Lucky number fourteen! Only this one’s a little different. Much to your surprise? Before we go any further, please let me point this out: at least it has a cover. That’s something, right? {8′>
Thing is, it’s not really a short story. It may turn out to be a novel, or a novella. I’ll try to make it interesting as we go along…but the plot has barely started here. Even though this is about 50% longer than most of my short stories so far.
Originally I thought I’d do a bunch of independent stories, and I guess I’ve committed a few. But now there’s this thing, and also there’s the Marvin stuff, so…I guess they’re turning out to be a couple of serial novels? A chapter or two at a time, maybe? While I’m simultaneously working on writing actual intended-to-be novels. Hmm. Logical behavior, as you can clearly see, is not one of my strong points. As a writer anyway. I start typing and stuff happens. Which is, I guess, better than typing and having nothing happen. Maybe you folks will let me get away with pretending it’s that sort of a binary choice–worth a try, I figure. {8′>
Please let me know how interested you are (or aren’t!) in finding out more about this one. I’ll give you a mini-spoiler here: the protagonist’s name is Destiny. Not that she gets to use it much. I’d love to pick this one up again sometime soon, but if I’m the only one who likes her it may not be worth the effort.
Kind of a cool idea from my perspective: gauge reader interest before completing a novel. How does it look to you?
Destiny’s Dance: Prologue
Destiny (school name: Melissa) is nearing adulthood. She’s looking forward to taking her place among those who work to make life possible for the rest of the world: the Employed. Of course she may not qualify, or may end up doing something she doesn’t like. It’s not really up to her. But she has high hopes, and is working hard to master the skills she may need.
[REDACTED 10/12/2015]
I’m making many of my stories Amazon-only for a while. Their “Kindle Unlimited” deal is very nice for short fiction. I hate to leave people out if they prefer buying stuff at non-Amazon sites, but…(1) nearly all sales and downloads, for me, have always come from Amazon, (2) while I’ve had issues with Amazon, they’ve been very responsive in dealing with them, (3) I can’t say that for any other online distributor (well, Smashwords is actually pretty nice), and (4) this may boost visibility at Amazon…kind of the core of my business. If you really really hate the idea, please let me know.
David,
A very loud, resounding , jumping up and down YES! Please continue Destiny’s Dance. I was so entertained and must know what she does. When you start typing and stuff happens the stuff is GOOD! Every part of this story sounds plausible for 2019 and like I said about the Google chip it’s very scary! Juneau agrees with your writing mind set it seems to me. 🙂
Cool! That’s one vote. I saw what you posted about the Google Chip–very funny. I didn’t even know the Weekly World News was online, though I should’ve. When I was a kid (maybe 11) I saved a bunch of papers like that in a drawer, thinking they’d be valuable someday…’cause the world would become more rational, somehow, at some point. Boy was I wrong!
And Juneau’s been great. I actually wrote most of the first draft of Shiver here, once upon a time. I remember finishing it, then stepping off our boat & watching sea lions frolic. Thinking: “Hmm…” {8’>
Please re-add me to any notification lists you have.
Thanks.
Heather, on Wattpad with @wordwan and @readerbase
Hmm. I added you to my blog subscription list, and fixed some code that had broken my Contact form. I think you had subscribed via WordPress, which worked until a few weeks ago because I had my site linked to wordpress.com.
Two subscribers told me they got spammed right after signing up that way, though, so I broke the link between this site and wordpress.com. I thought I’d migrated you to the other list already, but I guess not. Sorry about that! :-/
-D
Excellent beginning! I certainly want to read more of this. Let me know when you have the finished work.
Thanks! I’ll do that. Trying to figure out a schedule for this stuff now… {8’>