What's Happening with James Beck #3?
- John Clarkson
- Feb 14, 2017
- 3 min read
After readers finish one of my new James Beck books, many of them want to know if there is another book planned. Or, even better, they encourage me to keep writing more sequels.
So – for those of you who are curious about the next sequel – here’s what’s happening with Book #3.
Naturally, the work on Book #3 has been shaped by Books #1 and #2: AMONG THIEVES and BRONX REQUIEM. I want each book to be its own type of story, and add another dimension to James Beck and his tightknit crew.
Among Thieves
The first Beck book, AMONG THIEVES, introduced the characters, the broad themes, the milieu, the setting, etc. – all revealed through action as much as possible. I do not like a lot of exposition, particularly in thrillers. In terms of story type, AMONG THIEVES is a survival against overwhelming odds story.
As the title suggests, Book #1 exists in an insular milieu, among thieves. Beck’s guys are outsiders, ex-cons, living in their own world. The various enemies they face inhabit their own insular worlds: finance, war criminals, arms dealers, a secret government agency, and law enforcement. AMONG THIEVES does not take place in normal, civilized circles.
Bronx Requiem
With BRONX REQUIEM, I wanted to bring Beck and his men more out into society. I also wanted to fill-in a bit of Beck’s background. In terms of story type, at its core BRONX REQUIEM is a murder mystery. And, although I’m not sure everyone gets this, while AMONG THIEVES was ultra-masculine, BRONX REQUIEM is much more feminine. Women characters are more present. Not surprising since the novel evolved out of outrage against sexual exploitation of women and girls.
With BOOK #3 (I’ve got a title, but I’m not revealing it just yet) I’m going to continue broadening the scope of the series. Themes will include guilt, family, loyalty, how sins of the past affect actions in the present, as well as the overall theme of all good crime thrillers: justice.
Of the three novels in the series, BOOK #3 will have Beck acting more on his own, partly to protect his crew from repercussions that threaten them because of a decision Beck makes early in the story. In term of story type, BOOK #3 will be a serial killer story.
As for my progress, I’m three-quarters through with what I consider the penultimate draft before it goes to the editor. After this draft, I will have the story worked out completely.
There will be one more draft when I try to polish everything and get it ready to submit to the publisher. After that, (in case you’re interested) there will be at least two drafts based on the story edit, then a review of the copy-edited manuscript, and finally a review of the typeset manuscript. Lot more work to be done, but not much of the core creative will change.
I don’t know if that’s a satisfactory update on “what’s happening with Book #3”. I can tell you it’s much more than I ever discuss or reveal about a work in progress. I never say much at all to anybody about anything. For instance, the first time my wife knew I was writing a novel is when I told her I’d signed a contract with the publisher. The first thing she saw was the printed hardcopy. This isn’t because I’m secretive or superstitious. It’s because I believe talking about a book I’m working on is dangerous. I believe if you talk about a story, your subconscious thinks you’ve already written the story and it stops working on it.
Other than that, all I’ll say is that, yes, there will be a Book #4. I have a rough idea of what kicks off the story, nothing more. Check back in a year or so.
February 2017 James Clarkson Newsletter
This is a really engaging update on the James Beck series! I like how you’re focusing on giving each book its own identity while still building on the characters and themes from the previous ones. The idea of evolving the story with each sequel keeps readers invested and excited for what’s next. From my experience as a reader, I also appreciate when thrillers avoid too much exposition and let the action drive the narrative. Balancing creative writing with other responsibilities can be challenging, and while managing my workload through dissertation writing services, I always enjoy following thoughtful storytelling like this. Looking forward to seeing how Book #3 develops!
I really liked how you shared the behind the scenes process of building Book #3, especially the way each part of the series has its own theme and feel. It reminded me of a time I was preparing a talk using newcomer success keynote for students, where I had to slowly shape ideas instead of rushing them. Your point about not talking too much during the process makes sense, as it keeps the creative flow alive and focused.
This behind-the-scenes look at Book #3 is genuinely fascinating — especially your point about not talking through a work in progress, because verbalising it tricks the subconscious into thinking the job is done. That rings so true beyond fiction writing too. The way you've mapped each Beck book to a distinct story type — survival, mystery, serial killer — shows how intentional structural thinking shapes the entire creative process. It reminded me of how students approach major academic projects; when I was researching HR Dissertation Topics for my final year, New Assignment Help UK helped me understand that choosing the right framework early is everything — just like you've done here with each sequel. Knowing Book #3 has Beck acting…
What a refreshing behind-the-scenes look at the creative process! The way you describe each Beck book having its own distinct story type — survival, murder mystery, and now a serial killer narrative — really shows how much intentional craft goes into building a series. Your point about not talking about a work in progress genuinely struck a chord; there's something powerful about protecting creative energy by keeping it close. It reminds me of how structured thinking helps in any writing project — even students using assignment samples for students from New Assignment Help UK are encouraged to study frameworks before diving in, because understanding structure first always leads to stronger output. The fact that Book #3 has Beck acting more…
I read the post about how James Beck’s next book is coming along and it was cool to see how the author explained the story types shifting from survival to murder mystery to a serial killer focus. When I was cramming for finals last term, I even turned to HRM dissertation help tools to keep my writing on track while juggling other work, so I get how progress can feel slow but steady. It makes me think creative projects are really about trust in your own pace.