The Demise Of The Spinward Fringe Series Is Grossly Exaggerated

Thanks to a previous blog post, many people were left with the impression that Spinward Fringe would be coming to a close after Broadcast 7.

That's a miscommunication, it's not over! In fact, I'm sure I'll still be writing Spinward Fringe stories for a very long time to come.

What I was saying was that the current plot lines would be ending in Broadcast 7. Many of the characters would live on in the setting I've carved out over the last three years. Just like a well written television series (imagine one, if you will), many stories come to a close in the last episode of the season. Before the end of that episode you're given a reason to come back for the next season.

In the case of Spinward Fringe, that season begins with Broadcast 8. What do I have plans for? Right now, I have specific plans, preliminary writing and outlining for Broadcasts 8-11.

The release of those books (not the writing), depends on the demand for them. After the last few days I don't think there's a lack of demand, so you can expect to see those books as soon as they're ready.

I may work on something else while working on Spinward Fringe Broadcast 8, however, just to clear my head.

To summarize:
The Spinward Fringe series will not terminate after 7, it will go on.
I'll work on other books between Spinward Fringe novels.
Creative people can be confusing.
There's plenty of demand for the books, so they'll be released.
I'll still be writing Spinward Fringe books long after they've ceased to be popular.
Other books are coming AS WELL, I'm not quitting to write something else (as a few people seemed to think).

I'm honestly a huge fan of Spinward Fringe, and of the readership. The books are getting a slow overhaul so they are more presentable to future readers. With a table top role playing game in the early development stages, and a future laid out that includes the series at every step, I believe it has a future. There's also the anthology, which I'm hoping to begin development on late this year or early next.

Now, back to the Expendable Few and Broadcast 7, which I'm eager to complete so I can get them out to you and start on Broadcast 8.

Thank you for reading, and for joining me on this trip!

RL

Progress Report: The Expendable Few & Broadcast 7: Framework

Chapters of Spinward Fringe: Expendable Few stopped being sent to test readers weeks ago when the novel had to be re-developed. That sounds like a negative thing, like I'm saying that the book ran into big problems. That isn't the case here.

Everything the test readers and what people read on the leak thread remains the same. A very large chunk of the book is finished, and other than a last polish, it doesn't need any work. The rest is being written, things are coming together in more interesting ways than were originally planned.

That's what failed here, the original plan. Expendable Few could have been a nice, short trip that explained a few things about what has been going on in the background with Freeground as well as a few characters that have been running around between Broadcasts. At this point the story is gotten a little broader and, while it does fulfill the original goals, it also tells a better tale.

The connection the Expendable Few makes to Broadcasts 6-8 is much stronger than originally planned as well. At the same time, if someone were to forget to read this book and just read all the Broadcasts, then they wouldn't lack crucial information. Expendable Few is a side trip that pays dividends. That book is currently over 55,000 words long and will end up being a little over novella length.

That brings me to my next important update: The status of Spinward Fringe Broadcast 7: Framework. The development of this novel is ongoing, and I'm very happy with how things are turning out. The current manuscript is about 120,000 words long. I expect that there is about 30% - 40% left to write, and finishing Expendable Few will help a great deal in developing the last portion of the book properly. The ending is looking good so far, and so does the story behind Broadcast 8.

How closely are the books connected? I suggest everyone read Expendable Few before reading Broadcast 7. There will be some background there that will enrich the story. Will either book end in a cliffhanger? No.*

There are two other writing projects that are taking some time, but only a few minutes a day. One of them is directly connected to the Spinward Fringe series. I'm not ready to talk about it.

It's times like these that I really appreciate how difficult it is to be a regular reader, especially where series are concerned. Waiting for that next book is a pain. I especially feel that pain with George RR Martin's work. So, when someone asks; "When is Broadcast 7 coming out?" I have real sympathy, but I also work under the knowledge that writing a decent book takes time. Writing the last book in a series (or a major leg of a series), takes much more time. All I have to say about the big WHEN at the moment, is that I'll be able to offer a release date when my work on the final draft is done. I hope it's soon too. I've been working on these two books for a year now. That's a long time to hold in the details of Broadcast 7. Thank you for reading, and thank you for waiting.

RL

*Broadcast 7 will have a firm ending. It will also have the first chapter or two of Broadcast 8.

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