I've been working on Endurance as best I can. My idea was to tell the story of mankind's first contact with a non-human intelligence from both the perspective of the humans, and of the natives. It turned out that I had a great story for the natives, and I follow three of them through this tangled adventure that I really enjoyed writing. Over half the book is from their point of view. So, mission accomplished.

The human side turned out to be a bit more of a struggle. I have situations to work through, but it doesn't feel quite right to me at the moment. I am going to have to go through and work to create a more interesting story. One that's not just a soap opera of reconnecting lovers and such. Although I do have that, I need something to really drive the story forward. So that part has gone slower than expected. I may not meet my goal of having a second book submitted before I hear back on the first, but honestly, I want to submit a good book, not just a book I pushed through without a good story.

One stumbling block occurred when I had that epiphany about book four of the Rise of the Automated Empire series. That shift (now called Stolen Dreams) made me move an important scene from Endurance into that book, and changing my timelines a little. It cost a couple thousand words in Endurance, and a whole plot line, but it fits so much better in Stolen Dreams that it simply had to be done. However, comma, it left me with a whole different situation on Endurance. The characters are still here, but now they are several years older, their relationship has evolved, and I have to write them from an entirely different standpoint. Instead of having been on Endurance the whole time, they are just arriving. At least that lets me do introductions. I suppose you could say I am still getting to know the new version of this couple as they settle into a new life, and find their own place in this new world.

I've also been working with my editor on Precipice. I will have that ready for beta readers shortly. As the direct sequel to Final Assembly, I have always felt that it would not make a good starting point for the story, which is why I started working on Endurance. However it's nearly completed, so on the off chance that Final Assembly sells, Precipice will be hot on its heels.





Addendum: With all the things going on around the house right now, I'll be taking a short break with the blog. So to all my readers, I apologize. You'll both have to wait a bit.

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