Maybe you’ve noticed that I’ve suspended my funding campaign for The Underneath. I realized I had gotten ahead of myself and begun this campaign before it was ready. However, believe me when I say this isn’t the end for me, or for the Underneath. I’m pressing pause on marketing and selling the story, but I hope that someday it will be ready to take the next step in being published.
Going through this campaign has taught me that it is very difficult to sell a project that is rough and unpolished. I wanted to fund the novel through the drafting process as an experiment, but it turned out to be much more of a challenge than I had anticipated. Such an undertaking is almost impossible for someone working full time.
I will continue to write stories that I am passionate about. I have moved The Underneath back to the draft stage and I will continue to post updates for all of my readers. I would like to thank you guys for your interest in this idea. You have no idea how excited I get every time I see that I have a new follower.
I will also be participating in NaNoWriMo next month. My project, Treaty of Treason (working title) is already up on Inkshares. As of now, I have no plans to fund that story, as I’m just taking things as they come. I really just wanted to share with my readers what a NaNoWriMo first draft looks like for me (warning: not pretty!). So if you’d like to follow me on that journey, check it out.
Thanks again for all of your support. I hope to bring The Underneath, or another project, back into funding mode in the future and I hope you’ll all still be with me when I do. For the people who preordered copies, Inkshares should be refunding you if they haven’t already. Please consider spending that money to support another project on Inkshares, as I know first hand now all the hard work authors do to get their novels fully funded.
You should know that the common characteristics between these two groups far outweigh the differences. I did not want to create an "Other" race -- an alien race that was humanoid but not quite human.
This is why both groups are classified, in my mind, as Homo sapiens. Currently, there is only one subspecies of H. sapiens (actually, "sapiens" are the only current surviving species in the Homo genus).
In the context of the setting of this story, it’s important to remember that despite the separateness and differentness (I might have made up those words?) of the two factions, they really are the same in structure -- they have the same parts. It’s just that Superiorii have organs that run far more efficiently than Sapiens.
There’s one other angle to explore here, as well. Since they are the same species, they can reproduce with each other. At the time the story begins there hasn’t been enough intermingling between the two groups to create a significant third "mixed-race" group. That said, the fact that this possibility exists creates even more hidden tension between them, and provides more opportunities for the two worlds to come crashing together.
Finally, chapter four is here, and I am super excited to share it with you guys. This is the chapter I refer to as the end of the beginning of the beginning. In my structure, I’ve separated the story a beginning, a middle, and an end, and within each their own beginning, middle, and end. The first four chapters represent the very very beginning of the story.
It’s nice to finally have a shot to get things rolling. Thus far, the story has been about building characters and setting, with a hint of the plot to come. The rest of the first act is all about solving the mystery of what’s going on. In chapter five, though, something will happen that will drastically affect Chris and Freya’s investigation. The end of chapter four changes the game, but chapter five will change the stakes.
Ending every update with a plea to get people to open their wallets to preorder is a little bit awkward for me. I hate asking for money, and that’s what this feels like. But, I have some things up my sleeve to reward people who take that leap of faith. Nothing huge, but certain extras I’m willing to share with my backers. Stay tuned (and preorder!) for more info on this in the future.
Small update first: I’ve filmed a video introducing the world and the characters of The Underneath. You can watch it here, and then please send it to friends and/or family who you think would be interested in this story.
I really, really, really wanted to have chapter four posted by today. This is a chapter I want to get 100% right -- this is the first real turning point of the story. The end of the first act of the first act, so to speak. Things can never go back to the way they were. You’ll see what I’m talking about when you read it.
Even though I’ve missed my self-imposed deadline, I thought I’d still give you guys a little teaser:
Chris hadn’t been happy -- of course he hadn’t -- but Freya knew how best to get him to go along with her: don’t give him a choice. She hated pulling the tactic, but also hated that he felt he should have any concern or control over the investigations she chose to pursue on her own time.
