Wednesday 7 October 2015

The Future of Lady Ann

I have decided to change the way I produce the on-going adventures of Lady Ann and her family. This will be excellent news for some and may perplex others. As far as I’m concerned it will improve the story overall and point me in a better direction to produce the entire epic in a more structured and cunning way.

Lady Ann’s Folly

The book I’ve recently been releasing as an online serial was set to be about 900 pages long and though it’s going well, it has proved somewhat unwieldy. As a result I’ve decided to break it down into more manageable chunks. The first chunk is now complete.

At some point in the future I’ll be releasing this as a book but will be making some pretty big changes to it before then to make it stand on its own two feet. I’ll be tightening up the storylines, building to a proper climax, giving each character a more organised story arc and filling in gaps where characters haven’t been given the page-time they deserved. You may have noticed that Burt and the now adult Reggie have barely had a look-in and the new maid Nellie could have done more. Every character’s story arcs will be improved.

So Lady Ann’s Folly is now over. I’ll be starting a new Lady Ann book (the sequel) in six days. This will carry the story seamlessly on as we find out what happens next for everyone involved. The goal here is to craft much better tales that hang together properly and keep every principle character in focus for more of the time.

The new book will have a new name (that I haven’t decided on yet) and will hurl the characters into new challenges as they struggle with their new lives.

Lady Ann’s Holiday

In the fullness of time I also intend to go back to Lady Ann’s Holiday and expand it further (I know, I’m mad!). I just love that story and have always felt there wasn’t enough detail, even though it’s really long already.

As I expand it I’ll be breaking Lady Ann’s Holiday up into a series of smaller books. Each book will weigh in at about 250 pages so overall there will be a lot more to it. Eventually there will be a very long series of books. I have 11 planned at the moment but you never know, it may just go on forever!

Or until my untimely death.

16 comments:

  1. may your inspiration last as long as ouroboros' tail

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  2. Excellent. This is very good news

    Rob

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  3. I'm looking forward to seeing where you take all of this. Best Wishes!

    Zapper

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    1. Me too! Am I allowed to say I love Lady Ann?

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  4. if you don't mind my asking: how are you planning on breaking the stories up, chronologically, by character, etc.?

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    1. It'll be chornologically as it currently is, just in two to three hundred page, more-detailed chunks rather than six to nine hundred, less-detailed ones.

      I have often fantasised about (very long term) releasing books for real hard core fans that just focus on one character but have their story across the entire epic (so eleven books' worth of action but just to one character).

      The reason I thought of that is because when I reread the books, I often just follow the adventures of one particular character I like the most (Ann becoming Burt in the original book).

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  5. I think you are wise in refocing the books. For me in the sequel 'Folly' for example I have small interest in 'Marvis', Lady Ann, Bert & Navis & enough has already & been written about them in HILDAY0 FOR ME) I'm far more intertested & concerned in htis order, Nellie, the earl, Reggie. Your new idea sound like a life timw of work! Good luck!

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    1. Hmmm... You may have got the wrong end of the stick there. There will be more about every character, not less.

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  6. I realize this, more's thepity LOL! I am just telling you my preferences

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    1. Well I guess you can always skip those chapters...

      Of course you only have yourself to blame. You started this! Heh heh.

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  7. You're right of course! curses as you usualy are, but who would think my simple little story would inspire such a saga? No good deed goes unpunished!
    & of course I wont skip those chapters! Beneath this shifty exterior of mine lies an amazing lack of character!

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    1. Tell me about it!

      (Grins cheekily)

      And yes, your story is to blame for everything... for which I will be eternally grateful. As you'll know from the Afterword of Lady Ann's Holiday, your response to my desire to write the longer version was instrumental in me starting producing transformation stories again.

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  8. Well, thank you for all your work & being kind enough to point to my humble effort,

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