Photo: Messy handwriting scribbled across notebook pages set against a monitor on a messy, messy desk. On the monitor, Scrivener, beloved software for authors like me. A blank page open and ready to receive an interpretation of the scribbles in legible, pixilated text form. Eventually, that translation turned into episode one of Silverwood: a Serial Story, which you can read right now.

I suspect that a handful of people are going to read my little serial story and say to themselves, “oh, this girl is a nerd.” And that will be a very reasonable thought, because that’s what I was thinking as I was revising episode one: “Oh damn, I am really nerding out over here.” And you know what? That’s ok. I think… that’s going to make this ok.

I am a nerd. I’m a nerd about a bunch of different things because I’ve lived multiple lives and, like a true first-born millennial girl, I get entirely too invested in the things I do and strive (unto unhealthiness) to be the best at whatever I’m doing. The result is: I know a bunch about a bunch of things. I can be in conversation with someone about something and they’ll say, “I’m not sure if you know about anything about this, but….” and I’ll take of my martini and say with a sly smile, “I know enough to be dangerous.” It’ll be true, too.

Anyway, thinking about what I write and why I write about it and what Silverwood is all about… I keep coming back to “community,” as a theme and as a subject. I know a lot about community-building. I was a Resident Assistant in college. I was a teacher before I became a mom. I rebuilt a writing community and transformed it into a growing nonprofit. I served in a church community in multiple capacities. I accepted the solemn, lonely, frustrating, and ultimately (personally) harmful duty of public elected service. I think a lot about what community is, what I want it to be, and how I want to be in it. And that’s… complicated. Stories live in the many intersections of this and I’m excited to write those complicated stories.

I love stories that are as much about place as they are about character. When place is character, I really dig it. I can keep up with the rollicking epic adventure, sure, but I really get down with the contemplative, “quiet” stories. The ones where we see the seed of a tree fall into the ground, send up its first tender shoots and grow into a massive shade-bearer. Honestly, The Overstory is one of my favorite stories of all time for that very reason. BUT: I promise I’m not going to do that to you, because that’s no everyone’s jam.

This is what I’m doing instead:

I am going to tell the story of three (fictional) communities as told through the people who live in one of them. While the POV characters of Silverwood are from Silverwood, you will meet plenty of characters from their neighboring towns, Maplewood and Oakdale. These are three towns that share community through a vital and very expensive resource: a regional school district. Through these communities and their connection, I am going to write about a few things I love: government, education, race, and class.

“But…I thought you were a speculative fiction writer…?”

Mmm, yes. I am. That I am. And Silverwood is a speculative fiction story.

“Uh… you didn’t mention anything…. about… anything weird… in that description…”

Haha… you’re right. I suppose I should mention that Silverwood is a place of miracles. It’s touched by the divine. Certified by the church, even… but that’s not what makes it real or true. You’ll learn all that in time.

So here’s how it’s going to work: when you’re with Loralyn, you’ll be experiencing the governance storyline of Silverwood. As you meet other characters, you’ll be introduced to other parts of what makes Silverwood special. On the 17th, I’m going to introduce you to Reverend Jeremiah. It’s because of him that Silverwood exists. I’ll share more about that as we go.

A couple more things I want to share before I get back to work:

1. Silverwood is an active work in progress and I am a busy mom with too much going on. Expect a typo from time to time and please forgive me.
2. Silverwood is a work of fiction. And while it’s about New England and certainly informed by my experiences there, it’s not about you. So if you’re a person I’ve met and you’re reading this and you’re like, “that’s about me,” you need to stop. And breathe. And read this again. This is a work of fiction. It’s not about you. Nothing about my fiction is about you.

And I intend to do more with this, including mess around with sharing audio of the episodes. You’ll see. It’s going to be a slow build and, hopefully, a happy one along the way.

Thanks in advance for reading!