My Journey as an Author - 20

I recently posted a short story, Lady of the House, over at Ecency. For someone new to the platform, it has done well. I am quite pleased. Hopefully, it will provide the additional resources I need to post my serialized fiction in a timely manner.

My goal with Ecency, and Hive, was to have an additional platform to develop my brand with some serial fiction. Posting regularly would attract a following, allowing for better result for the release of my books. It may be slower than I wanted, but looks like it will still advance, which is all that I need.

Unfortunately, it does not look like I received a response from Simily for last month. It is possible they will reply the end of this month, but I am less assured of hearing back. It irks me a little, since I am confident in my abilities, and believe what I will post there is at least up to their standards. I am not interested in writing low quality filler.

Although Simily has set me back a little, I have had some great success on Medium. I recently posted a piece under my new account and already got 53 claps. Chasing Gold, the name of the autobiographical travel piece is doing very well, and gives me confidence that I can build a proper following on the platform. Usually, it takes longer, so my success is a bit of a pleasant surprise. If I did want to monetize, I would need to pay for membership, but that is a possibility. I think my articles there could average a 1000 views, which more than covers $5 a month.

We will see.

Today, I have focused on Hat Trick completely. I am working on the chapter intros, as I include an unrelated bit of story narrative before each chapter, which builds out lore and answers questions, or helps establish mysteries ahead of their introduction.

It is a difficult process, as a little goes a long way. The trick is to be subtle, and to arrange them in the right order. I think a few may be out of place, and I will likely need a final passthrough or some outside opinion to lock down their order. In some cases, it is pretty clear, but others are up in the air, or may benefit from some slight reworking.

In all, I am trying not to spend too much time. I want to complete my outlining and prep for NaNoWriMo, but that will not take the full month, so I do have extra time to dedicate to polishing up Hat Trick.

As for my outline, I am slightly up in the air. I am thinking of writing Snake Charmer, a story idea I have had for a bit, which is roughly established. But I am also considering Moot Crucible, A Night Not to Remember, or something else. The last is most intriguing, as it is new ground.

Regardless, I need to lock down a theme. I like to hinge my story on a central premise, and let everything reflect and echo that core idea and its invariable questions, from the inner conflict of characters to the language and setting. Not only does it create a neat structure for the reader to experience, but it keeps the writing focused on my end. Everything leads back to that center question, idea, or truth, and becomes a self-supporting argument that makes sense.

There are some basic themes that are well used, such as those dealing with friendship. I could potentially use a variant, and work with rivalry, and the need to be prodded from our safe and cozy spaces to achieve more, or something with out-of-the-box thinking and solutions. It could also deal more with the main character Bren, and his own struggles.

Bren Arnette is a character that is not entirely good or evil, but as a hero entirely practical, and a little cunning. He succeeds based on effort, dedication, and personal industry. I wanted someone that is an example of virtues, not necessarily a model for living. The theme might then work along the lines of balance, or necessity, or being true to himself and his needs. In his case, these are not as one expects. Balance is being more evil, and being true to himself is embracing that side.

Of course, a simple theme might prove more effective, given the shorter length of the novel. It may be best to tackle a question. Exploring value is a reasonable option. I might choose some aspect of the setting, and help characters learn the value, good and evil of that, as it relates to their experience. The live in the city of Borden and call it home, but what is Borden, or home, and is it good, or does it fall short of their needs. This is great when looking to expose secrets, or overlooked deficiencies.

I will try to lock it down in the next few days, and tell you all about it.