Newsletter Worthy

In my monthly newsletters, I have said a LOT of inconclusive stuff about (what has become plural) novels I am working on.

About a month ago, after a couple of steady years of building beautiful content, I took a break from a novel I call N3. My problem isn’t with N3, but with a novel in my past that I called Mothership. I “completed” Mothership in 2022, and for s reading, foisted it off onto two generous people who quite authentically thumbs-downed Mothership’s M/S.

But flunking gave me confidence that 1. Those two readers won’t shine me on, and 2. Even if I dodge the truth artfully, I actually DO have a clear vision of my own stories’ flaws.

I knew it all along - that there was a BIG problem with Mothership.

To Mothership’s flaws: from about half way through the original writing, I began to be nagged viciously by the sense that I was writing two stories at once - two independent venues of action with no story-wise, motivational connection worth more than a Pez candy.

But here I am, on 11/25/24 exactly where I want to be in any story - anxious to see what happens in Mothership.

For the first time ever, I am able to connect Mothership’s original pair of action venues in such a way that my feral imagination is captivated by an unknown, fascinating - and essentially romantic outcome.

And best of all, I am not depending on a plot contrivance, but a simple, genuine mistake made by a consistently “bad man” character.

Pretty stoked over here.