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Chapter 4 of my sci-fi/detective noir serial Grim Khonsu is now out. Read it for free at twiain.substack.com/p/chapter-4, or start from the beginning at twiain.substack.com/p/chapter-1. And if you’d like each chapter delivered directly to your in-box when it’s avaliable, subscribe for free at twiain.substack.com/subscribe.
Change happens, and then it becomes the new normal. Sometimes this can take weeks or months (or years). Sometimes it feels almost instantaneous.
It feels like I’ve been in this new job for months already, even though it’s only been three weeks. And although I’ve only released three chapters of my Grim Khonsu serial, it feels like I’ve been working on it for far, far longer.
Probably because I have. I had the idea bouncing around in my head for age, considering practicalities and deciding if I wanted to take the project on. Then there was the planning. And even though I’m only releasing a chapter a week, I don’t want to get caught out, so I’m working a few weeks in advance. I already have another three chapters scheduled, and have many more in various stages of drafting and editing.
So, how’s it going?
The first thing to say is that I’m enjoying it. I’m having fun writing the story, and I’m getting a lot of satisfaction from finally putting more fiction out into the world. While I’ve not received much (any?) direct feedback yet, the chapters I’ve posted have garnered more views than these behind-the-scenes posts, which is gratifying. A few more readers have subscribed. So things are generally very positive.
But there have been problems.
Even though I like to plan stories, they always change as I start writing. I’m fine with this. Planning gives a kind of idealised view of the story, but things don’t always work out the way we envisage, and I’ll spot plot-holes and inconsistencies as I write. I also find that characters don’t become fully developed until I start tapping away at the keyboard. And these changes mean altering things in each editing pass, especially in earlier chapters. I realise I haven’t laid sufficient groundwork for later developments, or that I’ve started down avenues that lead nowhere.
Obviously, releasing a story as a serial means that those earlier chapters are already out there. Yes, I could go back and alter them (and I probably will when spelling errors come to light, because a few always slip through), but that would get confusing for anyone who’s already read the unedited versions. So I have to go with what I’ve published, and do the best I can to make everything else follow smoothly.
I’m countering this by working in advance. Having future chapters ready not only prepares me for those interruptions that will surely crop up and take away my writing time, but it also gives me some flexibility in making those changes.
At the moment, I’m approaching the climax of the story in my first draft—and I know there is a lot to change. Over the next few weeks I’ll read through everything and see what needs altering in upcoming chapters. I’ll also hopefully spot continuity errors.
I’m playing about with Notebook.lm to help with this. Yes, it’s AI, but I’m not using it to write any words in the story. I’m using it as a tool—because that’s what AI ultimately is (or should be). By feeding in each chapter, I can have Notebook.lm look out for those errors. I can interrogate the AI about promises I’ve made to the reader, or open loops in earlier chapters that haven’t yet been closed. I’ve also been asking it about genre tropes—I’m calling Grim Khonsu a sci-fi detective noir, so how does it stand up against those separate genres?
I’m also using Notebook.lm to keep track of characters and places. I often add incidental characters and places as I write, and as I intend to write more Grim Khonsu stories it makes sense to keep track of all these mentions. I could do this manually, but why not use a decent tool for the job? And as this list of characters and places grows, I have more things to pull from later. If I need another incidental character, maybe I can call on one I’ve already used? And if a new story takes Grim into a different part of Khonsu, why not use an area I’ve already mentioned in passing?
Another tool I’m using in writing Grim Khonsu is Joplin. This is basically a note-taking app that syncs between phone and computer.
Why use this, when I’ve been a dedicated Scrivener user for years?
I’m not abandoning Scrivener. Far from it. I’m still using it for editing Grim Khonsu. But, with my new job and altered routines, I needed some way of writing when it’s not convenient to boot up the laptop. Scrivener doesn’t yet have an Android app, so that’s out. I tried a few other apps, but none worked quite how I needed them to. But Joplin did.
