Introduce Yourself : My friends would like a word... by Terri Morgan

Hi. Pleased to meet you. I'm Terri. I've done a few things. Recently, I've been working on a scifi hopepunk series. I'd like it to be more. That's why I'm here.

I started writing in the summer of 2020. We were all staying home. I wanted to go out to play and I wanted some friends to come with. So I created a universe and went out to play. What started as a short story has turned into five books (350k words).

My characters had quite a bit to say. Seriously. They nagged at me and told me that they had something to say and could I type faster. For me as a writer, it was so much fun. And my characters have more stories to tell. One of the things that helped was visualizing who they are. I had a good idea of what I wanted but I can't draw. Another writer pointed me to Artbreeder. Then, they really began to come to life.

Recording the story has given me insights to the dialog that I would not have otherwise. It gives me a chance to clarify what I'm doing in the story and create something more. If I can't read it cleanly, there's something wrong with the way I wrote it. I've been making changes as I go.

But I can only get so far. I have some scenes where 12 of my characters are all in the same room at the same time. It's hard to interrupt yourself. It is. I tried. It would be nice to have music, too. I know what I want - getting the rights is another matter.

And then there are the visuals and costumes and so much more that are needed to transform what I have now into the tv series I envisioned when I started writing. I can't offer anything other than the story. Not yet. I'm working on that. It is a good story. It could open lots of doors.

But nothing can happen if it only ever sits on my shelf. So here I am. My friends would like a word. ;-)

If you have an interest in something fun and serious and old and new with martial arts and space flights and glowing jewels and mystical swords and down to earth characters, I'd like to hear from you.

My story is pot roast, mashed potatoes, and green beans on Sunday with cherry pie if you like. It’s realistic and grounded. It’s a comfortable adventure. It’s not too demanding. It’s got interesting hooks. Always another secret to be revealed. It crosses generations and cultures, East and West.

My story has elements that people will recognize and smile about. It’s normal, mostly. It’s new and fresh and old and full of all sorts of hooks and turns. It’s not the same and it is exactly the same. It will make you smile, cry a little, and smile again. My story is about coming together and asking the questions even when there are no answers. It’s about friends. It’s about believing we can find a way through even when we don’t know where we’re going. It’s how we find hope. We look at ourselves and we find good friends.

In his 1977, rock-and-roll classic, “Running on Empty” Jackson Browne sang “Everywhere I go, people need some reason to believe. …. If I can get you to smile before I leave.” That’s what my story does. Gives people a reason to believe and makes them smile.

Jacqueline Chan and The Little Rascals meet Andy Taylor in Space

You smiled. Pretty sure you did.

Come along. Let’s go for a ride. It’ll be fun. Promise.

“Yes, indeed, we’re ready to go. Where are we going again?” the Doctor asked.

“We are going for a ride on the Magellan, Doctor,” the Ambassador said with just a hint of impatience.