Page A Day Stories, weekend plans.

[alexandraerin]

So today, while figuring out what to do next week to boost my production up another notch, I started thinking that maybe it was time to move The 3 Seas off the "page" model (about 500 words per update) and alternate it with Void Dogs and Star Harbor with targets of around 1,000-2,000 words. And then I realized this was stupid and crazy. I've never once sat down to write a 3 Seas update and had it take much more than half an hour to write... the story laid fallow forever but that was because I'd written myself into a corner (or rather, I had thought I had... slavish adherence to a pre-formulated plan was the real problem).

Whereas for a 1,000-2,000 story update, if I get stuck on part of it or end up getting interrupted and have to try to pick it back up, I can end up cudgeling my brains for as long as it takes me to write a 2,000-3,000 word story, and sometimes I just can't make it happen.

So here's my plan: Star Harbor Nights, Void Dogs, and 3 Seas will all become "page a day" stories... that is, instead of trying to write a 1,000-2,000 word update for SHN or VoDo a couple of times a week, they'll get about five of six hundred words every day, just like 3 Seas has been getting.

I think this work out well for everyone, because the people who are sponsoring those stories will be able to get a steady "return", it gives me more flexibility for days when I can't get a six or eight hour uninterrupted "working day" to myself, it makes it easier to write ahead a bit, etc.

For now I've been alternating Tales of MU and More Tales of MU on weekdays. I think once I've gotten into the swing of the page-a-day stories, I should be able to pick things up there again, at least in terms of getting TOMU back to 4 or 5 updates a week.

On Saturday I'm going to be taking care of some backlogged "business" matters, including updating the sponsor lists and getting the diplomas and their supplemental material packaged up. Thank you for your patience, everybody who's ordered them. This is my first experience doing a mail order thing and it's also my first experience with anything like desktop publishing. I keep wanting to fiddle with the end result more... the act of putting a physical printed copy of something in an envelope and sealing it up feels, you know, final. It's weird to me. :P But I'll quit dithering and get it done.

Good news on the sponsor front... right now the sponsor totals are about $1,000, which means I'm about 2/3rds of the way to where I want to be. That is an awesome start... an incredible start... but as I said when I did the sponsor push, I knew that I could count on you guys. Once I've hit my goal there, the next thing I'm going to do is a readership push. I know some people have said before that they feel more comfortable promoting "safer" stories like 3 Seas and Tribe, and these are both receiving more regular updates now, so... yeah.

One reader already asked about sponsoring the 3 Seas. The option "Horizon Chaser Crew" is now available as well. I was going to wait until the story got a little bit further so the significance of the name would be more obvious, but the ship has now appeared and been named, and the option was requested.

Anybody who's waiting on their favorite story of mine to get regular updates, or for me to post a schedule and fulfill it, or whatever before they sponsor... well, I'm getting there. :) This week has been a kick-ass week in terms of getting stuff written. I'll be updating the schedule page on Monday when I sit down to start writing.

Comments

[andy9306.livejournal.com]

I bet some people would love to get documentation proving citizenship of the planet Daniel Shays.

[tenshininareru.livejournal.com]

Ooo, I wonder how much trouble I would get in for stamping passports proving a trip to the planet Daniel Shays.