So, after several years of inactivity, I’m writing again.
Before I get into the details, let me say that I’ve also been working on another project – a light edit of Lightning in a Bottle to fix typos and awkward phrasing. At the same time, I added a short blurb to Chapter 45 which resulted from reader feedback.
Over the years, three different readers have mentioned the same theoretical scene, citing it as an obvious occurrence, and questioned why I didn’t include it. After the third reader brought it up, I realized it was a missed opportunity. So, I went ahead and wrote it in to the story. It’s the new October 22, 1983 segment in Chapter 45. Don’t worry, it doesn’t affect the plot in the slightest. It’s just a short little blurb, a slice of life thing, that shows a fun aspect of Pat’s pre-knowledge of history (in particular, rock & roll history). While I was at it, I very briefly detailed a heretofore undescribed LiaB show, and took the opportunity to name-drop a few songs that readers have pointed out as egregious omissions from LiaB’s play lists.
Now, on to the new stuff. First of all, I’ve been working on a new story that, regrettably, I’ve had to put on the back burner for now. I’ve cranked out a prologue and four chapters. The story has time travel, post apoc, and sci-fi components. It’s about a female protagonist who gets transferred through time to a post-apocalyptic future. It’s a very ambitious undertaking, and sadly, it seems as though I’ve written myself into a corner.
As a reader, I’m a big fan of post-apocalyptic fiction, and I’ve always wanted to create a story of my own. The problem is, writing one of these post-apoc accounts – and in particular, the story I’ve crafted - seems to beg for an extensive knowledge of things like military tactics, firearms and ammunition, and I just don’t have a large knowledge base there. Unlike many authors here, I have no military experience. Continuing on with this story will require a great deal of research/education on my part, and I just don’t have the inclination for that at present. I’m similarly disinclined to attempt a major re-write. So, I’ve reluctantly shelved the story for now. It’s a shame, because I really believe this could end up being a great story. I will say that I hope to be able to go back and pick it up in the future.
At the same time that I shelved that story, I discovered that my muse was pulling me in a different direction. Almost on a whim, I found myself constructing a universe in my mind for a different story (or stories) set in the future. This was an enjoyable exercise, and it didn’t take long for me to switch gears and start working on another story.
I envision this endeavor to be a series of multiple short to medium length stories taking place nearly two hundred years in the future. There is no time travel here. Once again, it involves a female protagonist – actually two of them. They are detectives/spies, and also musicians. It’s generally lighter fare than the post-apoc stuff, and the subject matter is well within my comfort zone. Concentrating on shorter stories makes it much more likely that they’ll be completed. I will say that I’m unlikely to post anything until I reach the point where I’m 100% sure the story will get finished.
So, that’s the latest in my world. With any luck, I’ll have some new material in the near future.