Update Link: Scars – Part 18

Well, first week of updating in the evening in the bag, and so far so good. Let’s just hope I can keep going once I’m back at work, lol, and I’ve been dealing with middle schoolers.

I was planning some Patreon perks for next week, and I had a thought. I’ve had a few people over the last two years (since I really made an effort with the Patreon) ask if they could get a copy of the draft for whatever the tier cost. I’d give them my Paypal, and then email the copy. I know there are some of you who just don’t want to do a recurring donation (which is absolutely fine), so I’ve been thinking of ways to open up Patreon benefits in different ways.

Would anyone be interested in a way to get drafts if it involved just a one time purchase? No story of mine is ever behind a permanent paywall — Patreons get early access and copies of the story that change a lot as I move between drafts, but finalized versions are always released for free. Let me know, and I’ll look into getting something together.

See you tomorrow for another update of Scars! (I’m catching up from the two Tuesdays I missed)

Update Link: Watch Me Burn – Part 9

Hope everyone is having a good day! I’ve been overwhelmed by the Mad World feedback — I’m so glad everyone liked how the book concluded. I still have to finish formatting the ebook and do a final round of typos, so it won’t be the last you hear of it, but we’re done with it for now.

Just a reminder that next Wednesday is August 31, so the summer schedule ends. There will be no updates on Thursday, September 1, and then I’m back on Friday for the new weekend schedule.

I finished the plot sketch for Fool Me Twice, Book 2 today, which is the last step before chapter breakdown. I spent a year yelling at this book, so it’s great that it’s finally on the right track. I’ll have more information on that this Sunday.

Update Links: Mad World, Book 4 – Chapter 115 & Epilogue

A long time ago, practically in another life, Ric married Alexis. I sat at home wondering what would happen if Elizabeth had walked in on him marrying another woman with their divorce barely finalized. That was November 2004, and I was still a pantser. I wrote that scene and then continued writing about other characters, and without really thinking about it, I added a scene between Brooke Lynn and Diego. Brooke’s sexual assault is the only real thread that ties the original Mad World from the Fiction Graveyard to this series, but without that scene added randomly when I was 20, I wouldn’t have written these books.

Mad World was only ever supposed to be one book — a story about a serial rapist set in the aftermath of the panic room.  It continued to grow until it was four books, more than a hundred chapters, and over half a million words in length. These were the first books I wrote where I completed the entire story before posting, something I’ve always wanted to do because it allowed me to really edit, add, or cut scenes.

In Book 2, at the end, Dante visits Vinnie in jail — that scene wasn’t in the original draft (I wrote the entire book completely forgetting Vinnie and Dante were cousins because I only used it as a story excuse for Dante being in Port Charles!). But without that scene, Dante’s story in the next two books doesn’t exist.  The majority of Book 3 wasn’t planned — but now I can’t imagine the series without those chapters, without really exploring the aftermath of the serial rapist.

I’m incredibly proud of this insane series, and I want to thank you guys for going on the journey with me and for falling in love with characters who weren’t Jason and Elizabeth. It meant a lot to me. If you get to the end of the book, I hope you’ll give me a quick reply. I’d love to hear what your favorite part was.

It’s time to close the book on this mad, mad, mad world.

Update Link: The Last Time – Scenes 19-20

Got a little bit of a late start on this tonight — had a massive migraine and my TMJ was acting up, so I took some meds and a nap. Only writing for half hour.   If you’re subscribed to the update lists, you’ll get two emails tomorrow. Usually when Mad World updates on the same day as Flash Fiction, I just wait to do the links at the same time. But since it’s the last one and my updates for Flash Fiction are at night, I’ll be doing two posts.

 

Update Links: Scars – Part 17 | Mad World, Book 4 – Chapter 114

Had my last doctor’s appoint of my summer vacation today — and got the results of my MRI. It’s what she thought last month, but she was able to get a more finalized diagnosis. I have arthritis in my neck cased by degenerative disc disease, and there’s a possibility that I’ll have issues with my left arm in the future. Just super fun, really. No real treatment beyond managing the pain at this point. It’s just a condition I’ll be living with for the rest of my life, trying to keep it from getting worse. I have my appointment for the pain management clinic, but they can’t see me until October. Getting old is stupid.

Second to last update of Mad World went live today. We’ll finish up with Chapter 115 and the epilogue on Thursday.

Update Link: Invisible Strings – Part 9

Today is the first day of the new weekday schedule — Flash Fiction updates will be made in the evening. I’ll start writing around 7 PM (some nights I might do 6:30 PM) and post an hour later.  This is only for Flash Fiction — we’re done posting daily on August 31. Updates shift to Friday-Sunday, then Monday will be added in November when I launch Counting Stars. That’ll be posted at 7 AM with an update post going live at the same time. Hopefully that makes sense.

