I keep lollygagging about putting up new posts. Oh, it’s not for a lack of ideas. It’s more an issue of energy, time, and…I dunno. I keep wondering if maintaining a website and a blog really works for me or not. Perhaps I need to fork over for a decent website. I dunno.
Then again, the issue of the cataract is a very real situation. I find that it tires me out–not so much physically but with mental fatigue because I’m coping. All to be expected–that’s how disability works, after all. But it’s still frustrating.
Especially since I need to be focusing on drafting short stories and getting a bunch of other stuff done. SIGH.
Anyway.
So here’s the latest work. Becoming Solo had its roots in a particular anthology. In its original form, it was rejected. I put it aside, occasionally tried to market it, but otherwise didn’t think much about doing anything with it until Kindle Vella happened. I looked at what I had, saw where I could turn it into a nice little short piece to put up on Vella–and here it is.
The essential conceit behind Becoming Solo is that magic in a certain part of the world–the Pacific Northwest–is managed through daemons, which are tied to a specific region. Daemon power is renewed through yearly Magic Fairs, which coincide with your everyday county fair.
So what happens to an area’s magic when a Fair becomes Lost?
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The inspiration for this story came from my days as a 4H Leader. The county that we lived in, with a strong tradition of being the first urban 4H program, decided to defund its 4H program. I provided a community club option for my county’s 4Hers at a neighboring fair–our project areas were small animals, tech, science, plus all the home ec stuff. One of my members, who was a powerhouse at our fair, waltzed into the new fair and easily dominated a very competitive field, especially in the Style Revue sewing division (in Style Revue, one not only makes an outfit but displays it in a runway walk–and it is competitive).
I used that experience to create Shadow the Question–but it took other experience to fill out the family spell matrices, the role of the Senior Council, and more.
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So far, the story hasn’t really been one that I thought was big enough for a book. Oh, I could whip up a full-sized book, I suppose. As I wrote this one, other threads popped up that could make it longer. But. I couldn’t necessarily do it from Yesenia’s point of view. Her arc within this novella is more-or-less completed as a major character. And, as I look at possibilities, I just do not see a single character or set of characters that emerge as story leaders for anything long enough to be a book.
However, I do see possibilities in individual stories, not just about this fair but others. Shadow may have a story. So may Bright Star itself. Or other magicians. That’s why I labeled it as a “Bright Star Fair Witches” story–holding space for future stories in the series.
I’ll probably come back to it at some point.
But for now, here is Becoming Solo. A nice little short piece, at a reasonable price ($2.99).
Becoming Solo can be found on Amazon as well as Apple, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo. Due to size, it’s unlikely to come out in paper, unless I write other Bright Star Fair Witches stories.
