Shamed by Longshot's status of "incomplete and inactive" on SOL, I've returned to writing, posting chapter 15 yesterday.
My absence was solely due to a change in personal priorities: deciding to work on illustration left me with little time for writing. Ironically, my decision to concentrate on visual art was partly inspired by Longshot itself: while it's my goal to bring scenes to life through words, I'd very much like to add illustrations to each chapter. My artwork skills still fall short of the quality I'd like, but I feel that I'm getting close. However, I didn't want the delay in my own growth to forestall reader's potential enjoyment of the novel any longer.
Chapters 16 and 17 are ready to go, and I plan to publish them Thursday and Saturday, respectively. This schedule should provide me with the opportunity to complete scenes in chapters 18 and 19. While the three chapters after that are ready to publish, the remainder of the first section of Longshot still needs extensive work before it can be posted. With luck and fortitude, I should have the ability to finish off the first third of the novel ("Flight") and post at least one chapter of the next ("Coast") before other work fully occupies my attention.
As before, I plan to add "Author's Notes" blog entries covering chapters as they are published. These function as a guide and behind-the-scenes look at story creation until maps, illustrations and a glossary can be provided; you can expect to see the first of those in the next few days.
To the many of you who have written during my absence and upon my return, my sincere thanks: I will be replying to all I can.
Sincerely,
D.