past, and this event was taking place ten years into DC2's projected future. Plus my two titles already on-site were gathering dust...did I really want to take on a third?
Turned out that, yeah, I did, 'cause there was a certain thing that I'd always planned on doing at DC2 that I just hadn't gotten around to yet. Matter of fact, I'd planned on doing it once WWQ#25 was out of the way. So in my head, that became one of the conditions: if you do this thing, WWQ#25 has to be completed as well so it can be posted first. In the end, both projects took far too damn long for me to write -- then again, so does everything -- but I did it. If you're reading this, then I presume you also read WWQ#25, and I hope it was worth the wait. I can't promise any more issues anytime soon, but I will promise that I'm not through with these cowpokes just yet. There's one more big story I need to tell, and you're just gonna have to wait until I have time to tell it proper.
As for the thing that pulled me back to DC2, it's called HEX: Missing Time, and those of you who've been reading my stuff for the past decade probably have an inkling of what's in store. Seeing as how this is DC2, however, it may not be exactly what you're expecting...when you go down this long road, you may recognize a few things, but the overall scenery will be something new. If you're curious, here's a shortcut that'll give you a lay of the land.
By the way, don't fret about me losing that contract. After months of sitting on my butt, I'm out looking for publishers again, and if nothing pans out, I will move on to self-publishing by the end of this year. You can keep track of my progress on my blog as well as the Facebook page for Swords & Sixguns. Speaking of Facebook, pop on over to Jonah Hex, Via Pony Express if you want to see what our favorite bounty hunter is up to lately (I hear that ugly cuss managed to wrangle his way onto a TV show).
Okay, I've said my piece. Time for y'all to say yours.
- Susan Hillwig
Then, around the time WWQ#24 went up, I got it into my noggin to self-publish my first novel, Swords & Sixguns, as I was sick to death of trying to get it published through traditional channels. Just as I was starting to get those particular ducks in a row, however, my husband lost his job, meaning that it wasn't the right time for me to sink a couple thousand dollars into a venture that would likely bleed money for the first year or so. Also, my DC2 Elseworlds title, Jonah Hex: Shades of Gray, was taking up a good amount of my time, as was the Jonah Hex history project I'd begun in 2011, so WWQ kept falling further and further into the background. Then in 2013, I somehow caught a break, and a publisher showed interest in my novel...and the next thing I knew, I had a signed contract in my hand. Between that and my husband's new job, things were looking up. Sure, I would have to wait until 2016 for the book to be published, but I was okay with that! It gave me time to write the second novel, which now became my primary focus. As much as I love doing fanfic, it's not something I can make money off of, and I'm a notoriously slow writer, so something had to be cut.
Unfortunately, by March 2015, I found myself being the one who was cut. My publisher decided to restructure their company, and let many of their authors go, including myself. We hadn't even gotten to the editing stage with my novel. Knowing I wasn't the only one who got a pink-slip softened the blow a little, but it did put me in a bit of a funk. Luckily, DC2 came a-calling around the same time, as they were organizing a little event you may of heard of called "Ten Years Later", and wanted to know if I would participate. Honestly, I had no idea at first what I could contribute. I wrote in the past, and this event was taking place ten years into DC2's projected future. Plus my two titles already on-site were gathering dust...did I really want to take on a third?
Turned out that, yeah, I did, 'cause there was a certain thing that I'd always planned on doing at DC2 that I just hadn't gotten around to yet. Matter of fact, I'd planned on doing it once WWQ#25 was out of the way. So in my head, that became one of the conditions: if you do this thing, WWQ#25 has to be completed as well so it can be posted first. In the end, both projects took far too damn long for me to write -- then again, so does everything -- but I did it. If you're reading this, then I presume you also read WWQ#25, and I hope it was worth the wait. I can't promise any more issues anytime soon, but I will promise that I'm not through with these cowpokes just yet. There's one more big story I need to tell, and you're just gonna have to wait until I have time to tell it proper.
As for the thing that pulled me back to DC2, it's called HEX: Missing Time, and those of you who've been reading my stuff for the past decade probably have an inkling of what's in store. Seeing as how this is DC2, however, it may not be exactly what you're expecting...when you go down this long road, you may recognize a few things, but the overall scenery will be something new. If you're curious, here's a shortcut that'll give you a lay of the land.
By the way, don't fret about me losing that contract. After months of sitting on my butt, I'm out looking for publishers again, and if nothing pans out, I will move on to self-publishing by the end of this year. You can keep track of my progress on my blog as well as the Facebook page for Swords & Sixguns. Speaking of Facebook, pop on over to Jonah Hex, Via Pony Express if you want to see what our favorite bounty hunter is up to lately (I hear that ugly cuss managed to wrangle his way onto a TV show).
Okay, I've said my piece. Time for y'all to say yours.
- Susan Hillwig