Preview: The Promises We Keep

"The Promises We Keep" is a story written in the first person by the protagonist, using the device that the story is actually a very lengthy memoir or journal written with an undefined future audience in mind. The protagonist is not entirely reliable in terms of being a narrator.

The story tells of the episode that broke Ken from the society wherein he emerged and came of age, where he rejects the dogma of the society in favor of the natural law that the artificial society rests upon (and suppresses) and becomes the proto-form of the man that fathered a new strain of Man after the Azure Flames. The key theme here is that the Old World was a decadent, inhuman and parasitic entity that successfully deceived the people into becoming sycophants that hate themselves, their fellow men and the very natural world in favor of the gilded cage that the Old World used to entrap Mankind.

And yes, Ken is a dick. You've been warned.

Coming 2011: The Promises We Keep

The first serial for 2011 is another Ken the Zombie Eating Mutant story, but it's not a story about post-apocalyptic Ken. It's a story about what Ken's life was before it all went up in the Azure Flames, and it's not going to be pretty. It's a first-person story written from his point of view, and in his voice. It is not going to be Happy Fun Time.

I hope that I do this one right.

End of 2010, Part 3

So, what's on the way for 2011?

I'm going to change my approach again. I am not satisfied with the stories that I've put out to date. I want to suck less, far less, and the way that I'm going now that is not going to happen. After this weekend, I'm going to start writing the first of the 2011 stories and I will hold on publishing it until the first full week of 2011. I will continue aiming at Thursday updates, so look for the first new serial to start on the 6th of January.

The reason that I'm doing this is to accommodate my primary work as a Master's student; I am now on Winter Break and thus have the time to write fiction. I won't once the Spring semester starts, as what writing time I'd devote to this instead has to be put towards a paper or other assignment.

I'm aiming at a 15 or 16-part serial, which is long enough to cover the semester; I will write this one now and another early in the longer Summer break, with a shorter one to fill the gap. The remaining weekly posts will be administrative, like this one.

Next week, I'll write something of a "Coming Attractions" post so that you can prepare yourselves for what's to come in 2011.

End of 2010, Part 2

I am a full-time graduate student. That has consequences, in particular because the school where my program is has 15-week semesters. Things advance swiftly, and I have a life beyond this blog and my program.

In short, that means that when crunch time hits I'm going to let posts slide here until it's over, at which point I will catch up on the backlog. Be aware of that going forward.

The next post will be a preview of what is to come next year.

End of 2010, Part 1

That concludes this year's serialization of original fiction for the Chronicles.

Some of it was far better than others. Some of it I will never want to touch again. Such is life in fiction writing.

I will, in the remaining weeks of the year, go over what I want to do with this blog in 2011. Contradictions with earlier posts means, as one ought to expect, a change of plan.

If you're still reading, I thank you. If you're still reading come 2011, I really thank you (and ask that you donate; it will help down the road).

If there is any story that you would like to see revised, rewritten and made to suck less (i.e. brought up to a professional standard, and thus worthy of--say--making a Kickstarter project out of it so I can afford to do it), comment below. Otherwise, I'm just going to keep doing whatever it is I want to do at the time.