Harry Carton: Blog

When I'm putting out a story with strong violent or BDSM themes, I do expect to get a lot of low votes. I wish those people who give the story a 1,2 or 3 would tell me why.

Is it not violent enough? In other stories, is the BDSM too tame? If you ignore the posted cautions and the 'rape' tag, and you are voting it down because it has a rape ... then I don't understand.

In ch. 1&2 of Alex, we haven't even got to the dangerous part. Thank heavens you can't vote with a negative number.

Thus beginnith a tale of revenge, of personal growth, and on a simpler level, of a young girl who finds she has great power, but still can't get her virginity back.

I'm not going to try and force myself into a publishing schedule, because I have a regular life also, but it won't be too bad. I'm shooting for new chapter(s) every 1-2 weeks.

For those of you who don't like to read this kind of stuff, I apologize. I started writing a sexy story about Alex, but when she took hold of the page, it came out thus.

My next story (whenever that is) will be different yet again.

I seem to be stuck in a nonconformist rut. An NIS story that wasn't like other NIS stories. Fantasies that don't have real sex. Now a Master PC story that doesn't have anybody trying to control women into having 44DD's... Maybe I'll write next about a female who is cast back in time and ...

But that's another story.

In an act of tremendous hubris, bravery, and undisciplined 'why-the-hell-not', I am going to attempt to self-publish (on the 'net') Book 1 of Zeus & Io.

In order to do that, I figure I'll need 2 good editors -- one of whom I already have. They will be tasked with reading over my first draft (which is what you've all been reading here at SOL), and making style and content suggestions. Like: in the opening 'graphs of Chapter 1, there are 6 sentences in a row that start: "I (verb)" -- that has to go.

Some have said that I change POV too much, some didn't like the shift to 3d person on the "non central characters" chapters. Some like the POV fine, but it should be shorter, or fewer flashbacks, or more flashbacks, more characterization like I did early on with less action and more 'side trips' (like Carmella's Cantina, or the manageress of the apartment), less exposition, more exposition. Etc., Etc. This I will hope to get from my editors, and will lead to rewriting by me, maybe. Make that almost surely.

I'll also need a very picky proofreader. To go over the (almost) final drafts as they come out of the mill.

I do expect this to be a lengthy process. To make it better (ahem!), I can't pay you for the effort. So, if you fit one of these jobs, and are satisfied with a payment of "the editing team was ...", drop me a line.

Many thanks to my sharp eyed readers who noticed the gender slip in my use of Spanish in Chapter 12 (Book 2).

So much for the online spanish-english dictionary. 'La vida es muy Bien" is a direct quote from there.

Oh well. All's Bien that ends Bien.

No, Martinez has not contacted me.

Some time back, I asked for ideas for a 2nd (or subsequent) book Thanks for all the feedback. Keep it coming. Herewith is my feedback to all your feedback.

Superpowers I do not think anybody is going to develop any superpowers (invisibility, mind control, etc). Io is trying to become more human, and I think that's an admirable goal for all our heroes.

Religion I'm not going to have our guys/gals get involved with any organized religion. Although, hypocrisy is always a possibility for investigaton.

Politics We'll definitely -- no probably -- well, possibly -- have some interaction with the politicos. Unfortunately, I don't know enough about the politicians in other countries to make them world citizens, so it'll mostly be US.

Downloading Or..."How can Martinez talk to Io only in the car." No comment on having our heroes and heroines download into each others' brains. And I DO have it worked out already how Martinez can do that. No, it's not witchcraft, or Navajo magic.

5225 Well now. That storyline is not going to be resolved in this book. So we'll definitely see more of Melody A. and friends.

--------I'll stop here for now, 'cause this is too long already --------

Oh, a request. I need one or more of you who can sensibly advise me on how the internet backbone really works. Unfortunately, I can't contact Io on this point.