I really must write these updates more often.

When I wrote the last one in June, I was working on the first part of a LitRPG trilogy, codenamed Spaghetti 1, 2, & 3. I now have first drafts of the first two completed and am currently half-way through the third.

The first book is kind of typical for LitRPG with some twists. The main character, starting off at the lowest skill level, must defeat a local (player) boss to win his freedom. The world is kind of like a typical fantasy MMORPG (for me). The focus is on the player interactions. The length of the first draft is about 49k words. It needs a lot of work, but hopefully, there’s enough in there to keep the reader interested.

Spaghetti 2 is a much different beast. It has a much more epic scope and the typical tropes kind of fall away a bit. Wait till you see the setting! Dante’s Inferno was a big influence on the story but I really let my imagination run riot. The action takes place in a locale we briefly visit in the first book. The main character is more advanced in this one but so are his surroundings. He’s up against much more powerful players with godlike powers. The first draft came in at 40k but it is absolutely packed with action. I don’t see any problem expanding it into full novel length.

Spaghetti 3 is an apocalyptic story. The end is nigh for the game world. At this stage, the main character is very advanced, the head of a powerful clan. A lot of seeds sown in the first and second books will reach fruition. This book will take a lot of work because given Book 2 is so epic, I have work out how to dial the third up to eleven.

I decided to write the three books to first draft so that I can see how all the various elements fit together. Although the three books have very different plots, I want to give them a cohesive tone.

Once the first draft of the third book is complete, I’ll be splitting my time between redrafting the books and writing new stuff. At times having so many ideas for projects is frustrating. If only I could get them all written and released. But I never publish anything without it being as good as I can make it.

On the short story front, I made The Fate Healer wide and free. I am in the process of doing the same with a new horror short story called The Murder Seat. I wrote it originally about three years ago. It’s set in recessionary Dublin in the 1980s. Hopefully, people will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. 🙂