June 2022 Update
Hello from my writing desk! I thought I would tell you about my plan for the “grand opening” in August. We’ll start with some teaser early scenes from what I hope to be novel- or novella-length pieces and one from a short story that I hope to finish this summer and post by the end of the year. August will also premier my first world-building essay.
OK, now some more details about the August Posts. I’m working on a short story called “They Return to Earth”, one scene of which is already available here. The heart of the story is about dealing with grief, but it is set in the universe of the Solar Compact. So, we’ll see some parts of a Village Ship we haven’t seen yet. We’ll also see similarities and differences in rituals and social norms regarding death.
One of the elements of the universe I’m creating modifies how they use time, which I introduced when posting the opening scene between Ory and Bella. Different forms of metric time have been used or discussed since the French Revolution. I’ve created my own form of metric time and explained it in a world-building essay. I also discuss how this affects life’s milestones in the System Compact. The full versions of world-building essays are available for Patrons only.
Speaking of Ory and Bella, we learn in that opening scene that Ory wants a simple promotion but good people already fill those roles. So, he’s working on further certifications until he can get that simple promotion. In August, we’ll see a scene that complicates Ory’s life and hints at the “democratic meritocracy” used in the System Compact to elect leaders of all types.
The last scene for August is an early one from “Javier and Mētis”. I envision this as a novel-length piece grappling with the non-interventionist policy of the System Compact toward their cousins on Earth. This scene introduces us to the secretive antagonist and one of his obstacles.
I’ve also got three scenes and one story set for your reading pleasure for the month of September. There’s a Conversation with Bet that is part of the eventual “Javier and Mētis” novel, a second scene from “They Return to Earth”, and another scene from “Ory and Bella”. Oh, and Patrons will have access to the short story I submitted for the SouthWest Writers’ Annual Writing Contest. Finalists will be announced on July 1. That’s tomorrow!