I don’t know if I’d write a full ‘proper’ novel in Joplin, but it works great for a serial. I can arrange notes in folders, so I have a Grim Khonsu folder with separate notes for each chapter (which I then copy and paste into Scrivener for editing). I also have a few notes of, well, notes. Because each chapter has to be self-contained to an extent, working in a ‘smaller’ app helps me focus on the arc in each chapter.
I have a couple of Bluetooth keyboards, too. One is a folding thing that’s awkward for fast typing, but it fits in my pocket, so it’s very transportable. The other is still small, but has full-sized keys, and I can type almost as fast on that as I can on my laptop. I’ve used this second keyboard to write Grim Khonsu while having a coffee at the climbing wall, or in my car when I get to work too early. And, if I don’t have either keyboard to hand, I can always use the phone’s on-screen keyboard. That’s not ideal for writing drafts of the chapters, but it works fine for quick notes (especially as thoughts arise as I’m plodding on at work).
This new way of working already feels comfortable, and I can see myself using it for the next season of Grim Khonsu. Yes, I’m enjoying the project so much that I want to continue. I already have ideas for Grim’s next case. I don’t want to get too carried away yet, though—this first story needs to be my focus, and I also have those other Unity-related projects in progress (the large-scale space opera itself and the spin-off Chronicles Of Seraph adventures).
But what do you think of Grim Khonsu? If you haven’t read it yet, you can find the first chapter at twiain.substack.com/p/chapter-1. Give it a read and tell me what you think. After all, a story is a conversation. Without readers, a story is nothing.
This post is the latest in a series I’m running on Substack, chronicling my work on this space-opera project. If you’d like to read these posts as they appear, please consider subscribing for free.
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Sci-fi /detective noir series Grim Khonsu continues with Chapter 2, available to read for free on Substack at https://twiain.substack.com/p/chapter-2. And if you missed the opening of the series, you can read that at https://twiain.substack.com/p/chapter-1.
Subscribe for free to receive each chapter direct to your in-box.
A city-sized generation ship tearing through the void of space, seeking planets for humanity to colonise. But onboard, life goes on, as it has for a couple of millennia. And life on the vast craft known as Khonsu is far from perfect. While the authorities do their best, the dark underbelly of Khonsu’s society churns away.
Such a place needs a dark hero. Investigative consultant Grim (don’t call him a detective—he doesn’t like it) isn’t a hero, but he’s the closest Khonsu’s got.
Grim Khonsu is a new serialised story, a chapter appearing each week. If you like your sci-fi soaked in noir, or if you like your detectives pulled between humans and technology, then check out Grim Khonsu. You can read the first chapter at twiain.substack.com/p/chapter-1.
And if you want subsequent chapters delivered straight into your inbox for free, sign up for my Substack at twiain.substack.com/.
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I’ve been in a rut recently. Yes, I’ve been struggling with this space-opera project, but that’s only part of it. I’ve lacked motivation. I’ve been far too easily distracted. While I’ve made progress with both the main Unity book and the first Chronicles of Seraph story, that progress has felt far too slow.
I used to be more productive. Back when I grew serious about writing, I was able to release about three books a year. But since releasing the final ShadowTech book last year, I haven’t put out any new fiction. I’ve had the Tales of Dominions Kickstarter, but that was a collection of previously written stories.
I don’t feel good about this. I’m letting my readers down. I’m letting myself down.
So, why the lack of motivation? In large part, this is down to the day-job. It’s been growing increasingly demoralising over the last few years (things started going downhill in 2020, and there’s been no sign of an improvement). While I try to compartmentalise things—that’s work, so it shouldn’t affect my writing or my life outside work—everything’s connected.
But things are about to change. I now have a new job, starting next week. It’s longer hours—but back when I produced three books a year I was working similar hours. Maybe the lethargy has been compounded by too much free time, too many opportunities for distraction. So I’m going into this new job with a more focused mind-set. When I open my laptop for writing, that’s what I’ll do. I’m also investigating ways I can use my phone more effectively, so I can make better use of breaks at work and odd moments when I’m not at the laptop. Yes, I’ll still get distracted, but if I go in with a more positive attitude, and if I’m conscious of possible distractions, I’ll be in a better position to head them off.
