The Trology So Far

If I was a pretentious wanker (which it is impossible for me to know as pretentiousness tends to blinker self awareness) I would say writing The Trolls Trilogy is akin to the work of Dickens.  And mean it.  Naturally it is nothing like Dickens at all, except in that I'm writing it in installments.  So, there is some similarity to my working methods to Dickens.  We both have had to sit down and work out a story in bits.  To broadly plan out the story in chunks and then deliver them in at regular intervals.  This is both an excellent way of working and a nightmare.
Pros:  You have a regular schedule of work - a regular deadline that forces you to get your arse in a chair and write.
You have a good tight word limit per section - forcing you to think about every word carefully.
Cons:  It is hard to keep your eye on the complete story, focusing more on the individual episodes.
You have to keep creating end points for every three minutes (400/500 words) of action.
Dickens, it has been noted, often ended up creating dead ends in his novels because one week, amusing as it might have been, didn't really add to the whole when produced as a novel.  Luckily I don't have that trouble, because the number of words I'm using are considerably fewer.  I don't have the words to go on too much of a tangent.  In fact, I've already cheated by releasing two episodes on the first day as I'd just run out of room.  This may happen again.
The first story (The Natural History of Trolls) is online now.  The second story (Lost Tribe of the Trolls) is about six weeks in and so I've finish the prologue.  Tomorrow I release the first episode of the story proper - where you'll meet Robert, who's remarkably similar to me.  Just not.  The prologue is a bit sad and sweet, the main story is more comic and action orientated, so features a very shiny bust.  On the flip side, it is also a serious story about war.  If there is a theme running through Lost Tribe it's about the balance between glorifying and commemorating war - which is appropriate for this centeniary year of the First World War.  In the first Troll story we touched on the First World War, in this second we're looking at all wars from the Crimean onwards - the prologue is set in the Second World War.  Tomorrows episode starts on Remembrance Sunday and starts with medals - and it is where the story will eventually end.
So, if you've missed out so far it's all still online.  Over a thousand people have listened so far - join the throng.
Here's the complete first story The Natural History of Trolls

And here's the second story - which at time of posting covers the prologue.  Enjoy.