But I love the format of TV shows. It's the best medium for visual storytelling (perhaps in a close race with comic books--man, I love comic books), because you get the most time to develop characters, spend time in a universe, and really get to know a story. Basically, it's the format most like books.
What makes TV shows so different from movies is that each episode has its own plot, and then the entire season typically has an overarching plot, too. Like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She might be fighting teenagers possessed with hyenas in one episode, but the Big Bad is a master vampire that pops up the entire season. And we got seven whole seasons to get to know Buffy and friends. Seven seasons!
A TV show is not a movie carved into pieces. It's a very unique style of storytelling.
In books, this type of storytelling is known as a serial.
Serials are getting to be pretty trendy. Amazon has started a new department called "Kindle Serials," so they're taking it pretty seriously; they've been a popular format for erotic romance for months, and some of Amazon's bestsellers are serialized.
But I've been into serial fiction for years. In fact, I used to write fanfic for a few different fandoms--like Harry Potter, the aforementioned Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Anita Blake (to nobody's surprise). I was actually a fairly popular Anita Blake fanfic writer way back when. While I love writing books, the serialized format of fanfic still appeals to me very strongly.
Since I'm such a big fan of serialized fiction, I thought I might try jumping in on the deep end now that it's hitting the mainstream. And to kill two demons with one falchion, it also seemed like the easiest way to address one of my biggest reader requests: When are we going to get more Seasons of the Moon?
Well, the answer to that is... sometime in the next two weeks.
Introducing... The Cain Chronicles.
I have planned four new episodes of material with Rylie, Seth, and Abel. It takes place about two years after Gray Moon Rising (so Rylie is eighteen, and we can get into more shenanigans!), and I've got the first one almost ready to go.
One thing I haven't seen in serials yet is reader interaction, and that was always my favorite part of writing fanfic. I loved having people comment with the way they wanted to see the story proceed. So this is going to be a little bit different from other serials available for Kindle right now--YOU GUYS are going to help dictate the story.
That's right. I'm going to publish Episode 1 (New Moon Summer), and then you guys are going to tell me what you want to happen next. I do have a general plot in mind, but you can help guide the story and Rylie's decisions.
The action is going to mostly happen on my Facebook page, since that's the easiest and fastest way to interact with people. Twitter is too hard to track, and my blog doesn't have nearly the following of FB. So hop on over and give me a "like" so you can help decide Rylie's destiny!
I don't have a definite date on this yet, but I'm going to say that New Moon Summer will probably be available by October 19th. So mark your calendars, and get ready for some fun. :) This is going to be a heck of a ride.
OCTOBER 19 yey!!!! *runs around in circles* I'm so very excited!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHurray! Can't wait for a new SM Reine book!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to it!! I think these are great options for friends, too, as in the non-writer folks you know who keep meaning to get around to reading your books. You can always just throw an episode at them and see if they get hooked.
ReplyDeleteActually, my friends/family are bizarrely supportive. I think most of them buy my stuff, and most of THOSE people go on to read them. It's... weird. Even my mother in law reads my YA werewolves.
DeleteDon't know how helpfullly interactive I'll be,sugar,but you can bet I'll be right there,no doubt.Love this idea,but you know me,I wanna sit down with the whole thing.(-: Count me in! xoxo
ReplyDelete:) Understandably. Each one is a "whole thing," though. They're complete stories; they're just shorter than the other books. Actually, each one will be about as long as Death's Avatar. So like a whole series of Death's Avatar. But, you know, werewolves instead of Elise killing demons. I'll make sure to bundle all four of them when it's done so you can just buy the one, though!
DeleteJust started my own serial and I'm enjoying the process. I too came from a fanfic background and it's just kind of exciting to put something out new each week. I tinker with each section before it goes live, hopefully making it better. Glad to see you joined the fun!
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