Just to not keep you in suspense, it appears unlikely that the next chapter will be posted tomorrow. Chapter Eight is written, but it’s due at $1,750, and the total take so far is $1,627.
I’ve made some minor revisions to previously-posted chapters, though, and I might manage to get those changes online. I’m not sure; it depends on whether I get some urgent household business out of the way.
I still haven’t finished writing Chapter Nine, partly because I ran into a small plot hitch, now solved; partly because I’ve been sick with the worst cold I’ve had in years; and partly because I’ve been very, very busy getting our house ready to put on the market. We’re planning to relocate. I do hope to finish the chapter soon, though.
I’m considering modifying my model here; I may start e-mailing chapters to donors as I finish them, regardless of how much money has come in in total, rather than making people who have done their share wait for the rest of the world. Let me know if that would interest you.
I will admit that I like that modification to the model, but it raises an interesting question. Assuming that the total amount of money for the novel does not appear, would you still finish the book? Would this new model allow donors to assure that their donation results in a guarantee, of sorts, that the contribution gets them a complete story to read?
One of the primary reasons I have not contributed thus far (and I have contributed to every serial before this one) is the relatively pessimistic expectations that this book would garner the donations required for it to be finished. If I knew that my $25 would bring a finished story, that would certainly change my “wait and see” mindset.
Now, I do understand that your time is valuable, and that you are writing to make money. That’s why this new model seems quite generous, perhaps overly so, which is why I felt clarification was needed.
Having already contributed, the new model makes me happy, giving me an ROI earlier. But I have to worry if this will make subsequent stories hard to get you to do. Sort of a get something short term, but lose long term?
I have not contributed to every serial, having only discovered the process VERY late in the Spriggin serial (Like with only one chapter to go….), but have contributed to every subsequent serial.
Are you relocating out of MD? We have some nice warm weather, down here in FL. Even had a house get sold on my street a couple weeks ago. There are two left for sale……
I’d be more than happy to receive chapters as they’re done. Lawrence’s writing and stories are so engaging that I hate having to wait 🙂
We’re staying in Maryland. In fact, we’re staying in Montgomery County. We’re just trying to shorten Julie’s commute into Washington, which takes over an hour under our present circumstances. She had a job here in Gaithersburg when we moved here, and even after she started working for the government she wasn’t sure at first how long she’d stay there, and the kids didn’t want to move, so it wasn’t until Julian finished college that relocating became a priority.
But now we’re planning to move to Bethesda or Silver Spring, as close to a Metro station as we can manage.
Getting down to business: Will I guarantee to finish the story? No. But I’ve gotten far enough on it now that I’m interested in seeing how it comes out, so even if no more money comes in I expect to keep working on it when I don’t have anything more urgent and/or profitable to do, so I’ll probably finish it eventually.
As for future serials, it’s clear that the serial model has worked for Ethshar stories, so I’ll try at least one more of those. I also have a complete novel that’s difficult to market, Vika’s Avenger, so I may try that one, too.
But I won’t be attempting the third cyborg novel, or the sequel to Shining Steel. Those I’m abandoning.
Just wanted to add that I agree with RM; I like NIGHTSIDE CITY and am eager to see the sequel get finished. But the only reason that I haven’t contributed yet is that I want there to be a reasonable expectation that my $25 or more will result in a complete novel. With the somewhat discouraging results so far, I’ve been a little reluctant to pay yet. (I figure that my money can just as easily pay for Chapter 27 as Chapter 7.)
If it looks like that Lawrence is going to finish the novel regardless, and that donors will get the novel chapters ahead of the web site, then I’d contribute immediately.
I’m hoping that there are lots of others like RM and I who are just waiting at this point.
Sorry to hear about the no 3rd cyborg novel. I much enjoyed them when they first came out and was hoping someday you would write another sequel. I think sending out the chapters as you finish them would be great but whatever works best for you would be great for me. I find fewer and fewer writers that I enjoy reading every year and anything to keep the ones that I like writing would be great.
I’m looking forward to the next Ethshar novel.
This is my first round with the serials. I chipped in a partial payment and plan on continuing to do so. I am very interested in this particular book because it is so different form the Ethshar books (which I did enjoy). I hope multiple payment’s aren’t a problem.
Not a problem at all. Thanks!
Happy VD.
I too was looking forward to a Cyborg and the Sorcerer sequal, though not as much as a new Ethshar novel. I haven’t contributed to this serial yet. Partly because I haven’t read Nightside City yet and wanted to get a feel for it before I decided if I liked it, and partly because I haven’t sold anything on Ebay lately so my Paypal slush fund has run dry.
Good luck with moving!
“Happy VD.”
LOLOL!!!