#projectskultus

[mottlemoth]

Hey moth! How are you? :) I wanted to ask you how is excultus project going? I'm curious cause I never saw anymore posts about it. I hope it's okay to ask. I was so happy to know were going to try and publish the story. I hope all is going well and that you have all the success you deserve. Xx

You guys are so lovely to me today ❤️ I feel tremendously loved. Thank you for your curiosity.

So, ‘Skultus: the first book has been through several rounds of editing and structural changes, to separate it off from the rest of the story. I’ve tried desperately to figure out where I can trim the word count. Currently it stands at around 120k, which is long for a first book. I’m lucky that there’s usually some additional grace allowed for sci-fi/fantasy, just because of world-building… but that’s still a hefty opener to a series. I honestly don’t know what can come out, though. 

This means I have it finished, in my eyes - I’m just unsure how to proceed. I’ve made a Kindle file, and it’s had two very kind beta readers confirm it works okay as a story in its own right. The problem is whether industry professionals will see a word count of 120k and hit reject without reading a word. Some publishers also won’t go near it if they know that it’s been published before, even online, even if it’s taken down from AO3.

So in a sentence, ‘Skultus is hanging out quite happily in my workshop for now, waiting for the day I dare to say to someone, “I know it’s long, and I know it was available online… but can you work with that?” I’ll be aiming ‘Skultus at (yikes) literary agents rather than indie publishers. It’s not as trope-heavy as Fairytale, and while the romance is obviously central, there’s enough additional story going on for it to stand a chance as ‘a urban fantasy story which happens to feature a male couple’ (as opposed to ‘a male/male romance which happens to feature some urban fantasy’). 

I’ve just got to persuade someone to take a chance.

That’s quite a long and involved answer, secret person, but I hope it gives you some hope. ‘Skultus is seriously close to my heart and always will be. Seeing it alongside my other Kindle books gives me a fizzy sugary feeling I like a lot. 

Hopefully someday I’ll get to see it in the wild too, settled beside its pals in a bookshop ❤️

[mottlemoth]

Out of curiosity, and because I'm still excited about it - I hope you're getting along well with the Excultus project. 💕 Hopefully it's still fun even though it's mostly editing.

Book one is all done. 💕 Some incredibly lovely people have had a read for me, and feedback is generally good. I’ve hit a slight stall in that book two really isn’t editing - apart from a few scenes, it’s all brand new - so I’m trying to get my fanfiction WIPs finished before I sink into it. 

I’m excited, though. The plot’s pretty solid and I think it’ll be fun to write. ❤️

So many projects, so few fingers to type with. xD

[mottlemoth]

Hey Moth, I just wanted to quickly ask you if there is any chance you already know when Excultus is getting a second part? ❤️ (btw: 80% of my open tabs on my phone are stories written by you. I simply cannot close East End boy, Excultus, Endgame or Matchmaker ^^ theyre my favourites) Love Me

Hello, secret person. 💕 You are eminently lovely and far too sweet about me. I’ll probably be separating the first part out into a trilogy for a while yet - I feel like I want to get the first three books set down before I write a whole new one. That said, I have plots ready. ❤️ It’ll be a happy day indeed when I can start on brand new stuff.

Thank you for asking, lovely. I very much appreciate your interest. 💕

[mottlemoth]

Moth [with whistle]: Okay, Team Excultus! Dead easy task for you. We need to smooth this transition here, so I want to insert a short staff meeting scene.

Greg and Mycroft: Right.

Moth: Now remember, this happens before you’re all over each other again.

Greg and Mycroft: Right.

Moth: So you have to act like you’re all awkward and uncomfortable.

Greg and Mycroft: Right.

Moth: That means no cuddling. No flirting. No touching of any kind. Right?

Greg: Yeah, thanks. I think we know how this works by now.

Moth: Okay, okay. Just to remind you. So you guys get going with that, and I’ll just be over here to... what are you doing?!

Mycroft: Adjusting his shirt collar!

Moth: Why???

Mycroft: It’s crooked! He must be smart for the staff meeting.

Moth: I SAID NO TOUCHING.

Mycroft: BUT WE ARE MARRIED.

Moth: NOT FOR ANOTHER TWO NOVELS. PUT HIM DOWN.

[mottlemoth]

Writing update. <3

The Sheltering Tree. I’m onto chapter nine, and all is well. The boys seem to be sticking to my road map so far, which is unusual... I’m almost worried what they’re planning. I’m comfortably predicting ‘novella length’. Let’s see how that goes for me.

Excultus. Fuck yes ‘Skultus. I’ve done all my edits. Book one is separated from the whole, it’s scrubbed, and the new scenes are all in place. A few people have very kindly offered to beta-read the new version. While that’s going on...

Defender of the People. (Argh.) Book two of the Excultus trilogy. This is the slow middle section of the original story, and turning it into a standalone narrative requires the installation of a brand new plot - including several new characters. First Reader and I are busy in the plotting stage right now. Basically, this is a whole new book. It’s going to take me autumn and winter at least to write. I’m looking into some way I can share it as I go, even if with just a few really interested people. It’d definitely help.

A Man of Honour. Luxiefluff’s fault. I think there’s potential to turn this fic into an original novelette or novella, with future stories to follow. I spent today scrubbing chapter one, picking new names and editing. I’m experimenting with a switch to first person POV and it works well so far. I’ll need to add at least 10k of new material if I want to interest a digital publisher... 20k to settle it safely into novella length. Watch this space.

[mottlemoth]

Oh god.

I’ve just finished formatting a beta reader copy of Excultus for Kindle, and it seems to work okay. It’s got a cover with my name on it. The table of contents works. All the chapters are there. There’s a small chance this is actually happening. 

[mottlemoth]

BetaBooks & Excultus

I’ve been checking out BetaBooks as a possible place to share my original fiction. In a sentence? Hell yes. This feels exactly like what I’ve been looking for. Though I’ve only got a free account so far, I’m incredibly impressed. In a way it works like a private AO3 - writers post things chapter-by-chapter and their invited group of readers can leave feedback.

I’m considering a subscription which would give me unlimited books and twenty readers per book... which means I could share the new Excultus with up to twenty people. 

I’d be looking for people who really enjoyed the Mystrade version, enjoy reading my fics in general, and don’t mind a bit of cheerleading to keep my spirits up. Like on AO3, there’d be no obligation to read new chapters straightaway - just when you can. It’s completely free to be a reader. All I’d need is an e-mail address to invite you. You make a free account (like AO3) and that’s it.

Basically: if I started posting the new Excultus to AO3, would you subscribe and try to leave a short comment on most chapters?

If so, please start waving frantically at me now. 

If I can get together a small handful of people who’d like to read, I can take out a subscription and start uploading today.

Adding: Don’t worry, I’m not looking for serious beta-reading commentary. <3 Just a quick ‘I like this!’ or ‘oh no!’ would be perfect, just like on AO3.

[mottlemoth]

Argh. News <3 

I’ve finished separating the first book from the rest of Excultus. I’ve written the first of three ‘The Ends’. It’s now original, it’s got new scenes, and I’ve shaped the plot so it stands as its own story. It’s clocked in at 120k, spread over thirty chapters.

There’s more work to do. It needs another read-through and a little more shaping before I’m ready to show it, but... honestly I’m just crazy glad to reach this point. 

Thank you so much to everyone who’s been following as I do this... you guys are the best. I wouldn’t be doing this without you <3 I mean it. I owe you all so much, and I’m so grateful for your support.