You know me as a writer, but what have I been working on? Let’s find out.
Welcome to Conductor Pat’s Perspective.
I hope you have been well since my last post. Did you enjoy my review of “Almost American Girl” by Robin Ha? If you missed it, feel free to go read that post when you have time. You can find it in the archive, or go here.
Today I’m going to give you all my first writing update for Conductor Pat’s Perspective. And as the blog post title implies, I’ve been working on short stories recently.
Following my senior project, novella “Lady Luck and the Monorail Conspiracy,” I needed a break from long projects. I also want to learn the short story form and to write concisely. I struggle with rambling and have to remove giant chunks in the editing.
Also, not every story needs to become a novella or novel, although my WIP’s might turn into longer ones. They’re “pilot episodes” for the characters.
Aura 3000
“Aura 3000” is a post-apocalyptic, racing story with an optimistic bend. We follow Jessie Queen who inherits an electric car after her grandmother dies. But this isn’t an ordinary car, as Jessie soon learns. Shenanigans ensue.
I initially thought of “Aura 3000” as a long form story, but wanted to explore the characters a bit in a short story before I dig into another long project.
Currently I’m working on worldbuilding and looking for beta readers to provide feedback. If you’re interested to read it before others and provide some feedback, feel free to respond to my tweet here.
The main worldbuilding problem is while I know the world is post-apocalyptic, it's not clear in the story. I struggle with balancing the worldbuilding and story in my projects, and “Aura 3000” is no exception. I’m going to iron the details out in Draft 3/4, then work with an editor.
Here’s a short excerpt from the beginning of the story.
***
Jessie cracked open the green container. A tarp rested over the cargo. Jessie pulled the door shut. The metal groaned, but no one came. Jessie pushed a button switch. Three ceiling lights lit up in sequence.
A small metal desk sat to the left. Jessie wiped off an inch of dust. She eyed a blueprint with Grandma Moon’s name on it. Jessie turned the tarp. “It can’t be.”
***
What has Jessie discovered? You’ll have to wait and find out, unless you want to beta read.
The Fairies and the Iron Dragon
We go from post apocalypse to urban fantasy for my next project. “The Fairies and the Iron Dragon” is a slice of life story. Our protagonist, Lilah Blossom, is a fairy who's recently moved to the woods from the big city. While trying to find her magical connection to nature, she and her cousins face an “iron dragon.”
This’ another short story that I plan to turn into a longer project. I swear, not all of my short stories will be novel pilots! (insert laugh emoji here).
“The Fairies and the Iron Dragon” includes one of my favorite interests: railways, which you could probably tell if you know what the phrase “Iron Dragon” is based off of. I won’t go into too much detail now, as I don’t want to spoil it. Let’s say if you’re a fan of works like The Railway Series and enjoy fantasy, this will be up your alley, or railway line.
I’m in the stage of re-writing my first draft to give the characters more agency and clarifying the tension involved. I’ve finished Draft 1, and am going to type it up, then re-read for typos, polish up and send it to beta readers.
Like my previous project, I’m still working on developing the world of “The Fairies and the Iron Dragon.” After worldbuilding and going through feedback, I’ll query both to magazines.
Before you go, I’d like to bring back an old segment from my twitter, Creator Shout-outs!
Creator Shout-outs
A few years back I used to do Sunday Shout-outs for creators whose works I enjoyed, but I struggled to keep up with the weekly posts. I want to bring it back with occasional blog posts.
So here are my June creator shout outs.
LaKase M Cousino
Lakase M Cousino is an indie author who I was introduced to through the Written in Melanin Podcast, which she used to co-host. LaKase is a really cool person and recently released her debut novel, “Across the Broken Tide.” You can find online with retailers such as Amazon and Bookshop (Note: Neither links are affiliates). Be sure to check if your local bookstore can order “Across the Broken Tide,” or if your local library has it. You can find LaKase on Twitter at @LaKaseCousino.
I recently participated in a livestream giveaway for the novel's debut, and won two stickers, plus an ebook of “Across the Broken Tide.” LaKase sent it to me with a very cool note, which you can see here.
Thanks LaKase!!
Pop Cultural Exchange
Looking for a new podcast and some laughs? Check out Pop Cultural Exchange. There’s currently three episodes out, where the hosts, Lin and Jay, look at pop culture that Lin enjoys.
They’re currently going through the ENTIRE Fast and Furious saga from film 1 to 9. You can find their first episode on YouTube, Anchor, PocketCasts and Spotify. Keep up the fun content guys.
That’s everything from me. What projects are you working on? Let me know in the comments, leave a like if you want and be sure to check out LaKase and Pop Cultural Exchange. Thank you for reading, I hope to see you on the next post.
If you’d like to keep up with me, please consider checking out my social media. You can also subscribe to my newsletter, which I’m currently developing. Thanks for reading!
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