Introduction to the Accountability Post 2021 Week 46
Did I finish the first draft of Evolution’s Hand Book 2: Epsilon Eridani? Am I trying to contain my excitement at making the announcement? What progress have I made on setting up my newsletter? Or its lead magnet? I’ll have answers to those questions as soon as I share my progress for the week.
Accountability Post 2021 Week 46 By the Numbers

Missed it by that much!
You might notice “2 plot points written” and think that I finished! I thought that, too! But I forgot about the denouement. Heavy sigh. I’ll need at least two and maybe three scenes/chapters to wrap things up. The resolutions are done, and together they represent the climax. But there are still a couple of loose ends I need to tie up. So, it’ll be another week!
I would have gotten a little more written, but I backed myself in a corner. But in a good way. I’d mentioned a shadowy organization that the composition of my world suggested as a necessity. It explains a lot that some readers would likely have noticed. But for the Conrad’s resolution to work, he had to interact with that organization. And that meant a new character and some new sets. But I think it not only helped this book. I think it sets the stage for the future, too.
Goals for the Week in Accountability Post 2021 Week 46
- Finish the denouement for Evolution’s Hand Book 2: Epsilon Eridani
- Continue working on the short story that’ll act as a lead magnet
- Continue researching e-mail lists
The Denouement
The denouement has to do with Jack Booth and his friend Lucas Knight. There are two other scenes I might write: One for the over-arching three book plot, and another for the CEO of Terran Consolidated Products, who’s the main antagonist in Book 2. I haven’t decided how much I want to show, but right now, I’m inclined to include it. It’s a second book, after all. I think readers will expect a lead in to the third book.
The Lead Magnet
I started constructing the environment for the short story. I picked a working title, All That Sparkles. Its location is Botswana. It takes place about ten years before the present day, from the perspective of Book 1. The main character is Dikeledi Mogapi, who’s a doctor serving on the Indiana in the “present” day. A tertiary character from Book 1 and Book 2, Thato Dlamini, will play a role.
So far, I’ve sketched the area round Dikeledi’s home town, Letlhakane. A major setting will be Sowa Mine, located on the Sua Pan. Today, in our world, it’s a seasonal lake. In the world of the novels, it’s dry all year around. That allowed a significant uptick in mining for sodium carbonate, halite, sodium sulfate, and sodium bicarbonate salts.

I wish I could visit Botswana to scout locations. Since I can’t, I rely instead on Google Maps. It at least gives me a feel for places like the Sowa Mine.
In the world of the novels, one of Earth’s space elevators connects to Nairobi. From there, passengers could ride a mag lev train all the way to Brussels. I had to construct the southern leg that goes to where Cape Town used to be. Rising sea levels consumed most of the old city, so Cape Town absorbed Paarl. That’s where the unimaginatively named African and European Continent Mag Lev Trains line ended.
There’s a reason its name isn’t very fancy, but I’m not sure I’ll explicitly say why in this short story.
There’s a risk with this approach. I want to portray a global environment, but I’ve never been to Botswana. I’m terrified of misrepresenting something — the language, the air temperature, anything, really. But I don’t want to turn away from a goal simply out of fear. I’ll see if I can do the location justice!
E-Mail List
Someone I know (who lives in my house and whose home office is just down the hall from mine) has had her own business for a few years. She focused on growing her own e-mail list, and she’s built her sales funnel. What I find particularly impressive is that her e-mail list membership is north of 15,000 — and that’s with proper pruning! Clearly, she knows what she’s doing.
I asked her for advice, and she referred me to a video by The Creative Penn. The video was an interview with Tammi Labrecque. My own experience trying to setup a now-abandoned application development security training program, plus the experience of going through Nick Stephenson’s class, prepared me to hear with those two had to say. I think.
I’ll only know if I heard it correctly when I try to implement it. But based on what I think I know, I highly recommend that video. But it’s going to be an uphill battle!
What Do You Think?
When’s the last time you wrote a short story? Have you used one for a lead magnet before? I’d love to hear about your experience! Please feel free to talk about it in the comments.
I actually have written short stories that were taken from the background to a novel,but never finished any of them.I was usually more interested in the and the short story was just working out the world building.
more interested in the NOVEL. Der.
I like the idea of using a short story to test drive parts of the novel’s world.
Interesting to hear you were more interested in the novel. I have that same feeling when I’m trying to make time to write the short story! I want to get back to the bigger canvas!
But it helps sell by becoming a lead magnet, then it’ll be worth it. I can even borrow your excuse and tell myself that I’m building out the world!
My lead magnet was an origin story for the secondary character from the perspective of his older sister who shows up in volume 12 (which I never released). I plan on redoing the entire series although that part probably won’t need much work.
I’ve written a lot of short stories. Most of them are now unpublished but I’ve released a few anthologies with other indie authors. At some point I’ll look at repurposing then. Could be extra bonuses for newsletter sign ups.
At the moment, I’m trying to get all my ducks in a row to start off 2022 right. It’s been too long since I’ve felt the excitement and fear of publishing stories.
I’ve always enjoyed reading origin stories!
I haven’t written a short story in 10 years — at least. I’d written many 20-30 years ago. It’s kind of strange to think I’ve already had a multi-stage writing career!
The “excitement and fear?” That’s a good description. I’m both looking forward to and dreading that!