Storytellersunplugged

by Michael Laimo

This month’s entry is going to be short. I apologize in advance. I won’t make any excuses other than to say I’m filled to my brim. I was in Florida last week for business. You know, that day job that I work at 9 hours a day? There’s my commute in and out of Manhattan, and that’s two hours a day. Thank God for that. Those two hours are spent writing. No excuses there. I don’t read, socialize, nap, eat, or simply stare out the window. I write, whether I’m tired, have a migraine, feel sick, or am simply not in the mood. This is my time, and I use it to write. It’s this tenacity in me that enables me to write about a novel a year.

A lot of people have been asking me when the new book’s coming out. Well, unfortunately the space of time between Demonologist and my new one, Dead Souls, will be about 18 months. That’s the longest amount of space I’ve had between books. Why? Well, after writing Demonologist, I’d needed a break. I was burnt to a crisp. I did those things I’ve always wanted to do on my commute (see above). After a couple of months, I was asked to write a novella. I’d never written anything in that length, so I took two months to write that. After completing it, I started researching for Dead Souls, which took another few weeks. Next thing I know, Demonologist is about to be released, and I’m just getting started on my next book. I’m still working on it, and although I am not pleased that it’s taken so long, I am VERY pleased with this book. The unfortunate thing is that due to scheduling, the book won’t be out until 2007. Yup, that’s right. At least now I’ll have time to get cracking on the next one.

I write to please myself, yes, but I do write to please my readers, which I’m only recently discovering, are out there, waiting for my next book. I want nothing more that to give them something too. But, I have to work the day job. I have to take care of my family, and my house. Damn, I want to be like Keene and write full time. But, what are the odds? I make a good salary from the day job. Even if I got a six-figure advance for a book, could I really quit my day job? I’d piss away that money on the bills in a year’s time. Then what? I’d have maybe two books to offer…is someone going to offer me $100,000 for each of them? Nah. I don’t think so…not unless I get lucky. And you know what? In the back of my mind I keep telling myself that I made it this far, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to stop now. Just in case…just in case I DO get lucky.

Well, whether I get lucky or not, I’ll keep writing, for myself, and for those who’ve added tired Mike Laimo to their must read list—and even for those who haven’t yet discovered me yet. I figure that with each new book I publish, I’ll gain a few more readers. And that’s all right by me.