A Book That No-One Will See

Today I wrote five thousand words...words that almost no-one are ever likely to see. Well, I'm tempted to post them here, and may indeed do so, but these constitute a first draft that I didn't actually know I was writing. What I thought I was writing was the first part of a ten-thousand-word novella, the idea being to get to know a character and a world that I was putting together as part of a new series, but what I ended up doing instead was coming up with a new concept for a sword and sorcery series. (Once I add more sorcery, that is.) As I was writing it, well, the characters were speaking to me, the core concept of the story started getting interesting, and I decided that hell, this was the fantasy series I have been reaching for these last months.

Doing totally scrapped drafts is nothing particularly new. I did about three takes at Battlecruiser Alamo before the final version came through, none of which were finished. They got to the half-way stage before I decided to try again – it would be interesting to read the final versions in the alternate universe where I pressed ahead with that idea, I suppose. I've got them all saved somewhere, of course, and I might dredge them out someday – think there might be some traction in a 'books that never were' book? (Nope, I don't think so either.)

I'm giving myself a week or so to re-ponder the setting and flesh out the plot – taking it from a ten-thousand word novella to an eighty-thousand word book that is to be the first in a series is going to require a bit of work, obviously – but I do know that the 'Forgotten Frontier' series is going to be the one that runs parallel with Battlecruiser Alamo, with 'Mercia' being the historical epic that I am going to write afterward. That's getting to grow in scope beyond anything that I'm attempting at the moment...I've rather filed it as 'next year'.

So, serious progress being made, which is good. Frontier #1 to be written this month, Alamo #4 next month. I need to get some more books out there...though I need to write them first!

What, you want to see that five thousand words? Tell you what...if three people comment on this post that they want to see it, then I'll post it. There you are. Call that an incentive.