As mentioned in my prior blog about my third Amazon collection “Misfortune and Other Romances of the Old West” the opening story "All her Misfortune” was a joint effort between me and the artist known as Joyce Melton. As I already said it she told me little about a plot she had in mind for a story other than it started with a street kid in Chicago in the mid 19th century escaping from a crime scene and heading west, and she sent me the cover she had drawn up. I have to say that (as it sometimes does with me) I saw the image, and something clicked. I started writing.

As I recall it, I rushed through Chapter 2 and I was well into Chapter 3 by the time I sent it to Joyce. When the juices are flowing I flow with them, but as Joyce would say, brevity can be a shortcoming. I always say that it is because in my job concision is essential, and my readers may notice that many of my stories have that "just give me the facts" approach. But it is not that the people on the train play a big part in the story, they just help to explain things that come later. Joyce reworked chapter 1 for the same reason.

If I had written this alone it would have been one of my longer short stories, but with Joyce's help I think that it is a genuine novella, that we are both proud of. The leading character sort of grew in front of us, and her series of misfortunes and the people she met, all added to her character as well as her story. I could not resist bringing her back for a cameo in a later story, as readers will discover.

Today I discovered the story of Doc Susie, the frontier lady doctor Susan Anderson (file attached) who looks pretty enough to be own heroine Pearl grown to maturity.

Joyce and I are discussing another project - this time science fiction which I rarely touch. She also suggested the even more unlikely area of superheroes but I rather swiped that and finished it without her.

But there is always something more, and for now Joyce continues with a barrage of plot pot shots.

I just wanted to tell all that I had a lot of fun writing cooperatively like this, not just because of the meshing of styles adding volume and flavor but also consultation available through comradeship. Writing is lonely like long distance running, which has never been my thing. I am more a sprinter – bursts of energy and speed sustained over a brief period which hopefully result in a win.

But not even that, because I am a team player, even if teams I have played in might doubt that. Both Joyce and I can be stubborn, even ornery, so there have been clashes of wills and time-outs, but the results have been great.

But that is just my opinion. Readers will need to judge for themselves.

Maryanne