Otherworldly Emergence

The application process was over 6 weeks and majority of the applications rolled in over the last three days. There were 23 submissions in total and the 17 manuscripts that were approved attended the Presentation Post. At this point there were 15 Authors that were strangers from national and international lands. A wide range of personalities with varying levels of experience united by one goal - The Otherworldly Emergence Speculative Fictions Novella Series.

People who become members of Bushland Castle Productions are welcomed as Bushland Pages. This is a free author support community for people who are interested in developing their craft. Once accepted as authors to be published with Bushland Castle productions they are raised to Bushland Squires. There were 13 Authors raised to Squires. A community that accommodates meetings, social interaction, Masterminds and is also a platform to share more about themselves. Because there are so many different avenues of communication in todays society, it was beneficial to house all the squires in one place to share information and build relationships. 

The Team started drafting together and the pathway up and over Draft Mountain was treacherous. There were procrasti-valleys that seem welcoming when you first walk through the flowers, but had a sneaky way of trapping you in their distracting beauty. There were self doubt detours and an Imposter syndrome impasse (which happens to be a lake at the bottom of a waterfall that is so clear you can see your enchanted reflection laughing at you). There were chasms of confusion and life sucking bugs that could take you out of the story for weeks. 

Everyone faced the mountain in their own way, prepared with their experience and a story that the publisher had faith in. To help with the journey, Bushland Castle Productions prepared the squires with an amazing and supportive book coach, Selina Shapland, that was ready to jump in and pull people out of precarious positions. They also offered Author support through Write-ins four days a week on discord. Bushland Pages hosted Fortnightly Mindset meetings and Accountability check-ins that were a hive of activity. Everyone cheered each other on and encouraged those who were hesitating on their story. Through Bushland Squires there were monthly team meetings and masterminds that focussed on the area of interest within the project. Still, one Squire fell to the Imposter Syndrome Impasse and could not be retrieved. 

The Next challenge after conquering draft mountain was the Developmental Dragon. This beast had a keen eye on narrative structure, plot, characterisation, pacing and tone. It was a long process moving through each prose with a keen eye, and all but one manuscripts survived their challenge with the developmental dragon. It was a sad farewell to the story that needed more time and we hope to see it shine in the future. 

There was a short grace period where the Squires found some respite to start working on the covers with the publishing team. They began to develop their Author profiles and hooks for their stories and consider how they wanted their story presented in the blurb. None of these items could be finalised at this point. It take a long time to collaborate with a publisher on the marketing an promotion of a book. This collaborative effort encourages both parties to develop new  skills and abilities.

The Squires needed time to edit their manuscript and work through the Developmental Dragons suggestions. Elevate their prose with personal determination and skill. The editing was still supported through coaching and community. Edit review meetings were completed with the publisher to ensure each Squires had enough provisions for the next leg over draft mountain. This time a lantern guided their way through and all the manuscripts passed the journey back to the castle.

A night of celebration was had by all. Toasts were raised to compliment the efforts of all squires that returned with a manuscript that started looking more like a book.

It was time to share their prose with other squires and gain wisdom in the telling and hearing of the tales. The stage was set for each Bardish Squire. Stories were exchanged and something eloquent emerged.

The reapers who had a part in each story came out to play again in the Reaper Reflection. Each reaper shared how they were brought into their narrative in unique and interesting scenarios. This element interconnected all the stories into a series.