• Database implementation is working out.
• New Book
• "Agile" Publishing Thoughts
Over the last days, the database system of managing content has proven very nice. Books 1, 2, 6a, 6b, 8a, 8b, and 10 are now published out of the database. Books 3, 4, and 5 will be converted, but as my son Nathan said, "Get what's not done done before redoing what's already done." Okay, not his words, but his idea…
However, despite his wisdom, I started a new book. From Shadows, Come launched in the days before this post. It is so exhilarating to create new stories as compared to grinding out edits and making web pages that I have diverted a bunch of time into that project. The first few story sections (I just can't call them chapters!) introduces the circumstances and the characters. The from there on, each story section is… I'm calling it episodic.
I am writing them as they come to me, not necessarily in the order that they take place within the Siliar canon. Hence, they do not include in their titles a serial number (e.g. TB03-03). However, the database system saved the day. The timeline page to that collection is also created from the database, so no matter what order they written in, they organize chronologically on the timeline. This, once more, supports my decision to use the agile publishing concept I am trying to develop.
Speaking of that, I have a few thoughts about it. By agile publishing, I mean that the whole world need not be dropped simultaneously. It is not even necessary to drop content book-by-book.
It means that, as story sections are done (or nearly done, even), they can become part of the world. The order of their writing need not matter, as the timelines can be adjusted to accommodate them. With regard to From Shadows, Come, the story sections are being "shimmied into" the War Collection timelines. As interest warrants, extra scenes from any of the different character / plot arcs could be written and added. This would be impossible using traditional publishing methods.
Agile publishing coupled with the database link system means very short story sections (did I mention I am resisting calling them chapters?) can exist. The "next / previous" buttons will allow a quick read of the section and quick access to the next section.
The result is a user experience unlike anything I know of.
Please let me know what you think!
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