Paige Hawthorne: Blog

My latest story - - "Winter's Woes" - - is finished. So, ordinarily, the 17 readers still hanging around could proceed apace to the site and begin to … do whatever it is you do with a new Winter saga.

Except. "Woes" is now in the hands of the draconian Editorial Department in the basement of this building. I'll try to exert some damage control on the creative side, but that won't mitigate the time loss. No one knows when, nor if, the tale will ever surface.

Complicating the complications, one editor, thornfoote, had the temerity to write his own story - - "Retribution". My understanding is that his lips are so tired from reading his own prose that he needs some recovery time in a rehab clinic before turning to "Woes."

I checked "Retribution" out. It's actually not horrible. Not that you should read it. In fact, please don't. Heaven knows where some encouragement might lead the lad.

Paige

A 'Winter' fan reminded me that there are three ways for readers to voice their opinions on a story. Voting, of course. Second, there is the Comments section at the end of each story. And then there is the option to email an author - - directly or through the SOL internal process.

What about an additional method?

How about adding a public response mechanism to our blogs? In other words, give voice to those readers who would like their observations to be read in the SOL forum. Let them have the opportunity to post their opinions of a blog in the blog section itself.

My thinking is, that for one reason or another, my blogs draw more emails than my stories. And some of the responses are brilliant. Deserving of a wider jury.

It would mean simply allowing readers to publicly comment on a blog, just as they currently can do on a story.

I believe it would help inform and animate our site. Maybe.

Paige

I rebuff, absolutely reject, the vile speculation currently in vogue that many of my readers are too dim to figure out how to vote on the "Winter" stories. That's insulting to them and to the simplicity of this site's ballot-casting procedures.

As many of you know, I pay no attention to my reader scores, so this inquiry - - generated by a curious "Winter" reader - - is purely to invite impartial analysis by the scientific community.

My latest story, "Winter's Dilemma" has a little over 20,000 downloads. Not that many compared with popular writers here. The number of "Dilemma" votes cast is, at this moment, let me double-check, 235.

An earlier story, "Winter's Gamble" also had over 20,000 downloads. But received 496 votes. More than twice as many.

Why the contrariety? One theorist speculates that "Gamble" has been around several weeks longer than "Dilemma". If that's the sole explanation, then I guess SOL readers vote late and seldom. Which would contrast them with Chicago voters.

Any other hypotheses?

Paige

Okay, I'll kick things off. I write, first and foremost, for myself. Me, myself and I. Selfish? Natch. I write fiction because I enjoy it. It amuses me, sometimes even pleases me.

Of course I write also with a general audience - - you guys - - in mind. And that keeps me grounded, keeps me from becoming too precious, too self-satisfied.

Beyond that, I write with my real-life, 12-year old son in mind. He's my most passionate fan and really digs that I modeled Walker on him.

What about you boys? Who's your Muse?

Paige

Okay, "Winter's Dilemma" is finished. It's in my usual 12-chapter format with five of them posted so far. Which leaves … well, you can chess out the math.

My dilemma is a simple one. I have the next story written - - in my head. I even have a sort of logical outline typed out. But for some odd reason I can't get to really writing the story until I've finished posting the current one.

It's not writer's block, I don't think. Writer's blockhead maybe.

Anyone else with a similar affliction?

Paige