Of course, there’s going to be a period of adjustment. I’ll be working different shifts, so I’ll have to let my body grow accustomed to a new routine. And this new job gives me free weekends, so more opportunities for important family time.
With one change, it’s a good time to introduce another. As I mentioned before, I haven’t been as productive as I’d like. I’m spending more time editing and less time writing (first-drafting)—and while I enjoy editing it’s that earlier stage that I love.
So I need to produce more stories. And I need to get back to first-draft writing.
I have a plan.
I’m going to write a serial.
Okay, hold on a moment. I’m struggling to get through those space-opera books, and I’m about to start a new job that will leave me with less free time—and I’m going to add another project?
It isn’t as stupid as it sounds. This serial is connected to the whole Unity universe. The story will focus on one of the main characters from the central Unity story. Writing this serial will help me understand both that character and their setting.
And I’ll be releasing a chapter each week, somewhere between one and two thousand words (so about fifteen minutes reading time?). I can write that many words in an hour. Another couple of hours for editing, and things don’t look too unrealistic.
Oh, and it’s called Grim Khonsu. It’s a blend of sci-fi and detective noir. I’ve wanted to produce something in this vein for a while now, writing a first draft of a novel a few years ago. Some of the ideas from that have ended up in the initial work on Unity, and others I’m using in this serial.
Of course, this will involve a different way of working. I’m a plotter. I like to know where my stories are going before I start writing. But with a serial, I’ll be going one chapter at a time. Okay, I’ll have a few in the bag, and I have ideas about the direction of the story, along with the larger overview. But I don’t know the details yet. I’ll only discover them as I write.
Will this work? I don’t know. I’d like to think I’m sufficiently confident in my writing to pull it off, but I might write myself into all kinds of corners. And I’m committing myself to a new chapter each week. What if I’m ill? What if the story grows too cumbersome and I need to have a major rethink?
Problems to deal with if and when they arise. This is an experiment. It will allow me to get back to the thrill of first-drafting. It will allow me to put more fiction out there, giving readers something they’ll (hopefully) enjoy. And, because of its connection with my grand space-opera concept, it will enrich that story too.
It could all go horribly wrong, of course. And if it does, I’ll treat it as a learning experience.
But I’m quietly confident. Things are changing. I’ll be developing new routines, ones that should make me more productive, less prone to lethargy and distraction.
And I’m doing this in public. That’s scary. But it gives me accountability. I don’t like going back on my word, so now that I’ve committed to this, I have to keep it up. You’ll hold me to that, right? And as this story takes shape, as I add a new chapter each week, I’d appreciate any kind of feedback.
A change. An opportunity to start a new experiment. I hope you’ll come along for the ride.
More to follow…
This post is the latest in a series I’m running on Substack, chronicling my work on this space-opera project. If you’d like to read these posts as they appear, please consider subscribing for free.
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Over the last few years, as I’ve worked on improving both my climbing and my writing, I’ve seen many similarities between these activities. I’ve detailed my thoughts on this over the last few posts, but here’s a quick recap.
To bring this short series to a close, I want to consider a question. Why? Why do I climb, and why do I write?
The knee-jerk response is to say that I enjoy both activities. Fair enough, but I enjoy listening to music, and I don’t put in anywhere near the same effort in this as I do in climbing and writing.
So let’s go deeper. I became serious about my writing ten years ago. Why then? What caused this mind-shift?
At that time, I was struggling at work. I won’t go into details, but I felt like I had no control over the situation, and no clear way forward.
This was when I started writing more regularly. I had no big plan. I started from the kernel of an idea, and wrote to see what would happen.
My writing was something I could control. True, I didn’t know where the story was going. But there wasn’t anyone else dictating what happened. Ultimately, I was the one who decided.
Some years later I had a short novella included in an anthology called The Power Of Words, and I realised that this power lies not only in the words themselves but also in bringing them forth. Writing gave me something I lacked in my job. It gave me a voice, even if this writing was, at that point, only for myself.
I’d written before, but it reached somewhere deeper in me now. I continued, eventually finishing and then independently publishing novels.
