Sage Mullins: Blog

Just a couple of notes about the recently-posted Chapter 47. A few readers expressed confusion about the trip to Florida that was Inez's Christmas gift to Pat. That "gift trip" was not the same one that was described later in chapter 47. There are two different Florida visits involved here. The first one was brought up in chapter 46, and was a simple holiday visit. That's the one you read about in the just-posted chapter. The second one - the "gift trip" - will take place a few months from the current point in the story, in March. That's the one where they'll be flying into Tampa, and out of Miami.

I can understand the confusion surrounding this, and I hope I've cleared it up.

On another note, a couple of readers have mentioned the similarity between the clam shell scene in Chapter 47 and another seashell scene in the novel "Gift from the Sea" by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. I've actually never read "Gift from the Sea", so this is a complete coincidence. After glancing over the chapter in question in "Gift from the Sea", I have to agree, it's an uncanny resemblance, right down to the relationship analogy which Inez mentioned in my story. I've done a slight edit on chapter 47, adding a few lines where Inez mentions having read that particular book.

Anyway ... onward to chapter 48!

Over the past seven to ten days, I've been working harder on "Lightning in a Bottle" than I have in some time.

So, you're probably saying, "That's all well and good, Sage, but where the hell is Chapter 47?"

Answer: I received some inspiration about a scene I have planned for later in the story, and decided to strike while the iron was hot. With the scene hot in my mind, I decided to jump ahead and write up a draft.

Now, I've redirected my efforts back to chapter 47, and I'll get it posted as soon as possible. The flip side of all this is when I do reach that later point in the story, I'll be able to post one or two chapters much quicker than usual.

...that I've been struck by lightning and sent back in time, accounting for the delay in posting chapter 46. :)

It's something much less nefarious, namely real life (read: work), which has me tied up this week. 46, in progress now, should go up around mid-to-late next week. After that, I want to get back to something close to a chapter a week, as I've maintained for the last few months.

Come on ... you really didn't think I'd let Pat get the girl without making you suffer through another one of his screw-ups, did you? :)

Chapter 42 seems to have fueled a lot of speculation that LIAB is about to draw to a close. It's not. Not even close; there's a long way to go yet. Back near the beginning, I speculated that this story would have between 50 and 60 chapters. That estimate was definitely on the low side. We're going well past 60, folks.

At the same time, you might see the pace of updates slow down just a bit. It's taking me about 10 days or so to write each new chapter, and I've finally reached the point where my streak of getting a new chapter up every Monday will draw to a close. It's looking more and more unlikely that I'll have chapter 43 ready by next Monday. The middle of next week is probably more realistic.

I want to keep the new chapters coming as quickly as I can. However, I also don't want to sacrifice quality in the name of putting the chapters out as fast as I can.

I sure dropped a cliffhanger on you at the end of Chapter 37, didn't I? :)

You won't have to wait much longer to find out what happens next, though. I have Chapter 38 in the queue to be posted on Monday.

I need to give a belated shout-out to a reader, Arch, for a very valuable suggestion. Believe it or not, Lightning in a Bottle, although it's the title of the story, was not my original choice for the name of the band in the current timeline. I had intended for it to be Activation Energy, again, just like it was in the other life.

The title "Lightning in a Bottle", of course, refers to the means by which Pat was sent back in time. I'm still a little surprised that it never occurred to me to give the band that moniker. It's just too appropriate. The suggestion came to me just in the nick of time, too; I think it was less than a week before I posted the chapter where the characters agreed on a name for the band. That's how close you came to having to read about Activation Energy 2.0. :)