Update Link: Warning Shots – Part 4

Happy Monday 🙂 I think we’re all in the mood for a small break from the angst, lol. I hope you guys are strapping in because I’ve been breaking down The Tortured Poet’s Department, and like, the angst level is off the charts. I also am getting lots of inspiration for what *might* be somewhat longer stories than the snippets of folklore. I think the longest story there is 4k (“exile”). I broke down the first 16 songs with some thoughts about what I might write. I think I’m actually breaking the album into four short story collections because otherwise I will be writing 31 stories until I die and will drown in the angst, ha.

A note on Warning Shots – this first part of the story is very episodic because I really just wanted to create a backstory that would launch us into the real chunk of the story. I’m probably going to give the second part of the story a new title because that one will feel much more like a traditional story, with a more linear narrative. There are eight “episodes” and then I’ll be moving onto the second part. It will still be much lighter than Chain Reaction, just because Liason at this point is just lighter. They’re not bogged down in everything that complicates them later.

And in my last piece of good news — I am making huge strides in my evermore feature, “no body, no crime” which was inspired by a prompt from Tania 🙂 It’s written in the style of “The Last Time” with 45 scenes. I’ve written 21 of them and it’s at about 12k, so I think maybe another 10-12k for this. I’m hoping to have that for you by the first week of May! If you have any ideas for any Crimson Swift stories, please don’t hesitate to let me know!

Update Link: Chain Reaction – Part 7

Last Sunday update 😛 Next Sunday, it’ll be my day off before going into edits.

Appreciate you guys being ready for the, haha, journey :p I promise you I didn’t turn into a Courtney fan overnight. I just saw the chance to write a 2001 parallel and was like,  YES LETS GO. I hope you like where I go with it, because quite honestly — there’s something coming you only know if you were voting in the Patreon poll months ago.

See you tomorrow for Warning Shots at 6!

Update Link: Chain Reaction – Part 6

Double Day Double Dose Update
Chain Reaction – Part 4 | Chain Reaction – Part 5
Warning Shots – Part 2 | Warning Shots – Story 3

Feels weird to only update once today, lol, but that’s what we’re doing. I did work on my evermore featured story which I am suuuuuper excited for you to read. I’m about 35% of the way through. I’m hoping to finish it up by the first week of May when we go back to our normal M/W/F update schedule.

I’m still digesting the new album, lol, so no idea when I’ll have a collection for Tortured Poets. I was not expecting 15 more songs, lol.

I’m so glad I decided to write so much Flash this week — I’ve written (before today’s update) about 20k in Flash since I finished up the first draft for These Small Hours, and I’ll probably add another 10-20k over the next week. That gives my brain a lot of distance to look at the draft with fresh eyes and should make the editing process even better.

Tomorrow’s update will be posted around 12 since the Phillies play at 1:30 and I’m heading to the parents to watch 🙂

Update Link: Warning Shots – Story 3
This Morning: Chain Reaction – Part 5
Last Night: Warning Shots – Part 2 | Chain Reaction – Part 4

I had planned to start writing at 4, and post at 5, but, uh I accidentally fell asleep. Turns out five hours WASN’T enough, lol.

Anyway —

Uh, so listen — a fair warning — Chain Reaction is going to be angsty. If you’re familiar with Taylor Swift you know there are the glitter gel pen songs (Shake It Off, Blank Space, Me!) and there are the fountain pen songs (everything on the new album, folklore, evermore, etc.) Chain Reaction? That’s a fountain pen story. It’s long (I plotted it out to Part 19 and that’s only halfway through). Warning Shots is your glitter pen. Light, fluffy with some small doses of romantic drama.

Adjust your expectations, my darlings, and strap in 😛

See you tomorrow around at 6 for the next update for Chain Reaction.

Update Link: Chain Reaction – Part 5
Last Night: Warning Shots – Part 2 | Chain Reaction – Part 4

When I decided to a double update yesterday and today, I didn’t mean for it to be prophetic!

I made it to midnight, and listened to the first 16 songs on The Tortured Poets Department. Finished around 1:15 ish, and figured well, there’s a 5% chance something is happening at 2. Lemme just listen to the album again until then. I’m a Liason fan, I know all about pinning my hopes on a small line of dialogue. I thought MAYBE we’d get a few extra songs — something like the 3 AM Edition of Midnights.

The way I SCREAMED when I realized it was a DOUBLE ALBUM. This unhinged woman dropped FIFTEEN MORE SONGS at 2AM!!! What choice did I have, I ask you, but to listen immediately. I finished at 3 am, stumbled to bed and woke around 8 to listen to it all again.

I have a few early favorites (So Long, London is the most track 5 of all track 5s, Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me is perfection, I Can Do It With A Broken Heart will kill you dead, and loml is devastating). I think I need to listen to the second half of the album again, but right now The Albatross is probably my favorite, though I’m sure that’ll change.

ANYWAY. Album Launch Day was a success, thanks to everyone who helped me stay distracted until it was released.

I’ll be back at 5 PM for another edition of Warning Shots. Then tomorrow we switch back to single updates because I have to dive into my Crimson Swift project because I have 31 new songs to figure out, lol, and I need to finish the evermore featured story.

