The Amazons have finally spoken. Becoming Hercules will be released in mid to late July, about a month from now.
A Time-Pressed Muse
Excerpted from
The Mythoversal Newsletter
Mythoversal restores inclusion and diversity to classical texts, rediscovering traditions erased by centuries of gatekeeping.
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Before the pandemic, I spent years working on a story set in Mythoversal Thebes. It was my version of an ancient story that’s been lost to the filter of history, bridging the stories of Pentheus and Oedipus. I imagined the completed work would form itself into a novel, but the story refused to conform. The stubborn chapters kept folding inward on themselves.
“It’s because myths aren’t meant to be told,” said the Muse. “Myths are meant to be performed.”
I learned this lesson by writing poetry. By being compelled to write poetry. Through the chaos of 2020, no matter what else was going on, every Sunday morning required a new poem. The string of weeks became an ongoing poetic narrative performed in slow motion before a live audience.
The Muse approved. “You’ve felt the natural ebb and flow of your story. Now you can return to prose, but at a weekly pace.”
Serial fiction is not a new skill for me. A long time ago, I wrote on the Superguy list. It formed a bridge between my short stories and my first novel, but also it was kind of my element, and it’s something I’ve been missing without realizing it.
Back then, I was writing about superheroes, the mythology of modern times. Now I’m writing ancient mythology for modern readers. The Muse has returned me to my roots.
The Amazons have finally spoken. Becoming Hercules will be released in mid to late July, about a month from now. The first three episodes will be available for free. Two more episodes will be available for purchase on launch day. New episodes beyond those will be released on a weekly schedule from that point on.
If this were the traditionally published novel of my original vision, I’d have a year to plan out a launch event. With a self-published book, I’d build six months into the schedule. I have a month until the first drop, then a week until the next.
It’s time to start getting the word out. Things are going to get very exciting around here. Thanks for coming along for the ride.