Hey Goodreaders,

So I had wanted to have my outline for Earthman Jack 3 completed by the end of January, but unfortunately, that didn't happen. I kind of expected this, so I'm not too worried about it. Right now I'm pushing for a mid-February deadline on the outline.

Bit by bit, piece by piece, I'm getting the story together. This book has a LOT of things going on in it, so I have to work out ways to fit all the various storylines with one another. When you're dealing with epic space opera, that is harder than it sounds.

I think one of the things I'm learning from this endeavor is that it's important to stay focused and keep things simple (well, as simple as possible). I'm writing a story that takes place in a HUGE universe, filled with entire planets and species. It can get overwhelming at times, so I'm having to constantly take a step back and try to regain my focus.

Writing is such an interesting endeavor, because it really tests the boundaries of your imagination and creativity. I have a lot of fun writing, but 90% of my time is spent thinking about what to write, so at the end of the day, I feel as though I've done a lot of work and have very little to show for it.

Hopefully once the outline is done, I'll have an easier time. I know once I finalized the outline for Earthman Jack vs. The Secret Army, the scenes just flowed and I was able to complete the book in 2 months of non-stop writing. My guess is that the same will happen for EJ3. After all, all the hard work is done in the outlining process.

As always, if any of you have questions about the next book, feel free to contact me and ask. Goodreads also has a nifty "ask the author" tool, so you can use that as well, if you like.

Oh, you can also sign up for my newsletter at: www.EarthmanJack.com.

Talk soon,

Matt