And realised that writing was only a part of what being a writer was all about. Now that I had these books I needed to market them.
Okay, I didn’t need to. I could have put them up on Amazon and left everything to chance. But I thought it would be good to get something back from them—readers, and also money. At least enough to pay for the production.
So I set about learning marketing. I learnt about newsletters and websites, about reader magnets. I learnt about advertising and reader funnels, social media and reader tropes. And a whole lot more. I tried different tactics to help readers find and buy my books.
And while I have sold a few copies, and have had some positive reviews and ratings, none of my books have yet earned out. So far, this writing and publishing thing has cost more than it’s brought in.
Why? I don’t know. I try things. I follow what others have done. I try to analyse where things are failing.
And one thing I’ve come to realise is that there are no guarantees. I could do exactly the same as some successful writer, and I’d have wildly different results.
Because it’s not something I can control. Yes, I can tweak ads, or focus on targeting. Yes, I can write posts and newsletters. But when it comes to potential readers connecting with the ads, posts or newsletters, there is too much outside my control. There are a million other distractions. And if a potential reader does pay attention, are they in the frame of mind to buy, or to download a free book? If they download a book, will it become just another file, pushed down the TBR list in favour of a new, more exciting-sounding title?
I can control my input into marketing, but I can’t control what happens after that. I’m at the whims of reader attention, of various store and social media site algorithms.
Which could explain why I grew more serious about climbing over the last few years. With a vague despondency over the lack of marketing success, I needed a feeling of control. While the writing served this to a point, it was always tinged with the marketing side of things.
In most sports, you compete against others, either individually or as part of a team. There is a winner, and by default there are losers (those who didn’t win). But climbing is different. Yes, there are climbing competitions (even at the level I climb), but the competition is far more internal.
I think I’ve mentioned the friendly, co-operative atmosphere I’ve found at climbing walls. Whatever level you climb at, there will be someone to offer advice and encouragement. As a regular at the walls I climb at, I’m often there with other regulars, and we often work on a problem together. We’ll bounce ideas around, each trying something slightly different.
Usually, someone will reach the top first. But that doesn’t mean they’ve ‘won’, because the rest of us might reach the top using a slightly different set of moves. And even if you don’t reach the top, you’ve made progress.
And that progress isn’t down to others. Okay, there’s the advice. And the encouragement. But you take that in, and you let that feed into your efforts. Then, when the set of moves works out and you reach the top, you can justifiably say that you’ve done it.
And if you don’t? It’s not a case of someone else beating you to it, or someone else interfering (unless they do, in which case they’ll get thrown out). No, it’s simply that you’re not quite ready to solve that particular problem. Keep working at it, and maybe you will.
It comes back to control. Top out or not, it’s down to me. My climbing is under my control.
I’ve come to realise that having at least one activity like this—something controllable—is vitally important. We exist in societies, where we have to fit in with others. Our actions are so often dictated or influenced by others, even people we don’t know. We can control how we respond to situations (to an extent), but we can’t control those situations. So having some time each week when we are autonomous can give a respite from this.
It’s what I get from both writing (storytelling) and climbing. I get to be in control of things for a while. Yes, I get enjoyment from both activities (and there’s physical wellbeing connected with climbing, barring any injuries), but they both help remind me that effort can bring rewards. It might not feel like that at times—for instance, when another set of ads falls flat. But that’s because I haven’t found the right approach yet. It’s like the ‘everyone climbs differently’ thing—what works for one person won’t necessarily work for me.
So I have to keep on. To climb higher grades I need to work on technique and push myself. To write better books I need to work on craft. To sell more books I need to persevere with marketing, taking in more advice and lessons and trying different approaches until I find what works for me.
And maybe that is another lesson from climbing I can bring to writing. Everything else can be seen as tactics, or ways to improve, but behind it all is perseverance.
The final, and most important, lesson—don’t give up.
And that’s it for what climbing has taught me about writing. This series originally appeared on my free Substack—click here to subscribe. If you’re interested in the previous posts, after a short introduction I go into details on progress, my thoughts on practice, how individuality plays a role, and how knowing and doing are not the same.
TW Iain 