My job is to entertain you. That's how I see it. I don't do it for free, but I come pretty cheap. Lately I've been thinking about how I go about that.
For the most part I think I'm on the right course. I think and write my way through each novel until it's complete, try to improve the story and editing quality with each release, and make sure it's where you can find it at a fair price. Included in that price is an unspoken membership with a group of people who know all about Spinward Fringe, and I'm beside myself with joy at the sight of so many of you turning up on the Goodreads forum. Why? It's simple, I watch that board because it's there as a safety net suspended between book releases. I can keep in touch, read about your thoughts, and answer questions at length - I do tend to go on.
I think the Goodreads board is the best thing I've done since making Spinward Fringe Broadcast 0: Origins free. What's my next move? I'm going to continue developing the online store. It's important because there are a few people eager to get their hands on signed copies of the books or other objects, props especially. I'll be the first customer for most of the items you see, the second customers will be the drawing winners.
Despite these exterior things, which are more like a part time job, I'm continuing work on Spinward Fringe Broadcast 7: Framework. Why is it taking so long? The persistent need to write this book to my best ability, while pulling the trigger on everything I've been planning since Freeground (the first novella in Broadcast 0), has driven me to do extra research, an extra draft and behave as though this is the last book I'll ever write. Therefore, it has to be the best. Imagine setting up a field of fireworks. In the daylight it looks like you're planting rows of tubes and wires. Once you're finished and the sun goes down all that work pays off when the atmosphere is filled with a spectacular, explosive frenzy of light. That's what I'm going for with this book, and so far I'm pleased with what I have.
So if the peripheral things slow down for a while as I finish Broadcast 7 (the blog, Twitter, the store, etc...), then it's because I'm doubling and tripling the time I spend writing for weeks at a time. Broadcast 7 is rolling like a film in my head at this point, and I'm just trying to keep up.
One thing I forget while I'm working away is that few people see progress. I may have been developing the store for months now, but it's still not ready for launch, so there's nowhere to show what's been done so far. I've been working even harder on Broadcast 7 while taking notes on Broadcast 8 & 9 for about a year and nothing is ready for release. While that's completely normal for a novel, it also doesn't show progress. Two years ago I started work on The Sons Of Brightwill, and aside from a couple pictures popping up of the cover, fewer than half a dozen people have read any part of the book. Experiments in CGI have led to some good formative work and concept proofs in still images, but no one has seen those either since they're not quite there yet.
Other projects in early development include an encyclopedia, a side novel in the Spinward Fringe universe, two horror novels, a comedy, a small production company (budget permitting), and other boring legal stuff I have to take care of, but once that's out of the way, there's even more potential. It's what's hidden behind the scenes that tells me that 2011 will be a big year for Spinward Fringe and other creative pursuits.
Most of these projects are in their final stages or rolling on their own momentum, so you can expect the fruits of many labours. It was inevitable. As long as I keep working, various projects will mature until they're ready to see the light of day. I can't wait.
RL
[Thank you for accepting the Spinward Fringe series into your imaginations and bookshelves - be they digital or physical. Happy 2011!]
1 comment:
I voted!
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