Livia Llewellyn

So, I have a tentative list of what I want to write next year. After some futzing with the order, I think what follows is largely chronological.

Novellas

During the first quarter of ’07, I plan on doing quite a bit of research on Tacoma in the 1800′s, mining and industry companies, and the “culture” of the steam-driven engine (i.e. how trains and the American industrial revolution changed Pacific Northwest culture by connecting it to the rest of the country). I also plan on reading up on Chinese and Asian immigrants in America in the 1800′s – how they impacted labor, economics and culture. While I’m reading up on these things, I’m going to write the following:

“The Tesla Trilogy” (dark fantasy/erotica novellas, which I currently have no markets for)
- “Bellingham Girl”
- “London Calling”
- “The Ruins of Love”

“Blackberry Sweet”
- an erotic/dark “weird” fantasy novella to be sent to Leviathan 6: Sex Issue (Jeff Vandermeer, ed.) when he puts out the call for submissions (which may be end of 2007/early 2008). FYI, this will be a rewrite of the first story I wrote at Clarion – the rewrite will be based on some excellent suggestions by Michael Swanwick.

The erotica novellas won’t require any research (beyond maybe a certain odd sexual technique or two, lol), so I can write them as I’m doing research for my other projects. FYI, Tesla is the name of the female protagonist, not the scientist. I have other plans for the real Tesla and his science and beliefs, in upcoming novels.

Once I’m finished with my reading & research, then I’ll start in on:

“The Tacoma Steampunk Trilogy” (dark fantasy/horror novellas)
- TS.1: “The Engine of Desire”
- TS.2: title to come
- TS.3: “Destination Unknown”

I have a few specific markets to send these novellas to – most of them publishers of chapbooks and/or magazines (after some research, I’ve found that quite a few magazines accept sf and dark fantasy novellas under 20k).. Since I’m not a “name”, it’s doubtful I could sell them as a complete trilogy (a la Cherie Priest’s “Dreadful Skin” collection for Subterranean), but it’s important that I write them anyway, as they serve as a precursor to:

Novels

“The Cemetery Queen”
- a 100k-word dark fantasy/steampunk novel

The outline for the novel is complete, so all that needs to be done is research and worldbuilding – that will happen with the steampunk novella trilogy. I’m hoping that I at least start it this year. However, 2008 will be The Year of the Novel, so this project isn’t offically on the list.

Short Stories

I have a few short stories I want to work on next year (I’m making myself write a minimum of six) – only one is intended for an anthology, and the rest are ones that I simply want to write. So far, the only two story ideas I have that are definite are listed below. The other four stories I’ll pick from a list of about 20 ideas I have.

“Oxblood Lover”
- a 5000-word max. erotic dark fantasy about sexual possession, for submission to the Circlet Press annual “best of” contest/anthology, to be submitted by August 31, 2007
“The Low, Dark Edge of Life”
- a dark sf story about the only awake person on a STL (slower than light) generational ship

So that’s it for the upcoming year. Quite a lot to do – but if I average between 600-1000 words a day, I can finish everything on time. This year has been pretty good, but I’m thinking next year will be better.