The pair of contact lenses she was wearing connected to his console back in the East City, as did the device nestled within her ear canal. Chris could see and hear everything that she could, and she would be sure to remind him how lucky he was not to be breathing in the oxygen-rich atmosphere permeating the Sapien reservation she was now entering.
She’d rarely seen so much green. Plants formed mountainous structures and entwined themselves with the buildings the Sapiens had built from the ruins of their prior civilization. In some cases, the vines and trees themselves formed the walls of the buildings, with natural entrances created by the rising trunks and branches.
To get to this point, Freya had taken the Commonwealth National Transit as far north as it would go. She’d enlisted her new friend Galen Briggs to provide transport the rest of the way.
Oh, she was much better at making friends with civilians than enemies, a trait that had done her well as an officer. She just wasn’t sure how it would carry over with the Sapiens.
It was easy enough to tell where the central hub of the establishment was. A large white dome escalated over the green of the horizon and at the top, a large cross attached on the back of a statue showing man gasping for air in his final moments of life -- a symbol of the old Sapien religion. It lacked, like the rest of the landscape, the color red.
Two guards stood at each side of the entrance awning. They carried machine guns across their body -- a weapon so deadly efficient it had survived the apocalypse to the time of the Superiorii.
It was clear they regarded her with suspicion. The grips they held on their guns tightened and their trigger finger pulled back, ready to be called into action at any moment. She raised her hands and walked through the metal and weapons detector without alarm. The guards barely loosened their grips as she entered the building.
Sometime in the next month or so, I’m going to push heavily for more followers and preorders. Please, head on over to the Facebook page for upcoming information regarding special giveaways and extras!
I wanted to write a quick note about the drafting process I’ve undertaken for The Underneath. While I know that the chapters I’m posting here will differ from the final product (some more than others, I’m sure), I want readers to feel like they are along on my journey in writing this book.
That said, I also wanted to share something that was relatively polished. I wanted to make sure that the story smoothly flowed from one scene to the next. I did extensive outlining for the book to that end, to the point where I have broken down each scene and chapter in the novel so I know exactly what is happening next. The outlining is in addition to the in-depth character profiles I have created, especially for the two main characters.
Basically, when I sit down to write a chapter, I know exactly where I need the chapter to end. There is no meandering around, trying to discover where to take my characters next through the writing process itself. That is a valid way to write a first draft, don’t get me wrong, but it wouldn’t work for this experiment.
Before I post a chapter, I do one last check to make sure it is ready for the public eye. I read it aloud, which is a part of a self-editing technique I learned in college. This is a last chance to catch anything that’s off about the draft, or to add in lines I didn’t think of the first time around. I know that no draft can ever be perfect, but I try to make it as close as possible before I hit publish.
That is the abridged version of explaining how I have approached writing and sharing this project. As I’ve said in earlier updates, it really is an experiment in building a following and engaging readers, and Inkshares is the perfect platform for it. Since no update can be complete without me begging for more preorders to complete my goal -- please, if you have enjoyed the story so far, please, please consider preordering a copy if you are able. And even if you can’t at the moment, leave me a message or a comment telling me what you are loving about the story (because I’m a glutton for praise).
As promised, now it is time for me to deliver an in-depth profile about my other main character, Chris Tinney, Freya’s partner and closest friend.
With this character, I wanted to think outside the box. I wanted to establish his queerness right away so that readers can have a very distinct view of who he is. Chris defies traditional conventions of masculinity as a sort of creative rebellion. When I first introduce him, he has colored his hair purple and he is working on a crossword puzzle to pass the time as he waits for Freya. (His hair, by the way, is generally black.) He is bisexual and considers his masculinity to be fluid.
Despite this open challenge to maleness, he is not the antithesis to the alpha male archetype. There is a darkness to Chris that will be explored in connection with his more feminine presentation. He is a warm person, affectionate and endearing, and this goes to hide a hint of rage stemming from a violent background that preceded his time as a police officer.
