Discover answers to the questions most often asked by readers about The Wren Island Series, an interactive serialized fiction experience.
What is The Wren Island Series about? What genre is it?
The Wren Island Series is contemporary fiction with plot lines that are driven by character relationships and internal transformation. With an unexpected windfall, 45-year-old Allison Theodore purchases an island dream home, adopts two homeless dogs, and pursues her dream of songwriting. But when her eccentric aunts move in, Allison’s idyllic life becomes increasingly complicated. An unforgettable setting provides the backdrop for this story about second chances, spontaneous family, and steadfast love.
How do I read The Wren Island Series?
The series is currently available in two formats. One option is to subscribe to receive my emails. You’ll get a link to download an e-book of the parts that have been published, and you’ll start hearing about opportunities to influence what happens next. Another option is to subscribe to the podcast. New episodes include a short section of the story and a few of my thoughts about it.
Does it cost anything? The Wren Island Series is completely free to email and podcast subscribers. And it doesn’t cost anything to participate in opportunities to influence the developing story. In the future, if I offer other stories for purchase, subscribers will be the first to hear about it.
When does the next installment get released? Four times a year, on the first day of each new season, I release a new installment to email subscribers. Between installments, email subscribers have opportunities to influence what happens in the next installment. Podcast subscribers receive shorter installments more frequently, but after the complete installment has been released to email subscribers.
How long is each installment? Email subscribers receive installments that are just under 10,000 words each. That’s like reading three or four chapters (or two long chapters) of a novel. Podcast subscribers receive shorter sections at a time. Each podcast episode is around ten minutes in length.
How many parts are there? When will The Wren Island Series be finished? The current series is planned to be released in six installments, with the final part being released to email subscribers in the Spring of 2024. But with interactive serialized fiction, there’s always more to the story, so stick around to see what happens next!
Is there an audio version? While The Wren Island Series hasn’t been published in a traditional audiobook format, it is available to listen to in a podcast! In each episode, I read a section of the story and add a few thoughts. Join me on Read with Laura Joy here.
I haven’t read any of The Wren Island Series yet. How do I catch up? How do I start influencing the story and characters? That’s easy-peasy! When you subscribe to receive my emails, you’ll get links to read the parts that have already been published. Then, watch your inbox for opportunities to influence what happens next! Podcast listeners can start at the beginning of the series here.
Does Wren Island actually exist? Wren Island is fictional. It’s based on the Pacific Northwest’s San Juan Islands and British Columbia’s Gulf Islands, where my ancestors put down roots and where I live now.
Is there such a thing as the hydrophone you write about? What about that gong Wren residents ring when whales can be heard on the hydrophone? The Wren Island hydrophone is based on real hydrophones here in the Salish Sea. Scientists monitor the hydrophones to learn more about whales. The rest of us listen just for fun! The gong on Wren Island is part real, part fiction. It’s inspired by a ship’s bell in a park on Whidbey Island in Washington State. Locals ring the bell when whales can be seen from shore.
Where can I find out more about interactive serialized fiction? Learn more about it here.
Have a question you don’t see answered here? Send me a message.
