New Product Development.

cShalako 2011


Over the weekend here at the skunkworks we were focusing on new product development. While the actual product is simple enough, we had some tedious quibbles with quality control, and then version control.

Then we impulsively revised our pricing on a mere whim.

Now the reader is privileged to witness the codeine-fueled ravings of a lunatic on the subject of 'The Handbag's Tale.' This is an 11,300 word short story, which was subbed to the best market and rejected.

Being unwilling to settle for second best, I thought I would just have some fun with it, which to be clear, is better than first best...right?

Inspector Maintenon and Sergeant Levain are on the lookout for an inept burglar who works by the light of the full moon, and they know that being the end of the month, his rent must be due.

Stumbling upon the still-warm body of pudgy playboy banker Emile Danton, the pair are presented with a pretty puzzle.

I dropped formula for a kind of artistic feel. I like Dada art, which might include a fur-lined cup, spoon and saucer. 'Found' objects for sculpture, painting on glass.

Look, the thing was fun to write, okay? That's all I'm saying. There is a theatre mentioned in the story, which came into being in 1923, and the only trolley or tram I can find in Paris went out of existence in 1924. That's a pretty narrow time frame, but there are no political or current events mentioned in the story. As for whether or not a few wealthy people would use horse-drawn carriages to attend a funeral in 1924, it is certainly possible.

If I was seriously worried, I would simply drop the theatre from the story! What also strikes me about the story is that it is a lot of dialogue. In that sense, maybe I could have done it as a play. I wouldn't know how to type that up, unfortunately. It will have to wait for another day!

The real motivation was that I could produce another ebook, which I like doing, and share it with people if that's what they want to do.

My operation is continously evolving. Now I have another book to put in my free rotation, which is essentially a new thing free every month.

There are always questions of version control, quality control, and there is not enough time in the day.

While I definitely need to produce new books, stories and poetry, I have serious thoughts on the business side.

That's simmering on the back burner for now.