Mr. Monk and the New Contract
I've had a lot of emails from people asking me if there are going to be more MONK novels beyond the one I am writing now -- MR. MONK AND THE DIRTY COP, the eighth in the series, slated for publication next summer.
Well, now I can answer that question. I've just agreed to write three more original MONK novels for Penguin/Putnam, which means there will be new books in the series through the end of 2010, regardless of whether or not this ends up being the last season of the TV show.
I realized after I agreed to the deal that this means that I will have written at least 20 novels between 2003, when I started the DIAGNOSIS MURDER books, and 2010 when my current contract runs out (which is about as many novels as James Reasoner or Robert Randisi write in one year).
I'm exhausted just thinking about it.
Congrats! That's great! Only a person of talent could write so many successful books over a seven year span.
It seems that the more talent a writer has, the more works they can produce. Shakespeare averaged two plays a year. Shaw wrote about 45 plays and about 100,000 letters. Trollope wrote about 45 novels or so. Maugham wrote about 18 plays, a hundred short stories, numerous novels, and a number of other books. Simenon wrote about 80 Maigret novels, and over 200 novels in total.
The joke about Simenon goes like this: Alfred Hitchcock phoned him and a maid answered saying that Simenon was busy writing a novel. Hitchcock, knowing how quickly Simenon wrote, said: "That's okay I'll hold. He'll soon be finished!"
Posted by: Dan Williams | Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 07:28 AM
And there is much rejoicing!
Mark
Posted by: Carstairs38 | Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 09:54 AM
Congratulations! That's great news.
Posted by: Bill Peschel | Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 10:01 AM
YAY!!!!!
Posted by: Ann Peek | Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 04:06 PM
That is fantastic news for us, Monk fans and for you!! Congrats!!
Posted by: Big D | Saturday, July 12, 2008 at 12:56 AM