Hello, you beautiful people. I just posted chapter 7 of The Protégé, and the first 13 chapters of my latest novel, The Libertine.
The Libertine has actually been in development for almost three years now. I started writing it in late 2019, and by early 2020 I'd completed the first draft, at well over 200k words. Then it sat, unedited, for a couple years while I focused on other things. In the meantime, I wrote The First Timers Club, which you can find here on SOL.
Around the time I wrapped up TFTC, I began writing The Protégé. The first six chapters poured out of me in just a few days. At that pace, I wondered if I could finish it inside of a month, since I expect it to be a shorter novel, but as the plot became more intricate, I realized I needed to do some outlining to make sure I connected all the threads, and hit all the story beats that will lead to a satisfying conclusion.
Concurrently, I also dusted off The Libertine, which is a story I love. Rereading it with a critical eye, however, revealed some plotting issues in the first half. Plus, the damn thing was just way too long. But I spotted a clear breaking point right at the midpoint, and made the decision to divide the work into two books, each well over 100k in length, and began extensive edits and rewrites of book one.
That work is nearly complete, and I felt the opening chapters were strong enough to share as a kind of teaser. I have several more finished chapters in the hopper, ready to post, but I've decided to release these novels as serials, instead of all at once.
I realize that serializing a novel is a point of contention between writers and readers. Readers don't want to invest time in a novel that never finishes. On the flip side, writers want their words read by the most number of people.
I released The First Timers Club as a complete, 180k word novel, that garnered an 8.4 rating (thank you to those who voted), but barely managed 6k downloads. I'd honestly rather have a lower rating and more readers, because that's why I write. For you, the reader.
Therefore, I've decided to release both The Protégé and The Libertine Parts 1 and 2 as serials, in the hopes that I can reach a wider audience, and perhaps entice readers to explore my back catalog. I can assure you skeptics out there that all three of these novels will be concluded. I'm a fast writer (3-5k+ words per day), so you shouldn't have long to wait. I have no set schedule for release. Chapters will be posted as they're completed.
To those who've taken the time to comment and rate, I can't thank you enough. Your feedback lets me know that my work is appreciated. I will be releasing a new chapter for each book in the next day or two, so please stay tuned!