Anthology: How it began vs. how it’s going

When I started writing Anthology IV it wasn’t an Anthology story. It started life as a very short first-person narrative as a gift to a friend – a fellow Nifty author, Matt Smith. However, after about 1000 words I realised I had something really interesting and exciting.

Two weeks later, I finished version one of the story which was 9,500 words long. That was the end of March and I sat on it for a long time while I released A Series of Embarrassing Events.

I started editing six months later (September) and now the version two is around 19,500 words – hence why it is now 2 parts.

 

I’ve thought a lot about how Anthology IV (Join the Team) has changed my ideas about the future of the Anthology series. I really wanted this story to be a comic book story but also comic (funny). As that genre developed, I realised there was scope to set all the Anthology stories in one universe and have them interconnected.

I have plans for Anthology V (an odd couple story) and Anthology VI (inspired by the espionage genre). I have not written either of them and my ambition currently exceeds my time to write them.

Anthology I – VI will set up The SEX Men and beyond. I’m really excited about this project and I’m looking forward to writing them after I have finished writing Noah, the Embarrassed Nudist (the sequel to A Series of Embarrassing Events) – which I hope to finish writing in January, begin editing in March and start sharing with everyone in September (2022).

 

Anthology and The SEX Men will be a mix of characters and genres but if you want to know more, you’ll have to wait for a while but I hope, when it’s ready, that you’ll join the team…