It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these, so here’s a roundup of all my various works in progress and what their status is. In order of work priority:
- Collection of novellas owed to 2012 Kickstarter backers, now entitled Walk the Wards. This collection is going to contain four stories: the psychic story currently tentatively titled “A Power in the Blood” (although I’m not entirely happy with that title); the tuba player story; Caitlin and Gabien’s intro story in St. John’s; and, most importantly to anyone who’s read Bone Walker now, an accounting of what happened to Jude in Faerie during that book. I’m about 21,000 total words in on this, which involves the first of the stories being finished, and the other three being simultaneously worked on. The rest of the stories also need titles, and I don’t have them yet.
- Queen of Souls. I have received edits back from my editor on this and will be going over them in depth once the novellas are done, or at points when I’m having writer’s block and need something else to do. Right now though my ability to be creative is being more inspired by doing new words, and the novellas ARE still owed and seriously overdue, so they are higher on the queue.
- As of yet untitled Book 3 of the Free Court of Seattle series. Actual words have begun being thrown at this, but I have not yet made it out of Chapter 1. New word priority is going to the novellas for now.
- Shake the Light, Millicent’s origin story novel for the Warder universe. I have not yet begun actual work on this, past writing out a brief synopsis. This may move further up the queue if events warrant (and by events, I mean, whether or not my agent decides she wants to rep it). Further immediate work on this will probably be along the lines of writing a longer synopsis in case the agent wants it.
- Mirror’s Gate, a standalone high fantasy set in the same universe as the Rebels of Adalonia trilogy. Recent work on this involves having ported it finally into Scrivener so that I could re-evaluate it, and see about progressing further on planning it. I’m two chapters and change in on it.
- Child of Ocean, Child of Stars, another standalone SFR, starring versions of characters ported out of my days on AetherMUSH: Kaiulani and Benja. This is the story set on an ocean world, where a young telepath has to be the focal point of humanity’s first contact with a shapeshifting, ocean-dwelling species–all while also investigating while a mysterious companion from her childhood might also be the answer to an unsolved double disappearance that has hung over the entire first contact effort. Three chapters and change in on this. Recently ported into Scrivener for re-evaluation.
- Shards of Recollection, standalone SFR starring versions of old MUSH characters of mine, Shenner and Tance, ported into an original story. I have a Draft Zero version of this that went in about four chapters before I hit a wall and decided the story needed restructuring, including possibly a different title. Has recently been ported into Scrivener.
And now also, future projects bubbling around in my brain which will eventually receive some planning attention:
- A new trilogy in the Warder universe that follows up what I’m laying down in Kendis and Christopher’s story arc, and will pick up with certain critical events involving their grandchildren. Things warned of in Bone Walker will be happening in this storyline, and it will essentially be near-ish-future urban fantasy. This will also require some major planning as I’ll need to extrapolate what I want to do to the world in general as well as with Kendis and Christopher’s family line in particular.
- A potential sequel to the Rebels of Adalonia books that would involve several potential followups to what happened in that trilogy: what happens when Faanshi and Julian go to Tantiulo and discover certain hidden portions of Tantiulo’s history that that country really, really doesn’t want Adalonia to know; development of the romance between the new Bhandreid Margaine, and her advisor/ambassador to the elves–Kestar Vaarsen; exploration of the elves attempting to re-establish a homeland; and possible attempts to overthrow Margaine. Generally, it’d be a story about what happens in the turmoil following the massive upheaval in Adalonia following the events of the previous books. Could be a standalone book, could be a trilogy. No planning or words have been done on this yet, but it’s in the back of my brain as a possible project.
- Potential sequels to Queen of Souls, because I’m not entirely sure I’m done with that storyline yet. There is potential to be mined in what happens to Hecate and Hermes as a result of the events of Queen of Souls, and I am also sorely tempted by having Aphrodite and Artemis making important on-camera appearances. Possibly while being very, very pissed off at one another. Muaha.
- A potential Warder universe story that expands upon a snippet of flash fiction that I posted to the Here Be Magic blog a while back, over here. Mostly because I’d like to figure out who exactly Lillian Hathaway and Merekir are, and what their story is.
I have a lot here to keep me busy, I think! More bulletins as events warrant! What on this list sounds interesting to you?