A few comments about yesterday's "four! Ack!" posting. One reader by the name of Mark had the following to say:

"So, are you going to write, or are you going to whine about not selling your 'first' novel?"

I'm going to whine!

Well, actually, my point was never to whine, and if that was the impression I gave, then I'm sorry. With most of yesterday's last post, I was making with the funnies, but that was probably disguised by an appearance of bitterness from a sad, old git. And there's no bitterness! I'm all, like, 'yay', because I'm just really happy that: a) I managed to write a novel, and I'm not a novelist, so that's a pretty tall feat; b) Prophet Without Honour has actually been read by thousands and thousands of people, and as a writer you're always worried that no one's going to read your stuff, that no one will care; c) Most people - at least the ones who've written me e-mails or commented on message boards - seemed to enjoy the book; and d) I'm always pretty happy, never bitter, it's summer, I have lots and lots of stuff in the pipeline, and (again) yay!

I was hoping to increase sales slightly, though, simply because I'd like Funcom to see the potential for a second (and maybe third) novel in the series. I currently don't have the time - or the inclination - to start writing a non-Anarchy Online related novel. I'd like to write something completely different at some point in the next few years - maybe even, gasp!, a non-genre novel - but not right now. There are a ton of other projects I'd like to dig into first; games, comics, films, and TV. But I've been working on a follow-up to Prophet Without Honour for a while now, and I know exactly where the story is heading and how it ties in with the game's plot and, in particular, the first expansion pack, "Shadowlands". And while writing a novel is never easy, it's a lot easier to finish something that's already well underway than starting with a blank page. So yesterday's plea was merely a cynical tactic to boost sales and prove to Funcom that there's a real market for the second novel in the series, not to complain about how miserably unpopular I feel (I don't), or how "four" is such an awfully low number (it is). Mostly I'd like to be able to publish a second novel just so that I don't have to buy any Christmas presents - it worked like a charm last year.

Yes, I know, it still doesn't excuse the whining, so sorry about that. Whining is never good. Like so many people have pointed out; writers write. And I do. Day in and day out. It's what I love doing. I don't, unfortunately, do enough of it, especially since my duties as both creative director of Funcom and designer on Anarchy Online demand that I, uh, direct and design in addition to the writing, but I still have the best job in the world, and if it ever sounds like I'm complaining, smack me upside the head. Deal?

In fact; if and when I need a good smacking, send an e-mail to smackupsidethehead@ragnartornquist.com - that way, I'll be able to sort out the smackings from the general hate-mail, and apply them to myself once every week (Wednesdays, for example).

Tuesday morning, the air smells like summer, and I'm eating a raspberry-jam sandwich and drinking a glass of orange juice.  ¶ 09:51