So this week, having finished the draft of Defiant, I have started really getting into Stormlight 5, and I’ve been working on the outline, just kind of refining the outline for the Szeth backstory sequence. And today I wrote a little bit of that. I’m not ready for a percentage bar or anything like that yet. I don’t think I’ll start in earnest until February 1st. That’s my goal. But a little bit of Szeth’s backstory has been written, and I’m playing with just some various different things to figure out how I want it to play out. But that’s where I am in the outlining process, just cleaning up that outline and getting ready, gearing up for Stormlight 5.

The other thing that’s going on here is my evening writing session I am going to be working on the Wax and Wayne next draft. So that book can be out for you, theoretically, later this year. And so I had a meeting with Peter last week about editorial on it, and I am probably starting that tonight, as I’m recording this on Wednesday. And so, theoretically, by next week I will have made some progress on that.

And so not a lot to talk about these weeks in the new year. It’s been so frenetic leading up to the New Year. I don’t have really anything to pitch to you other than saying that I am digging in and getting ready to work on the book, and I’m pretty excited by it. The whole style I do this, where I take 18 months between big projects and work on other things, is really good for my personal psychology as a writer. And it means now that I’m coming back to Stormlight I’m really itching and eager to write on this book again. Whereas, if you would have asked me right after I finished Rhythm of War, I’d have been like, “Do not talk to me about Stormlight. I am done with Stormlight.” And so it feels really good to be back on Roshar, to be working on these things. And I will keep you up to date all through this year as I write the book.

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