New readers — welcome! This blog is where I set up feedback threads for the latest draft story in progress. Every week, I post new scenes! Right now I’m up to story #9. You should probably start at story #1, though.
Current readers — Here’s the really big finish to the story. Voices are raised, things get destroyed, lives are changed forever, etc.
Your vol002 poll responses inspired me to change the setting of the final scene to somewhere more… interesting. So, pat yourselves on the back for that one. I know that many creative sorts loathe the idea of letting readers vote on story outcomes or anything like that, but I like to see reader feedback as helping ignite my fire and guide my path. Now, I CAN disagree and go my own way… but far more often my readers steer me true and I prefer where things ended up. The series just wouldn’t be as good if you all sat on your hands and stayed quiet.
This wraps up Penelope’s first clash with reality. Until now she’s largely skulked about on her own personal quest in the Sideways, against mythic foes. Now she’s got a deeper and more nuanced adult world to deal with… while also facing mythic foes, I suppose. Growing up is tough business.
Next week I may or may not have a story update for y’all. The issue is that I have three incomplete options ahead of me:
- Cleanup on Aisle 10, a story that’s been cooking since volume 001. This is the most likely next step but it’s ENTIRELY original characters (having Penny here may soften that blow), and the middle of the plot isn’t quite finished yet.
- No Carrier, a Kelsey focused story. And… that’s all I got. I’m not sure what happens, just that the readers really want a Kelsey focused story and I do actually want to tell one. Things like “plot” will hopefully follow in my mind.
- A VIP story about the modern news media industry in the City, as requested by one of my $100+ Kickstarter backers. Still pondering the plot on this one although I’ve got some great ideas of where it can go. (Shouldn’t someone wonder what happened to Seth Dougall…?)
All plausible, yet not all of them really ready for prime time. That plus a lot of really gnarly health issues I’m going through right now kinda keeps me from diving right in and being productive. So, next week may lay fallow, but the crop we plant afterwards will be stronger for it. And besides… I may have a little something fun for you next weekend anyway. We’ll see.
009 is in the can. Your thoughts, now that you’ve read the whole thing?
Stefan "Twoflower" Gagne's Creative Writing Zone 
So, after I finished this, I let it sit for a day, and then read it again. It really flows well from section to section. And I found the ending quite scary.
Standing up to repeated readings is definitely a good sign. Thanks! I appreciate the feedback.
The original version of the story began and ended the same way, but had NO Penny in it at all. I had no middle in mind yet, though, so I figured she could fit there. Looks like the end result worked.
This chapter sets up Penny’s next adventure. It’s kind of funny when you consider that she wasn’t even in the first rev of the story. I also felt that this chapter was very cinematic-it was easy to envision the world you write.
It won’t be a direct link, but Penny has indeed launched the ship that will eventually crash into an iceberg of doom. After all, Ellie’s bandmates are now gone and she’s flying solo — and here’s this news article suddenly getting notice which praises her while condemning her bandmates…
Glad to hear about the cinematicness. I often neglect to, oh, DESCRIBE things, particularly characters. Of course, the advantage of text is that usually the reader connects up some things in their mind from past memories and decides “Okay, so this room looks like this because I remember a room that looked like this.” For instance I could describe Destiny’s bedroom or the balcony at the Lucid Dreamer more, but in my mind they’re Dodger’s bedroom and the concert set from Scott PIlgrim vs. the World. In your mind, they may be something else entirely, and I want to support that rather than overriding it.