Early Access Content

Hello, supporters! Has anyone told you how wonderful you are? It is true! Every single one of you is great because you stepped forward and supported this project. The feedback I received from the samples has been positive, and I wanted to offer something extra for those of you who can't wait to read more.

Starting today all backers can visit http://writeshare.co to download the summary document in PDF, and draft documents in PDF, ePub, and Kindle (Mobi) formats. To access the documents, enter the email you used to pre-order. You will then see links to each file.

I hope you enjoy this treat. If you have issues with the site or want to send feedback on the draft, please email joe.terzieva@gmail.com.

Please continue to spread the word on this project. Only with your help is this possible.

Thank you!

Most excellent supporters,

The chapter summaries are complete and available to anyone who pre-orders. You can now access a live link to the exact summary document I use in the writing process. Check it periodically to keep up with the latest developments. This document is only available to those who pre-order. If you are interested in access, email me at joe.terzieva@gmail.com. Although the story will likely change from its current representation, reading the document will spoil the story for you. If you are only interested in Lost Generation's final form, you will not want to check this out.

What's Next?

Now the novel's chapters are written, modified, checked for quality, adjusted, checked for logic, and finally we will have a finished draft. After this (and with your powerful voices,) we accumulate enough pre-orders to get this novel published! Keep spreading the word.

The Importance of Strong Female Characters in Lost Generation

I have worked in the information technology field for a large part of my life. Part of that experience requires you to gain a firm understanding of data and specifically, analytics. For example, here are the current demographics for my Facebook page:

Sixty-six percent of my audience is female. When I sit down to write characters for Lost Generation, it is my duty to create a universe that is representative and as diverse as my readership. This duty is one of the reasons I feel it is so important to ensure Marta and Claudia are strong, fully realized characters. I do not wish to create female characters that exist solely to move the plot forward; Each is well thought out and plays a crucial role in the story. It is my hope that readers will enjoy the strengths and weaknesses of each character and find them relatable regardless of gender.

The world of Lost Generation is still one where gender bias exists. Adi's desire to "be a man" at times drives both his insecurity and his work ethic and Claudia feels she has been singled out by gender for being a troublemaker. We explore these situations in a world where automation has broken down so many roles and responsibilities.

I hope you enjoyed this brief exploration of gender in Lost Generation. Continue this discussion in the comments and if you would like to continue to see these themes explored in the story, consider asking your friends and family to pre-order a copy. Your involvement ensures this project receives the funding required to reach publication.

Welcome, new readers! If you have not yet had a chance, please check out the sample chapters and consider leaving a review. Your recommendations, quotations, reviews, and comments add vibrancy to this project and highlight points for potential readers to come.

As the outline takes shape, the core of the story becomes clearer. I've updated the "about this book" section of the project with a more succinct description of what you can expect from Lost Generation.

If you like what you see and you would like to introduce others to the story, this can be done with this simple elevator pitch.

"A generation enters into a workforce where automation vastly eliminates the need for manual labor. A society's worth of individuals, financed by government subsistence, drifts aimlessly through life.

"Lost Generation tells the story of a petty criminal, a mechanic, a secretly wealthy, and an unemployed as they explore the worth of an individual in a society which does not need them."

With every day my confidence in this story and its community grows. If you know anyone who would enjoy this, invite them along for the ride!

I would like to send a big thank you to every person who has supported this project. Your willingness to contribute is a huge inspiration. For those of you who are following along, chapter two is available, and if you have not yet read chapter one you can view it here. I feel we made a lot of progress in the last week, but the train does not stop until we hit the finish line. You are officially on Team Terzieva, now and you are not required to do anything, but alone I am just a man with a dream and a pile of words. 

Public opinion considers writing to be a solitary craft, but in reality it is an incredible group effort. A complete product requires contributions from the writer, publisher, artists, editors, and you the reader, and as a reader I need your help. When I talk about this project, It is not just me anymore. It's your project too, and together we make it a success. 

Milestones

There are two major milestones to be aware of as we run this campaign along, the end of the Sword & Laser Collection Contest and the pre-order deadline. The contest ends at midnight PST May 31st and to consider this milestone a success we need to ensure the book has enough pre-orders to remain in the top 5. This goal will guarantee publication of the book. Ideally we would like to keep it somewhere in the middle of the pack. The top would be great, but we are an unproven underdog against a competition of proven pedigree. If we expend effort trying to outshine the other novels, we lose valuable time that should be used to create the highest quality product. The second deadline is just as important, July 15th, the pre-order deadline. It is our goal to reach 1000 preorders by this point. To accomplish this, we must get as many eyeballs on the project as possible, and I need to ensure the quality of the sample material is as compelling as possible. 

What can you do? 

There are multiple things you can do to help. The first of these is feedback. If you have not already done so, check out the sample chapters, leave a review, or send me an email (joe.terzieva@gmail.com) with your feedback. Without reactions to this initial material, I cannot know if I am moving in the right direction. Does it excite you? Are you eager to read more? Would you recommend this story to a friend? 

The second activity bleeds into the first. Would you recommend this story to a friend? If so, will you? Without a large fanbase, a strong grassroots movement is required to extend the word of Lost Generation. Suggest the story to a friend and encourage them to preorder the book. This project is my dream, but next month, next year, it might be yours, theirs. Let's build the foundation and a network of supporting each other, so we can all follow our hearts. 

What will I do? 

I am the perennial cheerleader of this project. When I am not at work or with Miro, I write for the story or brainstorm new ideas to get the word out, and I will continue to do so until the project meets its completion. If you know me personally, you've already heard me plug the book at least five times in conversation. I live this in every free moment, and when the project ends you won't just get a book, you'll get a piece of my heart, and a little of my soul too. 

Thanks for reading. Please continue to spread the word and help me make this the best project possible.

To all who backed me on the first day, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are just the best. If you know anyone who loves science-fiction, loves books or loves to back projects, please send them over. This will not succeed without your passion and support. 

Now that you've preordered the book, I will keep you up-to-date with the latest progress details, but I also have a wealth of ancillary photos and information to share as I go along. To save you from the mail blast, I have set up a Facebook page to contain this information. Like the page, if you are hungry for more.

https://www.facebook.com/terzieva.writes

From here, I have several avenues to cross and I will determine how best to spend my time. Progress on the structural elements of Lost Generation continues while the preorder campaign demands that content is produced to build and maintain momentum.

The deadline for the chapter outline nears and fleshing out the story beats and character motivations are priority number one. My primary barometer for success on Lost Generation is to create well-defined characters who live in a fantastic, yet believable world. A solid outline sets the blueprint to ensure smooth sailing as the chapters take shape. For the preorder campaign, I hope to polish more preview content and produce a simple video explaining my motivations and goals to be uploaded on the project page.

Thank you again for your support. Please feel free to comment, discuss, or ask questions on the project page. 

Thank you. You inspire me to produce content worthy of your imaginations and your time.

Brenda Terzieva · Reader · added almost 9 years ago
Excised to read more!