Don’t you just love being the first to know an inside scoop?
Every so often, my subscribers receive a new installment of a continuing fiction series. Between releases, my readers are included in real-time, behind-the-scenes peeks (without spoilers!) at the stories I’m writing for them.
How does it work?
In the 19th and 20th centuries, authors often published serialized stories in print magazines or newspapers. Charles Dickens, Alexandre Dumas, George Eliot, Agatha Christie, and others published stories this way. Today, my subscribers receive serialized stories by email—and, thanks to the internet, my readers have opportunities to influence what happens in the next installment. Readers can do this in several ways. They might send me a quick note letting me know what they like and dislike about the story so far. They might participate in a survey about a developing character. They might vote on an important detail. And, always, readers are right there with me in that special place where real life inspires fiction.
Let’s look at a specific example of how this played out in my 2022 series Stories of Reclamation Island. When one character, Gemma, showed up buzzing around Reclamation Island on a scooter, I called on my readers for their thoughts.
First, I offered a quick survey about the color of Gemma’s scooter. Then, I wrote this note to my subscribers:
It has been so fun to see your votes come in about what color Gemma’s scooter should be!
…
Every color got voted for, and RED won by a narrow margin. One reader added these smart words to her vote for red:
She needs to be seen in all kinds of weather!
Now, here is the backstory to that comment. The reader who wrote these words lost someone very close to her recently—lost them suddenly and tragically. So when I learned this reader wanted Gemma’s scooter to be red to keep her safe, it brought tears to my eyes.
We would do anything we could to protect our loved ones, wouldn’t we? We would do anything we could to prevent them from being hurt. To prevent a loss that can’t be undone.
So in honor of this reader—and in honor of her kind words that were born out of a deep loss and an all-encompassing love for others—I’m going to incorporate her thoughts into Part Two. Watch for one character to explain that Gemma’s scooter is red so she’ll be “seen in all kinds of weather.” I hope you’ll find it especially heartwarming to know how this line came about.
Next … Well, wouldn’t you know it? All this talk about riding scooters gave me the bug to experience it for myself. A few weeks later, I wrote this note to my subscribers:
Guess what? I was sort of like Gemma of Reclamation Island for a day. I spent a day buzzing around San Juan Island on a scooter. On a red scooter.
Remember our conversations about how Gemma’s scooter is red so it can be easily seen? The folks at Susie’s Mopeds have the same idea. All their rentable scooters are red. All their rentable scooters have bright orange flags flying high on the back, too. (Imagine that! Like wearing a sign that says I’m A Tourist.) Anyway, I had a real blast—and I do mean that sometimes I had a literal blast—once I was given the A-OK to ride.
…
You know how an electric car can go from 0 to 60 mph quick as a wink? An electric scooter can do the same thing! All it takes is to hold on to the handlebars, twitch your writing hand toward you a tad—just twitch it a fraction-of-a-fraction—and next thing you know, hang on, because you’re careening through town. Thank goodness the pedestrians in the first crosswalk saw me coming and stepped back.
Although I didn’t know it at the time, my scooter experience would directly influence a scene I wrote in the next installment of Stories of Reclamation Island. And my readers were right there with me, experiencing that special moment when real life inspires fiction.
What about you, my friend? Does the idea of being the first to know an inside scoop appeal to you? It’s easy and fun to catch up. When you subscribe to receive my emails, you’ll receive a link to stories that have been published. Then, watch your inbox for behind-the-scenes updates and opportunities to influence what happens next!
See you soon!
(Photo courtesy of Unsplash.)