In my last update, I mentioned that Chris was an ENFP in contrast to Freya’s ENFJ. I want to break this down, just like I did with Freya:
Extroverted - Chris likes a good time. He enjoys parties and clubs and being around crowds. He also does a lot of casual dating, though has had few serious relationships and none in recent years. He very rarely spends an evening at home, alone. Like Freya, he has a large circle of friends.
Intuitive - Like Freya, Chris is adept at interpreting how his own feelings interact with the outside world. While Freya’s intuition is a result of genius intellect, Chris doesn’t need to know the rationale behind his intuition to trust it.
Feeling - This is, perhaps, where Chris is most similar to Freya. Chris has a strong sense of morality which is drawn from his conscience. He never ignores his gut when it tells him that something is wrong, even if it seems like the right thing. He doesn’t believe in sacrificing individuals for a greater good, or in collateral damage.
Perceiving - This is where Chris contrasts most heavily with Freya. While Freya likes having a detailed plan of everything she does, Chris is far more spontaneous. He is not very good at committing to any one thing or event, and he is always looking for better things on the horizon. "Maybe" is one of his favorite words. When Chris wants to do something, he does it with little forethought or planning.
Chris may be one of my favorite characters out of all I have ever written. It is my greatest hope for this story that readers grow to love him just as much as I do.
Freya is a name I’ve been wanting to use for a main character forever. The name comes from Freja, the Norse goddess of love. Honestly, though, I don’t know much at all about Norse mythology and just chose the name because I felt there was a unique and mystical quality to it.
My Freya would be the last to believe in any sort of mysticism. She’s a genius, a natural skeptic, and keeps her feet planted firmly on the ground. In this way you could perhaps liken her to a character like Temperance Brennan from the TV show Bones, but I didn’t want to give her a devotion to rationality at the expense of passion. Despite being a genius, Freya is also a feeling person and she never ignores her instincts.
She is an ENFJ according to the Meyers-Briggs test. Basically, that means she is:
Extroverted - Freya enjoys being around people. She is naturally empathetic, which helps her greatly in social situations. Often, she knows just the right thing to say or do to make someone’s day. For this reason, people are drawn to her and she doesn’t have much trouble making friends.
Intuitive - Despite being a genius, Freya is always striving to find new ideas. She places a greater value on creativity than on hard facts. She is more interested in discovery than in observing what has already been discovered. In effect, she wants to expand the total realm of human knowledge to something beyond what it is.
Feeling - Freya doesn’t let her intelligence deter her empathy. She doesn’t need to be acknowledged as the smartest person in the room to be satisfied. She can be selfless to a fault in looking out for the feelings of others. She also feels things very deeply and has a difficult time keeping her emotions inside. She is very expressive in personality, in anger, happiness, sadness, etc...
Judging - This has to do with flexibility and work ethic. Freya is not a spontaneous person. She likes to have a plan for each and every situation. She takes her responsibilities as a police officer very seriously, often to the point of exhaustion. She has specific methods to her work and doesn’t like it when her routine is interrupted.
In a nutshell, that is Freya Elison. Myself, I am an INFP -- so I relate to Freya on some levels, but on others, not so much. It is a challenge for me to write such a socially adept protagonist, and that’s part of the reason I chose to do so. My other protagonist, Chris Tinney, meets Freya and I both halfway as an ENFP -- but I’ll have more on him next time.
I haven’t been able to focus on The Underneath full time for the past few weeks. I’ve been busy with earning a professional certificate. Now, though, I have that certificate and this project is proceeding full steam.
I want to engage readers and potential readers with the world of The Underneath. To that end, I have created a Pinterest board for the project. The board contains images like this one as a way to immerse fans into the setting of the story.
I have also created a Facebook page for the project. Please like The Underneath to receive more frequent updates on your newsfeed.
I hope everyone enjoyed the first chapter of the story, short as it was. I will have additional updates for you soon, as well as the second chapter so you can continue Freya and Chris’s journey.
