This guest blog by Duncan Field spotlights a high-class problem in a writing career: having a hit, right out of the box.

Epitaph update: the manuscript is due at the end of the month. I’ve cut 20,000+ words since finishing a complete first draft.  Still tightening prose and looking for ways to ease boluses of background more naturally into the story.

Poe update: I’ve made a few decisions about the next book. First person in the voice of Elmira Shelton, Poe’s first and last fiancée. Set in Richmond, Virginia, during the civil war. First sentence: “I am an old woman now, of interest to no one but myself.” She will be trying to make sense of her own little life in a time when nothing makes sense.

And now… Back to work on Epitaph.