Done Worm? Checking in and wondering what’s going on?
Pact, my second web serial, has drawn to a close, sitting at about 950,000 words. You can see my thoughts on it here.
I’ve now moved on to the writing of Twig, with the first chapter released just fourteen hours ago. Those who read the sample story Boil between the writing of Worm and Pact may see familiar elements – critiques of Boil often said they liked the world but weren’t grabbed by the character, who was perhaps a little similar to Taylor. In Twig, I’ve aimed to keep what worked and rework what didn’t, and early reception seems positive.
The editing on Worm continues, and my original estimations seem to be pretty on target. It’s slow going, generally harder than writing is on its own, but I’m making headway. Unlike the writing of a serial, there isn’t a defined finish line, but I’ve been cleaning up the language and tightening things up in regular sweeps of the work, and making notes on the major aspects of Worm that I just want to redo altogether, ideally keeping all the good and rewriting the rougher or outright bad stuff.
For those who haven’t seen my sentiments and thoughts elsewhere, it’s probably going to be a self-published venture, though I’m leaving the door open for other opportunities. No less than 15 individual startups and small publishers have reached out to me in the past year, but it’s a bit of a minefield, and while some have piqued my interest, I’ve committed to nothing. To assuage the inevitable worries – I fully intend to talk to lawyers and other professionals before jumping on board with anything.
My preference is to avoid making promises I might not end up keeping, so any dates or times are entirely up in the air, but I’d like to think that by the close of Twig, you’ll be hearing some noise from me about moving onto the next phase of things with a Worm ebook series, complete with some rewritten sections and new additions, and also possibly starting (or raising funds for) a print run.
Thanks for your continued support.