As I’m just starting to get The Underneath off the ground, I know there is a lot of work for me to do still. I wanted to stop by and say thank you to my current and future followers and those who have preordered or who have shared this project with friends and family. I also want to give readers some background information on how this story came (and is coming) to be.
Basically, when I found out about Geek and Sundry’s hard science fiction contest, my interest was piqued. The problem? Well, while I’ve always enjoyed science, I’ve never been much of an expert. Science fiction, to me, is a more technological version of high fantasy. But why not challenge myself, right?
Instead of getting down about what I didn’t know, I decided to focus on the science that was accessible to me -- the science I could see with my own eyes, or that was in the news enough that I could at least have a starting point. I wrote down a few ideas:
Climate change
Alternative methods of conception (ie in vitro fertilization)
Evolution
Human cloning
Medicine
I took these ideas and started to play around with them in my head. I thought about how science is constantly advancing -- about how far we’ve come just in the 29 years I’ve been alive. So what would happen if I take that, and add 500 years?
Futuristic and speculative science fiction is nothing new, of course. It’s fun to theorize about what our world will be like for centuries or millennia to come. For me, though, I always liked making up my own systems and rules, almost as if I was using science as an alternative type of magic. But in this case I decided to constrain myself to scientific disciplines I can clearly identify. I want to create a world where science has progressed well beyond where it is today, but still does not blatantly violate laws of physics (like, say, faster-than-light space travel).
So that’s the long and short of it. In future updates, I will reveal more about this world as well as the story itself.
The first chapter of The Underneath is on its way. I’m extremely excited for readers to meet Freya and become invested in her story.
It’s been fun, but...
Maybe you’ve noticed that I’ve suspended my funding campaign for The Underneath. I realized I had gotten ahead of myself and begun this campaign before it was ready. However, believe me when I say this isn’t the end for me, or for the Underneath. I’m pressing pause on marketing and selling the story, but I hope that someday it will be ready to take the next step in being published.
Going through this campaign has taught me that it is very difficult to sell a project that is rough and unpolished. I wanted to fund the novel through the drafting process as an experiment, but it turned out to be much more of a challenge than I had anticipated. Such an undertaking is almost impossible for someone working full time.
I will continue to write stories that I am passionate about. I have moved The Underneath back to the draft stage and I will continue to post updates for all of my readers. I would like to thank you guys for your interest in this idea. You have no idea how excited I get every time I see that I have a new follower.
I will also be participating in NaNoWriMo next month. My project, Treaty of Treason (working title) is already up on Inkshares. As of now, I have no plans to fund that story, as I’m just taking things as they come. I really just wanted to share with my readers what a NaNoWriMo first draft looks like for me (warning: not pretty!). So if you’d like to follow me on that journey, check it out.
Thanks again for all of your support. I hope to bring The Underneath, or another project, back into funding mode in the future and I hope you’ll all still be with me when I do. For the people who preordered copies, Inkshares should be refunding you if they haven’t already. Please consider spending that money to support another project on Inkshares, as I know first hand now all the hard work authors do to get their novels fully funded.
This isn’t the end!
-Megan
About Superiorii and Sapiens...
You should know that the common characteristics between these two groups far outweigh the differences. I did not want to create an "Other" race -- an alien race that was humanoid but not quite human.
This is why both groups are classified, in my mind, as Homo sapiens. Currently, there is only one subspecies of H. sapiens (actually, "sapiens" are the only current surviving species in the Homo genus).
In the context of the setting of this story, it’s important to remember that despite the separateness and differentness (I might have made up those words?) of the two factions, they really are the same in structure -- they have the same parts. It’s just that Superiorii have organs that run far more efficiently than Sapiens.
There’s one other angle to explore here, as well. Since they are the same species, they can reproduce with each other. At the time the story begins there hasn’t been enough intermingling between the two groups to create a significant third "mixed-race" group. That said, the fact that this possibility exists creates even more hidden tension between them, and provides more opportunities for the two worlds to come crashing together.
