Author’s Log: Apocalyptic Plot Bunnies Ahoy (& #ROW80)
Call me…The Bunny Chaser.
The Plot Bunny Chaser, that is.
So there I was, making with the scribbly-scribble on Origins #2, when I decided to take a brief–and fateful–research detour to verify my fuzzy knowledge of the years Prohibition was in effect. Chicago during that time (aka The Al Capone years) was incredibly violent, as anyone who’s seen The Untouchables can attest.
Now, I love research. And history. These are the second best things to writing itself, and go hand in hand. Yes, my Keepers of the Flame and its companion series (seri?) take place in the near future at the advent of the Apocalypse, but the precusors of the future lie in today’s current events, and the history that came before. But I digress.
I thought, mistakenly, this little fact-checking detour would be a quick hit. Then…BOOM! Plot Bunny at 60 miles an hour. Man, those little buggers are quick. And annoying, if useful in that inconvenient way some of the very best ideas have. This one was a lightning rod. CURSE YOU, GOOGLE!
In my search the Saint Valentine’s Massacre came up–and mystery that was never solved, and had all to do with the gang warfare generated (and escalated) over illegal licquor. (I lived in Wisconsin for a long time, both in Milwaukee and in a college town not far from one of Capone’s smuggling routes–there was even a speakeasy still going within spitting distance of my first Milwaukee apartment, where I met my husband. But I digress. Again.)
Anyhoo, the mystery was never solved, and as I got caught up in the story (er, history) surrounding the Massacre, it hit me–what if Callie (intrepid heroine of Brighid’s Mark) could have stopped it happening, but didn’t? Because, yanno, hindsight being 20/20 and all that.
Suddenly, I had a whole new ACT I to Origins #2.
Son of a wascawy wabbit. And other, not-so-nice words.
So that’s what I’m working on. Believably (I dearly hope) weaving history and demons to create the champion who battles a Greater Demon in Brighid’s Mark. I knew there was a deep, dark secret in her past–and now I know what it is.
Mind, it would have been nice if Callie had confided in me before Keepers #2 was in the final stages of release. But she never was one who trusted easily–and now I know why.
As her mentor Eva tells her in Brighid’s Mark, “It’s a lonely thing, Callie-girl. But it doesn’t have to be.”
In other news, I’ve been posting chapters of Origins #1 to Wattpad several times a week, which seems to be working well, and I’m averaging about 100 downloads per month on Perma-Free over at Smashwords (in fact, I just broke 200), while my temporary 0.99 run for a month garnered minimal sample downloads but nothing else. So there’s that.
Production Schedule (& ROW80)
ORIGINS #1 (Drafting): I’m a little behind on production on this, because of the aforementioned, unexpected Plot Bunnies. But I should still be able to release on time. And, if all goes well, I should be able to reveal cover art this week–YAY!
SEARCHER (In Development): We’re outlined and more or less ready to start rolling on drafting next month. SO EXCITED. See? *excitement*
MINSTREL’S DAUGHTER (In Revision): I’m deep into ACT I revisions, and have started workshopping chapters on the Online Writers Workshop for Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror. I’m looking forward to getting feedback–it’s important I nip any potential problems in the bud. And thanks to Scrivener, if I play my cards right revisions should be painless, for the most part. *more excitement*
How about you guys? How are you wrapping up ROW80 this round?
