What Do I Write Next?

A few weeks ago, while I was working on ‘Confidants’ I put out this question: Do you want me to write the events covered by ‘Mastering the Virgin’ told from James’ point of view? Or would you prefer that I move on to write The Virgin’s Search’?

If you would like to read the full post, here is the link.

I gave five options as replies to the questions. Here are the options and the numbers that came up:

1. I want to quickly read the rest of ‘Mastering the Virgin’ (covering the events of ‘The Virgin and the Masters’) told mainly or only from James’ POV. 31%
2. I would like to read the later parts ‘Mastering the Virgin’ as told from James POV but would prefer to read ‘The Virgin’s Search’ first. 32%
3. I am not interested in reading the rest of ‘Mastering the Virgin’ as told from James’ POV 2%
4. I don’t mind one way or the other. 27%
5. Other – please comment below 8%

Not exactly a decisive result. However, the comments I received in reply made interesting reading. Here’s a sample:

Would really love a series from the POV of Charlotte and Beth – about their connection and about their men, and a series from the POV of Richard and James about their love and passion for Beth and Charlotte with some Michael input. Also, perhaps a couple of novellas with Kirstie and Ryan added in. One of the saddest yet most beautiful statements I have ever read was the comment you wrote: “I can spend the rest of my life with you but you cannot spend the rest of your life with me”. I cried as I read that to my husband – so sad, so beautiful, so true. 😥💖💖

What about the story told by James but with a secret twist like a mysterious someone that is a part of life he has kept hidden along with a haunting past he wants to stay hidden in the past the problem is it just doesn’t want to stay there.

I’m greedy, I would like to read things from James POV and learn more about him before he met Charlotte. You have told us some but I feel there is more to tell. I would also like to read more about James, Michael and Charlotte and where the future takes them. I also think that Richard and Beth’s story should continue as they are now intertwined with the others. Just a thought are you going to involve Kirsty and Michael’s crazy brother in Mastering the Virgin. If people haven’t read the story it might encourage them to read it.

All this and much more like it left me with a lot to chew on. Lol!  However, to answer some of the specific points that were mentioned:

Ryan and Kirstie and Ben (all from ‘Kirstie’s Tale’) will be coming back in ‘The Virgin’s Search’. You will learn a lot more about all three of them then.

Several people mentioned that they enjoyed getting Richard’s point of view also, so he also will continue to ‘speak’.

For those who wanted a link to the timeline infographic to help navigate the story sequence, here it is.

And My Decision?

What eventually decided me on how to tackle what comes next is that whilst I think of ‘Buying the Virgin’ as the ‘root story’ I am getting regular feedback now from people who have come in via ‘Mastering the Virgin’. To them, this is the main storyline.

That being the case, I think it unfair to them to leapfrog out of the series and force them into a different mold. Therefore, I have decided to continue the ‘Mastering the Virgin’ series right through to the end of events of ‘The Virgin and the Masters’. The story will then exist in its two parallel versions right through to the end of ‘Buying the Virgin’.

When I start on ‘The Virgin’s Search’, I will then incorporate the points of view of the various characters according to what seems best at the time and for the ongoing events.

The next episode to be written then, is to be titled ‘Triad’ and I am working on it now. I should have it for you in a couple of weeks.

And I hope you’re all happy with that 😊