Glad you could join us for the next beguiling episode of Elliot’s Adventures. If you’re new here, you can catch up by returning to the beginning, and reading really fast…
Feeling an itch for excitement in the very soul of his single-footed self, Elliot forged a path up the hill that stretched further than even his fully extended eyes could see.
As his muscles, undulating beneath his glimmering skin, drove him ever forward, the sun rolled lazily across the sky, slowly stirring the air in its wake to blow a warm dry breath over his streamlined form, mocking his efforts with the very real threat of dehydration. His confidently rapid gait struggled against the parching wind and the thirst it left behind, and his progress slowed to the pace of a sleeping sloth.
A dark tendril of doubt crept over the crest of this endless uphill landscape. Should he admit defeat and turn back? Can a person ever go home again?
“Well, that’s a silly question,” Elliot chided himself, shifting his shell forward just enough to ease the unaccustomed pressure his shiny new abode placed on his tender tail. “Besides, I know where I’ve been; the excitement lies in not knowing what’s ahead. If I’m going to see what waits on the other side, I must go on.”
So, drawing from a newly divined well of determination, he rallied what little strength he had left not knowing if it would be enough to carry him to his goal, and Elliot went on.
To be continued…
Previously, on Elliot’s Adventures ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Next time . . .
Today’s twofer from April 3, 2016:
The Book
Is there anything more boring than listening to unpublished authors talk about their “writing process”? Well, maybe out-of-work actors talking about roles they used to play and, in LA, The Industry. And any gamer anywhere talking about their avatar like it’s them. And first-time parents going on and on…and on about their week-old genius baby.
“Confession: Sometimes the ‘S’ in ‘S.T.’ stands for Snarky…” S.T. Ranscht
So apologies, but I won’t keep you long. I just want to tell you about one moment in Time. The moment I finished a 104,000 word book.
I had imagined that moment for a couple of months, from the minute Robb (my writing partner) and I could finally see The End powering over the hill, gathering climactic steam. An unstoppable force I welcomed with late night/wee hour writing marathons fueled by pot after pot of Gold Coast Blend.
That’s all I’m going to say about my “process”. I promise.
“…very early on, I knew what the final image of the show was going to be. His eye closing.” Matthew Fox, LOST’s Jack Shephard
It was my privilege to write the final chapter of Enhanced. Like Matthew Fox in LOST, I’d always known how it would end. During the three years we wrote, that never changed.
The surprise struck the moment I typed:
End Book One
Silence.
Not the whole world, of course. Just mine. Sitting alone, late afternoon sun bouncing off the condos across the street into my east-facing living room, glancing into the dining room to light my work space from the south. Falling into a silence-filled satisfaction that had no room for excitement or triumph or emptiness.
An indelible single moment in my life.
Have you ever had an inevitable moment that you thought would have one quality, and then turned out to stun you in a completely different way? I’d love to hear about it. Please share. I know I can’t be the only one.
Not yet available in stores, brick-and-mortar or otherwise. (Cover designed by Brylan Ranscht, my son who was a genius at 1-hour old, and remains so to this day. Lemme tell you what he did this morning — it was amazing! Uh…where are you going? Wait-!)
“…and sometimes the ‘S’ stands for ‘Shameless’.” S.T. Ranscht
*Ahem* While you’re here:
You can read Chapters 1 – 3 here.
You can follow ENHANCED on Facebook, Twitter @EnhancedYASyFy, and Instagram @secondearthtrilogy.
You can find me on Twitter @stranscht.
Space, Time, and Raspberries 
Well Snarky, you’ve passed your genes on nicely.. Your son did a fantastic book cover !
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Lol! Thank you very much!
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Defeat just at B? No way! Can a person ever go home again? Maybe. But… can a snail? Isn’t home when the snail is?
—–
Eva – Mail Adventures
B is for: Bank. Have you ever received a postcard featuring… a branch of a bank?
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You are correct — our hero is nothing if not intrepid. Going home for a snail? Maybe that’s why Elliot decided that was a silly question. 😉
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Snarky and Shameless!?! Ha ha. That moment when we type “The End” is disorienting, Sue. I can relate to sitting there in stunned silence. 🙂 Great cover, too. At first glance, I thought your 1-year-old genius son designed it. Wow, was I impressed! 😀
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Lol! Thanks. Yes, Diana, he is a marvel. I’m glad to know you’ve shared that moment. I can’t recall ever having experienced anything quite like that before. Maybe “there’s nothing new under the sun”, but that was new to me.
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I’ve always been a fan of animal main characters, especially non-conventional ones. I’ve read my shares of dog, cat, and even horse protagonists, but never a mollusk (that I can remember).
I think because I am an unpublished author that I’ve never minded hearing someone else going on about their process. I might pick something up to change that long-held, burdensome status 😉
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That little snail showed up on the pillar on my porch, and was so unusual, I decided to take pictures. I posted the shot in yesterday’s “A” post on FB back then, and a friend said now she wanted to hear about his quest! So I thought I would try writing a story. The serial has about 300 episodes posted over 10 months, and a very enthusiastic and dedicated audience. Then Life and The Book put it on hold. Re-visiting Elliot here seemed like a good idea.
The fact that you’ve made your writing public on your blog makes you a published writer. Not “traditionally” or conventionally “independently”, perhaps, but published in the same independent manner Andy Weir (The Martian) was before an agent found him online. You are already ahead of so many who write and refuse to let anyone see. ❤
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Beautifully written! I love Elliot’s determination 🙂
And YES! I had my last sentence before the end of my first chapter…just got to do the inbetween bits now! Ooh, will look for you on Twitter too 🙂 x
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You write well. I enjoyed the clever descriptions, which drew me in.
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Thank you very much for the compliment, and thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts. I’m glad you felt drawn in. 🙂
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The reader is with Elliott every inch of the way. (I love the confident gait).
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Thanks, Curtis. I know he’s pleased to have you with him. I’d also be honored to hear any writerly critique you might offer. (I’ve been reluctant to ask, knowing you offer that service professionally, but GD suggested we might “lean on -er, I mean- persuade” you to.) Of course, I will not be offended if you decline — even by non-response to the query. Your continuing support is gift enough. ❤
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I’d be honoured to offer whatever insights I can muster – but does that mean that it’s all written? How long is it? (Wish my A to Z was done – I’m on the letter N. Still a bit of leeway but my pace is a lot slower than Elliott’s).
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Thank you, Curtis. You’re a very generous man. I’ve just returned from the writers coop conversation that spurred my question, and I’ve left some options you might consider. 🙂
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I love you clever story of Eliot the snail! I can’t wait to read more! There is so much to savor in these few, short paragraphs, but I think my favorite lines are, “Besides, I know where I’ve been; the excitement lies in not knowing what’s ahead.” How true for my life, too!
Good luck in your search for a publisher. Wishing you a good week ahead.
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Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts, Lulu! And thanks for your good wishes, too. I’m happy to be one of those people who are comfortable with life’s chaos — sounds like we are kindred spirits!
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