I’ve been quiet lately, as I’ve been fairly swamped.
I have not, however, been unproductive. Even with the added medical load and more hours at work, I have still been persistently coming back around to the WIP (that I didn’t even intend to be more than a 3K-word-example in a conversation with friends) explaining why reverse harem would shake out differently in real life than the friends I was arguing with believed it would. Because, you know, art is a conversation… sometimes with the artists we drew inspiration from, sometimes with our alpha readers, sometimes just with our subconscious, working out the problem within the constraints we set it.
Said argument, which finally I have to admit is a WIP even though I’ve stubbornly titled it Thread Drift From (Channelname), just passed 79K. I’m going to finish this thing, even though the conversation wandered on to other topics months ago, because even though it’s managed to pull in how changing family dynamics would alter the economy and the culture, and go far more in-depth than anybody ever intended, it’s also gotten to the marriage and the firefights (What? Oh, yeah, my brain didn’t just decide on closed door, it decided on running screaming straight into carnage), and I’m curious how I’m going to pull off getting to a happily ever after between all the stresses on the relationship and close quarters combat (not in zero-g, though, I refuse to do that much research for this book.)
Of course, since this is the second non-standard-for-me story in a row, my alpha readers are starting to ask very uncomfortable questions, like “So, what pen name are you going to use to release these?”
Yeah, no. That’s a problem for a different day. Right now I have to tackle taking down a space pirate’s base…
Because writing combat that’s done correctly enough to satisfy combat vets is still easier than that backend bit of publishing.
I’m so glad I write as a hobby. At least I don’t have the stress of a publishing schedule blown by years at this point, or the electric bill depending on me being able to play a genre straight and stick to a popular series. Instead, I have a calendar of twelve months of divers flipping off various species of fish, and sparkling metallic star stickers for every day I write splattered all over the month.
I contemplated running screaming into the night. Instead, I’m getting stuck in and getting it finished. Hopefully I learn something along the way and grow as a writer, so when I get back to what I intended the next book to be, it’ll be easier and better.
Onward!
Mad Genius Club 
5 responses to “Persistence”
Wait! This author has pen names? Would someone please share? I’ve read and read again and am waiting impatiently for the next work to go public. If there is work by this gifted author hiding in the electronic hinterlands or used book stores I will gleefully attempt to chase it down. Thank you.
Not yet, but my alpha readers including my husband keep suggesting puns and worse… And my cover artist has cleared her throat meaningfully at me…
So apparently the learning exercise and Thread Drift (once it’s finished) are going to be going out into the world, and I will get to turn several shades between scarlet and crimson at cons when that’s brought up.
I mean, most of my alpha readers are on the internet; they can’t give me meaningful looks over food. But when my cover artist, who just fed me coffee and cinnamon rolls this morning, and conspired with me on how to stock a planned water feature in her yard with an ornamental plant that’s actually a critical part of a South African dish for my husband… and said husband… have decided these are getting published, well, protesting is, as the British phrase goes, just farting against thunder. Might as well try to make the cat not wake me up and demand danegeld at 0400 hours…
Should I Ever manage to finish the story that has been in development since 2012…. my husband has promised to stand beside me with a smug smile and insist that he has been my only research partner for the smutty bits.
Reverse Harem . . . as it would actually play out . . .
“Oh, Dorthy Grant, no!”
(Similarly to John Ringo’s fav revue’s refrain . . .)
Also, take my money!
The only time I’ve ever seen “reverse harem” work is in Paint Your Wagon. Eagerly awaiting your take on the topic.
I really appreciate how your “tactically correct romance” novels leave anything more than the kissing off-screen, but the violence is all on-screen. Sort of like the PG movies from the 1970’s.