So, there was this plan to write only three novels in my series: Section 51, Department 51, and Unit 51. Well, there's been some major news and progress going on in the last few weeks, which is why my blog has been so stagnant. I'll explain.
For some strange reason, getting through Unit 51 had turned into a slog-fest. But, I finally made a breakthrough when I completely rewrote the first five chapters and went into an entirely different direction. Things sailed smoothly from there, taking directions that I never thought about until it came to that point in the story. I'm thoroughly proud of how Unit 51 turned out...until the ending came. I had broken one of my cardinal rules of writing. I ended the book on a cliffhanger. *hand slap*
Honestly, that was not my intension. I want to keep each book in the series around 65K words. When I looked at how this was going to end, there was no way I could shove the rest of the story into another 5K words to stay within my limits. Perhaps a smaller novella or a short story to wrap things up? Maybe 20K more words to end on a high note? Or how about a spin-off?
None of those were an option.
So as result, there will now be a Station 51. That makes four books total. I'm glad I chose this option because all of the open ends are being neatly closed instead jamming everything into one book and rushing the ending. I'm officially 15K words into it and there are so many ideas flooding through the gates that there might even be room for another book. But in order for that to happen, I need to see how these first couple of books will sell. Even though I'm writing for myself first, I'd really like to make a living wage off this, too.
If all goes well, I'll be touching base with the editor I've chosen tonight, and be ready to put out Section 51 by October. From that point on, I'll be working toward one a week. If all goes really well, I'll continue the series. We'll see.