I hope you all have been enjoying yourselves!
Finally, chapter four is here, and I am super excited to share it with you guys. This is the chapter I refer to as the end of the beginning of the beginning. In my structure, I’ve separated the story a beginning, a middle, and an end, and within each their own beginning, middle, and end. The first four chapters represent the very very beginning of the story.
It’s nice to finally have a shot to get things rolling. Thus far, the story has been about building characters and setting, with a hint of the plot to come. The rest of the first act is all about solving the mystery of what’s going on. In chapter five, though, something will happen that will drastically affect Chris and Freya’s investigation. The end of chapter four changes the game, but chapter five will change the stakes.
Ending every update with a plea to get people to open their wallets to preorder is a little bit awkward for me. I hate asking for money, and that’s what this feels like. But, I have some things up my sleeve to reward people who take that leap of faith. Nothing huge, but certain extras I’m willing to share with my backers. Stay tuned (and preorder!) for more info on this in the future.
Small update first: I’ve filmed a video introducing the world and the characters of The Underneath. You can watch it here, and then please send it to friends and/or family who you think would be interested in this story.
I really, really, really wanted to have chapter four posted by today. This is a chapter I want to get 100% right -- this is the first real turning point of the story. The end of the first act of the first act, so to speak. Things can never go back to the way they were. You’ll see what I’m talking about when you read it.
Even though I’ve missed my self-imposed deadline, I thought I’d still give you guys a little teaser:
Hey everyone!
As promised, now it is time for me to deliver an in-depth profile about my other main character, Chris Tinney, Freya’s partner and closest friend.
With this character, I wanted to think outside the box. I wanted to establish his queerness right away so that readers can have a very distinct view of who he is. Chris defies traditional conventions of masculinity as a sort of creative rebellion. When I first introduce him, he has colored his hair purple and he is working on a crossword puzzle to pass the time as he waits for Freya. (His hair, by the way, is generally black.) He is bisexual and considers his masculinity to be fluid.
Despite this open challenge to maleness, he is not the antithesis to the alpha male archetype. There is a darkness to Chris that will be explored in connection with his more feminine presentation. He is a warm person, affectionate and endearing, and this goes to hide a hint of rage stemming from a violent background that preceded his time as a police officer.
In my last update, I mentioned that Chris was an ENFP in contrast to Freya’s ENFJ. I want to break this down, just like I did with Freya:
Extroverted - Chris likes a good time. He enjoys parties and clubs and being around crowds. He also does a lot of casual dating, though has had few serious relationships and none in recent years. He very rarely spends an evening at home, alone. Like Freya, he has a large circle of friends.
Intuitive - Like Freya, Chris is adept at interpreting how his own feelings interact with the outside world. While Freya’s intuition is a result of genius intellect, Chris doesn’t need to know the rationale behind his intuition to trust it.
Feeling - This is, perhaps, where Chris is most similar to Freya. Chris has a strong sense of morality which is drawn from his conscience. He never ignores his gut when it tells him that something is wrong, even if it seems like the right thing. He doesn’t believe in sacrificing individuals for a greater good, or in collateral damage.
Perceiving - This is where Chris contrasts most heavily with Freya. While Freya likes having a detailed plan of everything she does, Chris is far more spontaneous. He is not very good at committing to any one thing or event, and he is always looking for better things on the horizon. "Maybe" is one of his favorite words. When Chris wants to do something, he does it with little forethought or planning.
Chris may be one of my favorite characters out of all I have ever written. It is my greatest hope for this story that readers grow to love him just as much as I do.
Let’s talk about Freya Elison...
Freya is a name I’ve been wanting to use for a main character forever. The name comes from Freja, the Norse goddess of love. Honestly, though, I don’t know much at all about Norse mythology and just chose the name because I felt there was a unique and mystical quality to it.
