Progress Report: Happy New Year!

I finished Draft 2 of Matched to the Alien Prince this week and started Draft 3. I’m trying to remind myself that while there do seem to be a lot of comments, at the pace I’m going, I should finish in a perfectly reasonable amount of time. I’m not going slow. It’s fine.

I started building up Matched to the Alien Captain in Scrivener and I’ve got placeholders for about half the book so far. I used a randomization table to choose a “life lesson” for the FMC, Sarah, and I’m kinda liking the direction it’s leading me. It creates a bit of a challenge because I have to make her likable but her past could easily make her someone not to like. A challenge, like I said, but I like a good challenge.

I finally sucked it up and developed a paperback version through KDP Print for Shifting Tides. It cost me more money and I truly hate the setup process for KDP Print, even more than I hate the one for IngramSpark, which I didn’t think was possible. It’s currently “In Review” according to my dashboard. Hopefully, it will go live soon.

Also did some general brainstorming for the world-building for the Matched to the Alien series, focusing on family structure. There are 3 alien worlds I intend to eventually bring into the series (I’m currently focusing on the world of Savala). Each will be different in pretty much every way. Skin-tone, societal structure, governing style, relationship dynamics, family structure. Savala, the first world I’m writing in, has a governing style similar to the UK in some ways, nuclear family structure, paler skin, colder world, and the most technologically advanced of the three. They are not without their problems, though (but I won’t give spoilers). Hexon’s governing style is more like the US, more like Spanish family structures, polyamorous relationships, more middle of the road in skin tone, moderate climate, and a little less advanced than Savala (probably because business competition and in-fighting holds them back). Kalan’s governing style is community-based, they have the darkest skin, warmest climate, community-based family structures, and are the least advanced technologically (by choice). One of my biggest fears going into this series is that people will see those skin tone distinctions as being somehow racist (it’s not, it’s based entirely on climate). I actually like Kalan a lot and I have this idea in my head of this people who look at the other societies like they’re mad for ruining their planets with all that technology (not that I’m against technology either, I’m a total gadget whore). I love the idea of a society that has full access to whatever technology their hearts could desire, but cherry picks the technology they include in their lives rather than embracing it whole-cloth. They developed the technology latest, maybe because of a lack of need (Human nature is to act on a desire. If there is not desire, there is no need to act.). My idea is that much of their technological advancement happened due to people from the other planets showing up to trade. They traded for those things that made their lives better.

Well, hopefully you all have a wonder full New Year.

Until next time,

Danielle