300 characters isn't enough for me to paint the whole picture, so I'll share the synopsis when it's ready, as an image with ALT text. That should give me far more breathing space!
Subject 218 is about a transgender man being dragged through systemic oppression, being sold by his parents to a Black Site, and an experimentation program that gives him super-powers but also means he cannot get a hysterectomy, and his struggles dealing with it and accepting who he has become.
What started as a story for me to vent about my gender dysphoria turned into a science fiction body-horror that takes the often glorified idea of healing any injury instantly, and depicts it as a trans person's worst nightmare, as it robs them of their ability to get gender affirming surgery.
746 pages. 176,000 words. 20 years since I first came up with the story, two complete overhauls, and a year of deciding which 'timeline' to declare the 'canon' one, I finally finished it. Subject 218 is *finally* written, formatted, and edited. All it needs now is a cover, a synopsis, and a home.
💚✅
Compiled book 2 and 3 into a single volume. The ending is left ambiguous (because all of them I write are), but until the next editing sweep is finished, it may not stay that way.
Forgot to share this, but I uploaded last week some new free masks you can #3Dprint and customise. They are inspired by wolves and cats!
www.patreon.com/posts/cat-an...
Editing for the 'original timeline' is going ahead. Just about to wrap up the first round of edits on book 3, before doing another sweep through the trilogy. It's slow, but a necessary evil.
I finally got this beast to print!! Cut into 4 parts, the seams aren't too noticeable but filler should do the trick if that's a concern. I will need to take more pictures of it and a video of the jaw in use.
thank you, it's still proving a pain but I am determined to make it work. xD
I made the situation worse and now I have 5 timelines with 5 different endings all stemming from two different decisions that change from the firsts tory.
I love doing it, but WHY do I do this to myself? No publisher will want this.
Okay, this story now has a full-blown series drafted out (more than 6 books). I think I'll go back to book 1 and find a way to make a singular story where the 'whole series' is an optional thing, because with how long this looks to get, it might be overwhelming or off-putting for some people.
Making things (models, writing, food. etc)
Book 4 and 5 are sequels to Book 3, but also use *notes* from the *other alternate endings to Book 2*.
All 5 books flow as the same timeline, I am just pulling elements from the 'alternate endings' and repurposing them to keep the story linear. I might one day share the alternate endings notes. 2/2
hard to write this stuff in less than 300 characters, but here's a *rough* idea of what I mean.
Book 1 is the foundation.
Book 2 is the sequel.
Book 3 was originally going to be based on an *alternate ending to book 2*. Now, it is a sequel to book 2. 1/2
Okay, I had planned it to be just 2 books but I've now drafted out a timeline that will span 4 to 5 books. Book 3 was originally a what-if ending for book 2 but I worked it into a legit sequel, and the drafts/notes for book 4 and 5 are using the what-if scenario notes, but they aren't 'what ifs'.
I played the game for less than an hour and went straight back to working on the sequel. lol
Anyway, I am beat from writing all of this over the past few weeks and deserve a cold drink and a play on The Sims 4 for a bit, I reckon.
I really want to get this published properly but I'm not sure if a publisher would be interested in a story about a Transmasculine Superhuman struggling with crippling dysphoria and trauma. 5/
I haven't scrapped the 'what if' potential of this series, but I have a linear story fully planned out. I've already started the sequel, lol. 4/
Whilst I kept most of the original, with the revelation that the character is trans it meant I could really flesh everything out, and whilst the 1st draft is done, I feel like I may flush it out even more. 3/
I then had a complete revelation last year after my dreams filled in a lot of story gaps. I didn't know how to work with what I had already written, and this new information, until 2 months ago. (this screenshot is the 2021 version) 2/
The first draft and complete remaster of Subject 218 is finally done.
This story was originally drafted in 2012 but sat for years, then I 'published' it on LuLu in 2018. The editor I had did a bad job, so I pulled it and edited it myself and republished in 2021. 1/
6 stories now. I am writing a sequel. lol
ADHD writer brain has me ping-ponging between 5 different stories at the same time and hyperfixating on one every few months. I am sorry if this is confusing.
the story i wrote earlier this year is done but needs minor edits. but finishing that one made me REALLY want to write this one. it would make sense if you read the one I just finished doing, even if this one is technically a prequel :')
the old story is still going to exist; it is meant to be the panicked writing when he's cornered. This one is the real story, though I am going with a specific ending, rather than leaving it ambiguous, which ending it could have (this series has like, 5 different possible endings.)
Been on a 3-day binge writing spree with making a brand new version of the Subject 218 story (you know, the version where the main character doesn't lie about everything) and I don't want to stop, but I have to sleep and stuff. Sad time.
I re-read both versions, and I'm sticking with my gut and going with #2. I feel a greater sense of familiarity with the character and am rooting for them to get well, whilst also cheering anytime they do something that hinders their progress. I love my little mind gremlin so much <3
The last few chapters in 2 are also brand new; I completely axed around 20k words and rewrote it all, because three changes in the story meant I had to. So, it doesn't warrant a separate book to be honest; if the whole thing was different, I'd consider it, or maybe ship it as another AU. lol 🤷
