Monday 20 August 2012

The Story a Week project - Update 5 (final?)

The attentive amongst you will gave noticed that there wasn't a story of the week last week. I have a few things at various stages of development but nothing anywhere near ready for publication.
This project was always going to be a bit of a stretch and I'm pleased to have got as far as I have. The intention, as well as challenging myself, was to get as many stories out there as possible (and in a variety of different styles). I've managed that and my recent giveaway on Amazon (all my books free for a day) was extremely successful both in terms of people picking up freebies (over 1300 downloads) and in driving subsequent sales.
So, I'm not left with the question of whether to try and continue the project or just call it a day. One of the things the giveaway flagged up to me was that novels are much more popular than short stories - about 40% of the downloads that day were for my novel Sunliner.
I certainly have more short stories I want to tell but I've also started working up a Guillotine! novel and my intention now is going to be to try and balance the two. I'd like to get the novel finished this year whilst also getting a few more short stories out.
That said I'm very fickle and may go back to just writing shorts. :-)

Watch this space.




Wednesday 8 August 2012

The Story a Week Project - Update 4

I've already posted about the problems I've had this week. It was the first time I didn't have a story in my back pocket ready to go and to make matters worse I've really struggled with the latest one, I Know Where the Bodies Are Buried.
Having nearly finished it last night I ended up going back to the drawing board (writing board?) today and stripping the story right back to its bare bones. It's ended up being about 2/3s the length it was and losing one sub-plot entirely but it's much stronger (I think) as a result.
It'll appear on Amazon sometime in the next few hours and will be free tomorrow (9th August).


Wednesday 1 August 2012

The Story a Week project - Update 3

'Guillotine! Detroit Double Cross' was published yesterday. It's the fifth story I've published since starting the Story a Week thing. I actually finished it about two and a half weeks ago but there seemed to be a lot of interest in 'A Cat Called Hope' so that story rather than the second of the Guillotine! tales ended up going out last week.
That interest has carried on. 'A Cat Called Hope' was downloaded far more times than anything else I've done on the day it was free. Since then it has sold steadily and has already sold more copies than any of my other shorts. I guess I have mixed feelings about this. The story was written as an experiment and in reaction to people who wanted me to do something "nice". I'm pleased with the end result but it is very (well, fairly) different from most of my work. Still, the success of it has made
me think about doing a sequel.
This week, for the first time, I'm in the uncomfortable position of not having a story ready for next Wednesday. I have three or four things in various stages of completion but nothing near ready. I also have a stinking cold which is slowing me down. I'm 90% sure that next week's story will be one called 'I know where the bodies are buried', I just need to get the damn thing finished. On which I'll say goodbye and go and get on with it. :)