So...here I am at the end of my contract, having reached the mandatory retirement age in my country of residence. Theoretically, I should have plenty of time to complete all of my unfinished stories, but it goes without saying that nothing is ever as simple as it first appears.

While I have a small pension provided by the government, it's not quite enough to make ends meet, meaning I have to decide what to do next. Basically, its a choice between finding another job in the private sector or moving to a cheaper country.

Neither alternative holds much appeal at my age, but there might be a third option, one which involves crowdsourcing and patronage. I initially balked at the idea of posting this idea, but as I have nothing to lose, here's my pitch:

I figure I can finish off at least two of my novelettes over the next twelve months. "A Season of Darkness" and "Winds of the Fall" are both within a few chapters of completion. I'd also like to write epilogues for "Tell Me True" and "The Shop at the End of the Road." While all of them feature different characters, the stories are part of a much larger narrative featuring sci-fi and paranormal elements, which I'd like to expand into a cohesive universe.

Once I've finished off the four pieces mentioned above, I could turn my attention to "The New Kid in Town" (statistically, the most popular story I've ever written) and "Jessie's Day" (currently one chapter from completion). With those out of the way, I could focus on developing a supernaturally themed novel I've had in mind for a couple of decades, one which incorporates characters & scenarios from the "Transdimensional" collection.

What sort of time-frame are we talking here? Well, I'm thinking three years to conclude all of the unfinished projects, plus another two to get the novel well under way. I'm afraid I don't have much to offer other than my writing (although I'm a competent artist and frequently illustrate my own work). The finished products will be made available for download in PDF format, with high-tier patrons receiving "first editions" as each story is completed.

Anyway, that's about all I have to say for the time being. Let me know if you think crowdsourcing might work in this situation; I'd also be interested in hearing any questions, insights or suggestions you might have on this subject; all feedback will be gratefully received. Thanks for your time :)

Cheers, Tracy.