It’s one of my favorite activities also. But admittedly that has not been easy with #TroubleTexasStyle. I have trialled several options for making that a bit easier since leaving Lit. And even there, the storylines got confusing.
Okay, I admit defeat. George R. R. was right. The story of Ice and Fire might be dauntingly long and complex, but there is just no other way to write it that makes sense. Four separate but entwined stories does not work with this series. It took almost a year and three-quarters of the way through the story to realize that though. Oh, well, live, write, and learn.
So, in addition to writing, editing, and posting new chapters this week, I have also been updating the website in a way that makes sense of all the gibberish. It is FAR from finished. Editing this thing into something truly chronological may take months. Months I don’t have. But for now, it is possible to roughly follow along the story.
If you go to the Trouble Texas Style homepage, you will discover that I have listed all the chapters from all four books in roughly chronological order. And I do mean very, very roughly. There is still loads of work to be done to break those chapters and stories in the right order.
But if that was not enough (and evidently it was not), I have added
Buttons at the bottom of each chapter. That means you can just click through from one chapter to the next, from the first to the most current. Making that binge reading easier.
Moving forward, I will do that for all my works in progress. I will also go back and do it for my Books as I have time.
Unfortunately, all this busy works has taken a bit of a toll on the writing. I began this week five chapters ahead. Now I have just two. Hopefully, I can catch up a bit with that this weekend. Because while I don’t edit and upload chapters on the weekend, I do write.
I might be sold on this outlining crap. It has meant that even on those days that I don’t ‘feel like writing’ I have something to prompt me. I set out just to write a bit and often even the whole chapter.
Of course, nothing is set in stone. I am continually revising that blooming outline. I have added at least two more chapters to the story just today. Do I still think I can finish #TroubleTexasStyle by March 1st? Maybe. I hope. But not long after for sure.
But I also need to begin to think and outline Reconciliation Texas. I want to hit the ground running with that one. And I don’t want to constantly be changing format on it either. So, I need your feedback on a couple of things…
- Do you like this new chronological chapter order with Next buttons? Do you have any other suggestions for how I might organize it better?
- Did you come only for this series? Or do you read my other stuff? I’m considering giving my mind a bit of a break from Sebida by only writing Reconciliation three days a week and working on other projects the rest of the time. Would ya’ll want me to post those here too? Right now, both Njörður’s and my Apocalypse have been left hanging. As has Sergeant Mike and Esther. I have to bring them back to Sebida.
On top of selling Alan’s other house, trying to survive a pandemic with an extroverted autistic teen, grow enough fresh produce to feed my family and others, and do some binge reading of my own. I’m hoping as many of you as can will share your thoughts with me. If you don’t want to make a public comment, remember you can always email me at tara.cox.writer@gmail.com.
Within reason, I will do what I can to get these stories into the hands of as many readers as I can.
Okay, off to tackle some of those other projects, have a good weekend and look for the next chapter on Monday.
Goddess bless you,
Tara
Tara Cox - Literary Erotica 
1 Yes, I like the next button very much! This order is wonderful!
2) I love all of your series, I’d love more on no strings attached and I cannot wait for more on Esther and Mike! I really enjoyed the cameos in No Strings Attached too. Outlining must make it easier, especially with this series, but your other series too. Thank you for all of your hard work!
Thank you, Lars, for your feedback. I do need to finish No Strings since it too is entwined with Reconciliation Texas. Has anyone caught onto the fact that J. T. Tyler is Jon’s big brother?
Dear Tara,
You are forgetting something extremely important. All the outlining and preparation does not stop the characters from being characters, doing what they want to do. What you thought the character should do one day and what that character wants to do when it actually comes to doing it are two potentially different things. That’s part of the magic of creativity.
Does that mean the outline was wrong? Not at all. The outline is the idea. The writing takes the idea and fleshes it out. The whole process is an amazing thing. And you are kind enough to share it with the rest of us, for which I thank you.
You decided last year to take the DIY a whole lot further by creating your own website. We know how much work is involved. And then add all the other stuff life decided to throw at you last year and it is no wonder that you are frustrated by the pace and the amount of work to do and be done.
But I think you’ll find your readership is very supporting of you, and all the Herculean tasks you’ve taken on.
One step at a time, you runner, one step at a time.
Thank you, Arthur. Yes, there never seems enough spoons in my day for everything. I am hoping that old fable is true and that slow and steady does win the race. I appreciate your feedback, support, and assistance.
The changes you’ve made throughout this year have been easy to adapt to. I haven’t had any problem at all transitioning and am more than willing to be patient as you make the changes to the formatting across your stories and books.
As for other stories, I would love, love, LOVE more Njörður’s content. I mean, I can’t overstate how much I would LOVE to read more about that Viking clan.
Is your Apocalypse book posted here on the website? When I click the link for it in your Books section, it doesn’t take me anywhere.
My Apocalypse series began with The Arrangement, which is formatted and ready to post. The next book was Rings of Fire which still needs another round of edits. And from there there are other storylines to follow.
Njörður’s will morph a bit with Kirsty and her guys no being the complete center of attention – much like Rex and Jaycee in Trouble Texas Style. But we still have to deal with her mother’s death as well as Roz and Georgia.
As Alan kids me – I won’t finish all these stories or my quilts if I live to be 100.