Two weeks from tomorrow, we’re back at school with the kiddos. Can’t decide if I’m excited yet, lol. I’m back to work for teacher prep days on September 1.

I can’t believe Mad World ends this week! Chapter 114 goes live tomorrow morning at 7 AM and the conclusion on Thursday!

Update: Watch Me Burn – Part 8

Does anyone else have, like, six stages of doing laundry? My washer/dryer is in the basement, so I feel like, Day 1  -take laundry to first floor; Day 2- actually do laundry; Day 3 – redry clothes so they’re not wrinkled and bring them to first floor to fold; Day 4 bring clothes to second floor; Day 5 – bring to bedroom; Day 6 – actually put them away. Just in time to start the nightmare again. And it’s exclusively a summer thing — I have no issues during the school year. Maybe it’s because my brain knows I can wear yoga pants, so it’s not like I need the clothes.

Anyway 😛 Tomorrow, I’m going to attempt to do Flash fiction at 7 PM to get my writing energy going in the evening — I want to do more writing at night during the school year.

Update Links: Scars – Part 16 | Mad World, Book 4 – Chapter 113

Hope everyone is having a good weekend. I’m going into my final full week of summer and only two doctor’s appointments the entire week, one of which is remote, so yay for that. No MRIs or CTs or anything else that’s made this a crappy summer vacation. I’m getting the MRI results on Tuesday for my back and neck, which is the next step to finally starting treatment. Nothing like having to wait 16 months, but at least we’re on the right track.

This upcoming week, I may start experimenting with switching Flash Fiction up a bit. Instead of writing at 10 AM and posting at 11, I’ll start writing at 7 PM and posting at 8. I’ll be updating on Fridays this fall for the first time in a few years, so I want to start reworking my schedule to adjust to being back to work. Saturday & Sunday will remain at 10 AM because I do like getting it out of the way on weekends.

Only two more days of updates for Mad World! Chapter 114 goes live at 7 AM on Tuesday, Aug 23 and Chapter 115 & Epilogue, Thursday, Aug 25. Still insane to me that we’re almost done. Sorry about the cliffhanger, lol. It’s the biggest one in the entire series, and it’s on a Saturday, with two days until the next chapter. Whoops.

See you tomorrow!

Update: Counting Stars – Chapter 4 Excerpt

As I said yesterday, I really wasn’t sure what kind of headspace I’d be in today. Lauren’s service was beautiful, and her dad gave a really beautiful eulogy. He shared some really fun memories, including the night we watched the debate in his basement back in 2012 and how we stayed up until 2 AM at his house for the election. He and Lauren’s mom were always so generous with their homes and their energy, like a second set of parents.

The whole London family came, and that was really special. We’re scattered across a few states now, so unfortunately we only get together for weddings and, now, funerals. The last time we were all together was Ammar’s wedding in September 2020, and Lauren’s in 2016. We went out afterwards and told stories and shared memories most of us hadn’t thought of in years. I’m really blessed to have so many amazing friends and that we can still get together like no time has passed. As good as last night was, we keenly felt Lauren’s absence, and I know we will for years to come.

No flash fiction, but I wanted to post something today. We only have a few chapters left of Mad World, and tomorrow’s chapter has a cliffhanger that I didn’t want to stretch another day, so I’m pulling one of my favorite scenes from Counting Stars. I haven’t edited it yet (and it used to be in Chapter 3), but it’s one of my favorites in this first act. I shared a piece of this a few days ago on Twitter, so it was a good one for today.  Counting Stars will be published starting November 7, with four chapters posted on Mondays until its completion.

Update Link: Watch Me Burn – Part 7 | Mad World, Book 4 – Chapter 112

It feels so strange, knowing that we’re a week away from the end of Mad World. I’ve lived with this project so long, it just doesn’t compute. A reminder that I am doing a read through for typos and continuity errors, so I can create a final set of ebooks (I will also update the chapters on the site), so if you notice any, don’t hesitate to let me know.

Lauren’s service is tonight, and I’ve been asked to speak. I’m not really sure where my head is going to be after this or when I’ll be home tonight, so I’ll just note in advance that Scars might not happen tomorrow. If that happens, I still have one more free Saturday before we go into the fall schedule, so it won’t throw us off that final completion date. I won’t post about it or anything. If it doesn’t go up, I’m not writing.

In more positive news, I’ve been working really hard on my Discovery project, and this week has been a big breakthrough on Fool Me Twice, Book 2. I’ve finished plotting 75% of the book, and just have to finish up Act 3. Then I’ll move into Chapter breakdown. If I don’t write it this fall, I will definitely be tackling it as the next project, so it should be out next summer.