My Freya would be the last to believe in any sort of mysticism. She’s a genius, a natural skeptic, and keeps her feet planted firmly on the ground. In this way you could perhaps liken her to a character like Temperance Brennan from the TV show Bones, but I didn’t want to give her a devotion to rationality at the expense of passion. Despite being a genius, Freya is also a feeling person and she never ignores her instincts.
She is an ENFJ according to the Meyers-Briggs test. Basically, that means she is:
Extroverted - Freya enjoys being around people. She is naturally empathetic, which helps her greatly in social situations. Often, she knows just the right thing to say or do to make someone’s day. For this reason, people are drawn to her and she doesn’t have much trouble making friends.
Intuitive - Despite being a genius, Freya is always striving to find new ideas. She places a greater value on creativity than on hard facts. She is more interested in discovery than in observing what has already been discovered. In effect, she wants to expand the total realm of human knowledge to something beyond what it is.
Feeling - Freya doesn’t let her intelligence deter her empathy. She doesn’t need to be acknowledged as the smartest person in the room to be satisfied. She can be selfless to a fault in looking out for the feelings of others. She also feels things very deeply and has a difficult time keeping her emotions inside. She is very expressive in personality, in anger, happiness, sadness, etc...
Judging - This has to do with flexibility and work ethic. Freya is not a spontaneous person. She likes to have a plan for each and every situation. She takes her responsibilities as a police officer very seriously, often to the point of exhaustion. She has specific methods to her work and doesn’t like it when her routine is interrupted.
In a nutshell, that is Freya Elison. Myself, I am an INFP -- so I relate to Freya on some levels, but on others, not so much. It is a challenge for me to write such a socially adept protagonist, and that’s part of the reason I chose to do so. My other protagonist, Chris Tinney, meets Freya and I both halfway as an ENFP -- but I’ll have more on him next time.
Hey all!
I haven’t been able to focus on The Underneath full time for the past few weeks. I’ve been busy with earning a professional certificate. Now, though, I have that certificate and this project is proceeding full steam.
I want to engage readers and potential readers with the world of The Underneath. To that end, I have created a Pinterest board for the project. The board contains images like this one as a way to immerse fans into the setting of the story.
I have also created a Facebook page for the project. Please like The Underneath to receive more frequent updates on your newsfeed.
I hope everyone enjoyed the first chapter of the story, short as it was. I will have additional updates for you soon, as well as the second chapter so you can continue Freya and Chris’s journey.
First Update...
As I’m just starting to get The Underneath off the ground, I know there is a lot of work for me to do still. I wanted to stop by and say thank you to my current and future followers and those who have preordered or who have shared this project with friends and family. I also want to give readers some background information on how this story came (and is coming) to be.
Basically, when I found out about Geek and Sundry’s hard science fiction contest, my interest was piqued. The problem? Well, while I’ve always enjoyed science, I’ve never been much of an expert. Science fiction, to me, is a more technological version of high fantasy. But why not challenge myself, right?
Instead of getting down about what I didn’t know, I decided to focus on the science that was accessible to me -- the science I could see with my own eyes, or that was in the news enough that I could at least have a starting point. I wrote down a few ideas:
I took these ideas and started to play around with them in my head. I thought about how science is constantly advancing -- about how far we’ve come just in the 29 years I’ve been alive. So what would happen if I take that, and add 500 years?
Futuristic and speculative science fiction is nothing new, of course. It’s fun to theorize about what our world will be like for centuries or millennia to come. For me, though, I always liked making up my own systems and rules, almost as if I was using science as an alternative type of magic. But in this case I decided to constrain myself to scientific disciplines I can clearly identify. I want to create a world where science has progressed well beyond where it is today, but still does not blatantly violate laws of physics (like, say, faster-than-light space travel).
So that’s the long and short of it. In future updates, I will reveal more about this world as well as the story itself.
The first chapter of The Underneath is on its way. I’m extremely excited for readers to meet Freya and become invested in her story.