From Serial to Novel. Murder Most Foul. A Steampunk adventure.

Murder Most Foul, my latest Steampunk adventure, is coming to the end of its serialisation on Medium.

It was written in reply to a request, after the admins of a particular publication liked the short story I originally submitted and asked me for more.

The story is set in my Steampunk world of Norlandia, which is already featured in four novels and quite a few short stories.

Several characters and places from those novels carry over to this story, which made it very easy to write, as the world and most of the technology were built and just waiting for me to use.

Over 26 parts of around 1100 words each, my hero and his friends have crossed the land and uncovered a conspiracy that would change their world.

I hope readers have enjoyed it, it’s been just as much of an adventure for me, to have to write more every week.

Especially when I didn’t really know where it was going.

Because of the way it’s been published, the story has been written without too much backstory and world-building. That’s deliberate, they are not needed and would only break up the format and slow it down.

People who read serial fiction don’t want to read loads of irrelevant stuff, they want action and interest from each episode.

Now that its run on Medium has finished, what can I do with the story?

It’s under thirty thousand words, so it’s too short for a novel. I’d like it to get a wider audience, so I’m contemplating publishing it as an eBook on Amazon.

To do that, it needs a bit of expansion, at least doubling in size. That gives me the chance to add all the things I left out and create a more detailed setting and atmosphere. As well as the plot points that occurred to me too late to make it into the episodes.

And a cover. All books need a cover.

Here’s what I’ve come up with, so far.

All I have to do now is get on with the job of rewriting the book.

If you subscribe to Medium, you can find me here.

Richard Dee – Medium

Read writing from Richard Dee on Medium. I write speculative fiction, set in the future or an alternative now. See my lists for content by topic, or visit https://www.richarddeescifi.co.uk.

or start reading Murder Most Foul here,

List: Murder Most Foul. | Curated by Richard Dee | Medium

24 stories · A Steampunk Adventure.

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