Behind the Quill: TWB Update

The Watsons Beginnings

For those of you who have been paying attention, you know that my prequel short story arcs have been expanded to five prequel short stories.

Originally, I had eight ideas. I merged them down to three because I was going to gloss over a couple of things. Then I realized the things I was glossing over—such as the 1787 event of the Turners coming to take away Emma, and the 1789 event of the family moving to Stanton—did not actually deserve to be glossed over.

When I sat down to write, thinking I would simply summarize that information in a prologue or something similar, those sections turned into full chapters. I realized there was a great deal of emotional weight in the 1787 story. Though it is the shortest of the arcs, it is still its own important event in the lives of the Watsons.

I also considered continuing to gloss over the move to Stanton. However, I had introduced so many extended family members in the Yorkshire area who are very important to the Watson family. That means their move is not a simple relocation. They are leaving behind nearly all of their extended family and their support system.

While a couple of family members are in Parliament and therefore in London during the season, and thus closer to Surrey, it is not the same as having family nearby at all times. Previously, they always had relatives close enough to rely on if needed. They also had additional duties—such as Mr. Watson being the guardian of the Turner children, which will be explained in Arc 2.

Because of this, I realized each of those events deserved its own arc. Arc 3, in particular, became a strong place to delve into the personalities and characteristics of the Watson children, as well as to show the importance of Mrs. Watson within the family before the point in the story where she passes away.

By separating these arcs, I can now focus more clearly in Arc 4 on Mrs. Watson’s illness, decline, and death. Originally, it was only going to cover those events. Now, it will also examine how her death affects the family afterward—specifically the family bonds and relationships, which are extremely important to the rest of the series.

Some people questioned why I separated what was originally Arc 2 into three arcs. The reasoning is the emotional weight of the new Arc 2 and the new Arc 4, along with the more in-depth childhood character information we gain in Arc 3.

Arc 3 also presents situations that are relatable today:

• Moving away

• Saying goodbye to friends and nearby family

• The fear of going somewhere new

• The physical, emotional, and mental drain of long-distance travel

• Children confined in small carriages and constantly complaining

These elements are not only useful for showing how the characters were when they were younger—so readers can see how they have grown, changed, or not changed—but also for exploring how much of their character is nature and how much is nurture. The present-day relatability of these experiences further supports giving them full attention.

Because of all this, I decided the best course was to divide those events into three separate arcs. Each one is an important piece of the Watson family puzzle.

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Paperback Editions of the Prequels

Originally, I was not going to make paperback versions of the short story prequels. My plan was to wait until all five arcs were complete and then publish them together as a full-length collection.

However, I have decided to release the prequels in paperback form individually.

The reason is practical. I attempted to donate Volume 1 of Refine to Return to my school library. The librarian commented that, because of its length and relatively small font, it was unlikely to be widely read by non-English-speaking students. Most of the English books used in club activities or classroom settings are Penguin Readers—shorter summary books of about 50 to 100 pages.

My short stories fall approximately within that range. As a result:

• The paperback versions of the short stories will have a slightly larger font

• They will be more accessible to non-native English readers

• They will be more affordable given the current exchange rate

These editions are intended to make the stories easier for my students and other non-English-speaking readers to access.

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Current Progress / Status

• Arc 2 is nearly finished. I have received it back from the editor and need to complete final checks and proofreading.

  • It is currently on pre-order for July 4th.

  • I am hoping to release it before the end of March.

  • The paperback version will release at the same time.

• Arc 1 (paperback) is prepared and undergoing final checks. It should be available either by the end of the month or by March 1st.

• Arc 3 was in progress, but it is currently on hiatus while I complete Arc 1 and Arc 2 tasks, including editing, formatting, copyright matters, and paperback preparation.

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Other Updates

The new school year in Korea begins March 3rd, so I need to begin lesson planning. My co-teacher has decided to restructure my classes and require the use of a Korean AI-based program, which my old granny brain now needs to learn how to use. That has been causing additional stress and slowing my progress.

On top of everything else, At the ripe old age of 40, I will also be making my final student loan payment this month. So, I will be too poor to do anything or go anywhere for some months. The upside? I will become a hermit again and have nothing to do but to work on my stories once I figure out the AI program.

Once I'm used to the new program, I plan to return to working on Arc 3, and I hope to have it ready to release this summer.