Should I Write the Next Marla Mason Novel?

[tapratt]

I'm debating whether or not to write Broken Mirrors -- the fifth full-length Marla Mason novel, which will resolve the cliffhanger in Spell Games -- this spring, to be published online as a reader-funded serial in the summer or fall.

If you're interested in reading that (and more importantly interested in donating, so I can actually afford to

Comments

[nancylebov]

I've enjoyed your Marla Mason books very much, I contributed towards Bone Shop, and will contribute toward the new book if that's what you decide to do.

However, if you're a good enough writer to come up with Marla Mason, your other possible projects might be at least as good.

Do you have any other writing in mind?

[tapratt]

Oh, sure. I have a thriving career as a short fiction writer under the name Tim Pratt, and my agent's shopping some other novels too. (I published one novel as Tim Pratt, The Strange Adventures of Rangergirl, before moving on to Marla.) But I want to wrap up Marla's story, especially since things were left hanging at the end of Spell Games.

Count me in.

[seattlejo]

Bands like Gaia Consort have done album sponsers, Marian Call has her own "gold circle" of supporters, and I could imagine sponsoring you in a similar way. ( A patron of the arts perhaps?) I'd be in for at least $100 , probably more as it was spread over time. I would definitely pay more then the cost of a book, the value is of the story itself.

Re: Count me in.

[tapratt]

Good to hear! I'm considering premiums -- pay a certain amount to get a signed limited chapbook, to get named in the acknowledgments, to get a character named after you, etc. Something to ponder.

[winters_queen]

Oooo, ooo, me me me me *bounces and waves hand furiously.*

solimond(at)gmail(dot)com

[temporus]

I enjoyed Bone Shop, and contributed. I would certainly contribute again if another project got under way. Frankly, there was something extraordinarily fun about getting a chapter a week. I'm wondering, did writing to a serial audience affect how you approached the writing and the story?

[tapratt]

Since Bone Shop was such an episodic story -- no single plot through-line, just lots of interesting stuff happening in a row -- I was comfortable writing it on-the-fly, posting each chapter as I wrote it. I don't know how it affected my approach, really -- maybe more cliffhanger chapter endings than usual? Though they weren't all cliffhangers...

With Broken Mirrors, I'd want to write the whole novel first and make sure it worked as a single whole. Though I would keep the serial format in mind... so no chapters that were only two lines long, probably, and maybe more cliffhangers.

Yes!

[brekkee]

I love the Marla Mason series and would contribute to another book. I have no idea what goes into it, but would love book five to be offered via Kindle since I'm inevitably bad at remembering to check online for things on any sort of regular basis.