Hmm...Change "brain" to "heart" and there might be a country song there.
What I should do is take the unsigned contract for The Shade Of The Moon to the dumpster, because my bad wicked brain is coming up with short story ideas and book structures and all kinds of things that take time and energy and bring back insomnia. Not stress, because the contract after all is unsigned (and probably already buried under a pile of things in the file cabinet, which isn't the tidiest place in my apartment).
I don't like insomnia and I'm still trying to regain my energy, and while I have plenty of time, I ought to be spending it on cleaning my apartment and atoning and useful stuff like that. Not in making up Rules For A Volume Of Short Stories, when I'm the one writing the stories, so why do I need to make up rules?
Wanna hear the rules? Every story has to have a character with a stated connection to a character in Life As We Knew It, The Dead And The Gone, or This World We Live In. For example, a story could be about Alex's friend Chris Flynn (that's one of the ones giving me insomnia), or it could be about a figure skater who casually mentions knowing Brandon the figure skater. And the stories will take place over a 2 year (give or take) time frame, so it can end with Miranda and/or Alex making it to the safe town, because lots of people want to know what happens to Miranda and Alex. The stories would be chronological, and have some kind of date (like March Year 2), so the readers will have a sense of when it's happening. I even have a prologue story and an epilogue story in mind and I remembered a moment ago a middle of the book story that would connect in its way with the prologue and the epilogue, but I'd almost forgotten it, which is what happens when you have insomnia and an unsigned contract and you really really need some time off.
Really.
Anyway, there's a big difference between coming up with ideas for stories and actually writing stories, and then there's another good sized difference between writing stories and having your publisher like the stories you've written. So the contract will remain unsigned (although I did notice when I took the file cabinet pictures that it's right on top of the files, and easy to locate, at least for the time being).
Oh how I love killing off all humanity. Which is probably something I should seriously atone for!
14 comments:
I would truthfully enjoy either story. But whatever you do, keep the drafts!!! PLEASE!!!! You're amazing!!! Thank you!!!!
I agree with anonymous -- but perhaps a tale about the fate of Megan's minister (set on Halloween, perhaps?) might be good. I STILL want him to die just as Miranda wished he would in LAWKI.
Anonymous Santa Fe
i dont really care what the story is, i just want another moon book!
Good Friday morning Anonymous, Anonymous and Anonymous-
Although to be fair about it, it's really Anonymous, Anonymous Santa Fe, and Anonymous-
Did you know in my real life (and yes I have one, even though it's mostly devoted to doing my mother's laundry and grieving over the Yankee defeat, which frankly they deserved, since they had plenty of opportunities to score yesterday), I know lots and lots of people and none of them are named Anonymous. Well, maybe they are in Internetland, but not when I talk with them.
Anyway, it's always nice to hear from you, Anonymous, Anonymous and Anonymous. I hope we get together again real soon!
I'm loving the Moon Crash Trilogy and am almost finished reading the 2nd book.
I'll be sad when I'm finished the series because good reads like this are hard to find!
Great work!
Thank you Stephen Squires!
Just as long as you kill off Megan's minister, okay? Halloween would be nice, but perhaps in the cold, bleak, winter might be good, too.
Anonymous Santa Fe
If the draft of Shade definitely isn't going to be used, how about sharing it with us? Excerpts or whatever?
I love the idea of short stories. How about Alex's aunt, uncle and cousins? Did they ever make it to safety? Or Carlos?
Hi Friendly Neighbourhood Bookseller-
I've thought about using Carlos in a story, but not Alex's aunt and uncle. It's fun to think of all the possibilities.
It's also fun not to think!
I think that The Shade of the Moon should be a continuation of Miranda's diaries. I'm not liking the short story idea. i love your other books so much I'm not sure I could let go of Miranda and her family.Please consider continuing Miranda's diaries.
I have just found and listened to "This world we live in" Having been an apocalyptic and post apocalyptic media reader for decades--I jumped on the opportunity to listen to these CDs. Right away, I felt the character Miranda was largely immature and clueless. You'd think after movies like the Matrix, Book of Eli and the classic "Mad Max" not to mention Demolition Man, all the zombie movies, and Judge Dredd would have given Miranda an inkling of what the loss of the Moon would be and you'd think that everyone would realize that the events that would occur once the moon's gravitational force was compromised would be EVERLASTING meant the volcanoes, tsunamis and earthquakes would continue not stop so people could hang out and fall in love. I felt (and maybe this is ) I was reading a book meant for 13 year olds. History has given us a pretty proven track record for how humans react in the midst of abrupt chaos and turmoil--lots of raping, rioting, and shooting and when there is food shortage, lots of cannibalism and roving gangs. The way the kids just ran around in empty houses devoid of squatters or at least inhabited by roving people with no hope, nothing to lose, etc means the lack of a more realistic depiction means this was written for the really young. (Don't want too much graphic violence) I have not read the others and probably won't. After movies like "The Stand" and books like "World War Z" this is like reading Bugs bunny. some things that were good though--gotta remember to stock up on more Nyquil...I can tell you this much Ms Pfeffer--if ever there was an event like this--you'd have the people running around quoting Revelations, the paranoid with guns and the MANY trying to take over every small berg they came to--probably cannibals and slavers--lots of mayhem and killing and little towns in PA would not be a haven. I expect the convent would be destroyed or at least overrun by now unless the nuns were gun toters...I'd also expect the food to run out long ago unless they had generators. Maybe I am just too old for this version of the end--I know one thing--I picture Miranda as either 12 or 13 (not 17) OR an airhead. She just thinks and sounds too young and it did not help that the story was read by a girl who sounds like she is 13. NOT one of my favorites--not even one that I would recommend or read again--am wondering just what the criteria for awards were--if this is a kiddie book then I give it maybe an 8 (out of 10) for broaching a subject for children to take in--for an adult read --maybe a 2.
LOL. Now that I saw what the comments are, and that they are moderated--what are the chances of people who actually did not really like your stories (the idea was great--Miranda thought and acted like a person too young for her age and the situation in Howell, sans marauders and cannibals and just plain nutzo types was not credible). Then again, I am hardcore and even read James Axler's deathlands series so my expectation of the mayhem and depravity is far above what this book even considers. Definitely a juvenile read.
Comment moderation has been enabled. All comments must be approved by the blog author." TRANSLATION = CENSORED. By a writer--no less. How contradictory is that?
Susan, please don't listen to them!!! You're books are amazing and I thought Miranda's character was perfect. I really hope you will write a fourth book!!! Thank you so much for your amazing book series.
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