I've been busy for a while since my last story/chapter went up. I have two ongoing stories on the site at the moment, Toni With An i and Allison. Last summer I paused things for a house move but the house turned out to need more work than anticipated. A few months ago I got sick of only house stuff and started something I've said I'd do, which is work up my stories into novel format.

How do you — as an author, reader, or both — feel about authors responding to comments? It’s something I’m struggling with quite a bit. And I don’t mean just saying, “Thanks for the nice comment!” when someone says something kind, I mean when they’re theorising about what the secrets behind motivations are, what someone’s (or even the story’s) real purpose is, ‘whodunnit?” etc.

Allison Zero is turning out a little longer than I expected. Maybe 35/40%-ish extra to get to the point Part 12 makes it now, at least according to standard sci-fi novel word counts. Although I have added some elements that should make the later parts of the novel more accessible, as well as to answer the primary medical transition questions — which I decided not to hold back on quite as much. Part 12 is, though, a significant turning point, something I’ll deal with later in this blog.

Since my previous blog post about story summaries and blurbs, and after all the helpful advice, my "process" has had a new addition. All my Toni With An i stories now have a blurb on them, so does Marking Your Card, and Allison Zero has been getting a blurb right from the start.

I don't know how it's working out, but I feel it's beneficial, and it's something I want to continue. I don't think comparing kudos/readers/comments across stories is very helpful as blurbs only play a small part, but I would hope readers are finding them helpful. I certainly feel justified in doing them (based on nothing but gut feeling and what people previously asked for in the older blog.)

At this point in my "career" on BC I've written nine entries in my Toni With An i serial, and one entry for the New Year's competition, Marking Your Card. And I've been thinking about how a story appears on the front page, and whether I should include a story summary or blurb. (You should all enter the competition, it's a challenge and enjoyable but not too difficult. Flex those writing muscles! It's fun, I promise!)