Greetings, Darklanders!
I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything. To that end, I thought I’d put together a quick update post for anyone who is wondering what I’m up to (or if I’m even still alive).
What I’ve Been Up To:
Since “The Liberation Paradox” published back in September, I’ve been working on the next major story in the Introductions to the Darklands Series. The next story is called “Conflagration,” and it introduces us to Erin and Lyssa, two very different young women who forge a strong friendship in adversity. But don’t worry; it’s no touchy-feely, heartwarming story. It’s me writing it, so you know what that means: profanity, violence, ‘splosions, pirates, spaceplanes, and shady characters aplenty—all the things that make reading fun!
The first draft of “Conflagration” is about half complete and is coming along SOOOOO well! It’s exciting and I just love the characters I’ve come up with. I can’t wait to share it with you!
We’ve been receiving Transmissions from the Void.
I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce you to a forthcoming short story series I’m working on!
In addition to the Introductions novella series, I’m planning on releasing the occasional short story which will also take place in the Darklands universe. This short story series is called Transmissions from the Void and I expect these stories to be about 5-10 pages in length. Some of these shorts will involve characters we’ve already met in the Introductions stories. Some of the shorts will expand upon those stories we already know, while others will be completely free-standing adventures featuring our favorite characters. Still other shorts will feature their own cast of characters and adventures completely unrelated to any other story in the Darklands universe. One thing is for certain: ALL stories will be cannon and ALL shorts (just like the novellas) will be free to download. Why are they free? Because I love you, that’s why.
The release schedule for the Transmissions series will be…well, whenever I feel like it. I’ll just put one of these short stories out whenever I need a mental health break from the much heavier lift that is the Introductions series or whenever I don’t have the time to work on the main story series.
The first of these shorts, called “Paying Dues,” will come out in the near future. It’s nearly completed and tells the story of a bonus adventure that Sallie Starlinger went on shortly after the end of “Built to Last.” I thought it was completed a few weeks ago, but an alpha reader (you know who you are) brought to my attention some pretty egregious flaws in the story. I’m in the process of rewriting it and it’ll be out soon™.
Alpha Readers Are The Real Heroes Of Any Story!
While we’re on the subject of alpha readers, I want to thank my alpha readers. You guys keep me on a stabilized approach. I can’t stick this landing without you!
Writing Checks.
Those of you who’ve read my previous releases know that each of those stories has unfinished subplots and questions that don’t get answered. What exactly went wrong on The Comb? Who built Sallie and why? Who is “Papa?” What is the story with Danny Jake’s mother? What is the significance of Dan Valentine? And what the heck is an S.P.O.B.?
Rest assured, those questions are all left open intentionally and for good reason. I’m a big believer in outlines and I have a master plan for this series. All of this is going somewhere and each of the Introductions stories is laying the foundation for the book series to follow.
Writing a very long-form story like this requires setting up a lot of things over a long period of time. Publishing stories with unanswered questions is like writing a check. A check isn’t really money itself; it’s a promise of a future payout. I promise you there is creative capital in the account to cover all the proverbial checks I’m writing.
All those questions will be answered, and we can all enjoy some fun, crazy stories along the way.
Thanks for reading–Sarah