I can’t believe she dropped a whole second album. Insanity.

Update Link: Warning Shots – Part 2 | Chain Reaction – Part 4

And here we are for our second update of the night! By the time this goes live, I’ll have two hours left until the album drops. I made a pot of coffee — hoping it gets me through. It’s not like my college days, lol, when I’d be out drinking until 1 AM and in class at 9:30 for German. But I am determined. I WILL MAKE IT TO MIDNIGHT.

As for this update — I couldn’t resist taking this event that happened in the OG Liason story — it’s one of my favorite little adventures they have that fall, and I tried to think how Lucky would have handled it if he’d been around. Hope you enjoy 🙂

Update Link: Chain Reaction – Part 4

Well, I hope you guys are ready for a double update 😛 I’m here with this now at 8PM, but I’ll be back in 2 hours at 10PM with ANOTHER update — for Warning Shots. I’m so glad you guys are both so invested in the new stories!

I’m doing my best to stay up and alert for Taylor’s new album, so double updates tonight! No Phillies game to distract me, so you’re stuck with me, lol.

AND double updates tomorrow, though a bit earlier — at 12 PM and 5 PM so I can watch the game. I cannot WAIT for this new album. She writes such Liason-coded lyrics, I just know I’m going to be ridiculously inspired.

Update Link: Warning Shots – Part 1

I’m sure you were expecting/hoping for more of Chain Reaction, but I did warn you that I was going to be posting a second new series and alternating it with Chain Reaction. I’m really excited about Warning Shots, it’s a bit different that anything I’ve tried before.

I’m writing it in kind of two parts — the first one is sort of prologue/prequel to the second which are a series of sort of “episodes” of Elizabeth’s first year of college as she and Lucky stay in Port Charles rather than the New York. (In response to the reader’s challenge: Do Lucky & Liz survive if he doesn’t die in the fire?) And the second part will be a more traditional story with “chapter” like parts that rewrite the Dead Ted situation with this new backstory.

I did a massive update on my Production Schedule & Posting Schedule Google Docs. The Production schedule goes out two years (listen…I was procrastinating on something for work) and the Posting Schedule through the end of May. I wanted to schedule around the Phillies games.

You’re going to be getting daily updates of Flash Fiction for a while mostly because A – I’m really excited about these two new stories and B – I am FORCING myself to leave These Small Hours alone for AT LEAST two weeks, lol. I get antsy when I’m not working on something.

I’ll be updating Warning Shots tonight. Then tomorrow AND Friday, you’re getting double updates — one of each story! Taylor Swift’s new album is coming out, and I’m determined to stay up until midnight to listen as soon as it drops. There’s no Phillies game to distract me or keep me going, so why not Flash Fic my way through it?

Then, Friday, I’m taking a personal day for the album (I DESERVE NICE THINGS) and since I’ll have an amazing soundtrack, just seems right that I use it to update. So double updates for the next two days, then alternate back and forth from Saturday, April through Saturday, April 28. Then I’ll take Sunday off, and go into editing with a clean conscious.

Update Link: Chain Reaction – Part 3 | Part 1
Digital Shop: These Small Hours – Alpha Draft

Don’t get used to these daily updates 😛 You’re definitely not getting more of the story until, like, at least Thursday or Friday. I have a packed schedule tomorrow and a house to prep before my dad comes over to supervise removal of the solar panels. On Wednesday, I’m going to launch my second new series, Warning Shots.

But Thursday — well, Thursday is a different situation. I’m taking off on Friday because, well, Taylor Swift’s new album comes out and how else am I supposed to stay up at midnight on Thursday to watch it? Oh, and Thursday is also an OFF day for the Phillies, so no evening game. So I have to stay up until midnight and stay busy — maybe a double Flash Fiction update? We’ll see 😛

Next week, we’ll be back to our normal M/W/F situation, and then after that I’ll be working on edits for Fool Me Twice, Book 3 & These Small Hours.

Update Link:  Chain Reaction – Part 2 | Part 1
Digital Shop: These Small Hours – Alpha Draft

Honestly, I wasn’t expecting to be here again today, but the response was really great last night. I also have some extra time in my schedule since I am forcing myself to take off the next two weeks from working on anything else. So don’t be surprised if I just randomly post updates to this and the other story I’m still not starting until Wednesday. I always post updates on Twitter, but I have a subscription list if you want to be emailed when I updated.

I also decided to write last night’s update at literally the last minute, so I didn’t have as much time as I usually do to prep my update post or really celebrate that I finished a first draft!

These Small Hours clocked in at 520 pages and around 200k words. I started it on November 1 for NaNoWriMo and finished it in 4.5 months — while also editing Fool Me Twice 3 and writing Hits Different. So I’m really happy with how quickly it came together.

I posted the alpha draft in the Digital Shop at the same price it’s available for my Crimson Obsessed tier ($10). The link is posted above. It’s really messy — I had lots of ideas and just went all over the place, lol, so editing will be fun. If you do get the alpha draft, please feel free to let me know what you think!

I’m planning to edit May 1 – July 31, and release sometime in August. Could be earlier, but almost positively by the end of the summer.