Sharon Maria Bidwell

So how did Cosmic come into being? Let me start by telling you that it’s old. VERY old. I grew up watching numerous sci-fi shows. These gradually transformed into a love of all things fantasy. Cosmic was an ancient short story of mine that I wrote mainly for practice. In fact, I wrote it from an omnipresent viewpoint — something that is a clear no-no with just about any publisher on the planet. It didn’t matter. I didn’t intend to do anything with it. Then a few years ago, I thought maybe I should try writing it as a proper novel. Still the vague idea to do so sat on the shelf. Then I started writing for Loose-Id and one day it hit me. I had a perfect m/f romance plot here. The original short story had a closed door. I didn’t need to close the door. I could finish the story. This must have been over two years ago.

Try turning an old story into a new one. Ask any writer; most of them will at least pull a face at the idea. Turning old work into new is HARD. It’s far more difficult than writing new material. Your old style or “voice” interferes with your current one. I somehow managed a rough draft and then posted a small section to a forum. A fellow writer whispered “Axel and Snake” in my ear and I shushed her down. “This is m/f,” I insisted and kept writing. Then damn if I didn’t realise she was right! The story was good but if I made this a m/m/f ménage (particularly if one was an alien), it gave the plot a twist. It gave the book greater depth, greater conflict. It gave the characters more to lose.

Still, I hesitated. I’d not written ménage before. I wasn’t sure I could (Note: Cosmic was the first ménage I worked on, although not the first published). Did I even approve? Ah…now that’s another argument. In real life, I consider it’s none of my business but it’s not for me personally. This book wasn’t real life. It was as far from real life as you can get, seeing as one of my guys was an alien. Many readers love ménage stories. A few detest them. For me, it’s fiction and fiction often offers the reader a little harmless escapism, as long as the reader is able to separate fantasy from reality. So ‘what if’ for my alien two males with one female was the norm? ‘What if’ something about my alien intensified the relationship for all those involved? I quickly saw this had incredible potential. While working on this book, I also learned something. I can read a sweet contemporary ménage and not bat an eyelid but, as a writer, for a ménage to work for me it has to involve extraordinary characters in extraordinary circumstances and that applies whether the setting is contemporary or paranormal. In times of extreme duress, people will seek affection in surprising ways. They might contemplate a relationship they might never consider otherwise. I don’t mean to imply that I need to give my characters an excuse. I mean that it’s a great springboard for storytelling, for greater conflict, and maybe a greater though unconventional love.

I ploughed through the manuscript again…and again, and again. Eventually I knew I had to submit it or I would be going over it until doomsday. I sent it in. Loose-Id accepted it right away but they wanted the opening changed. I was surprised. I usually please them more than this. I’ve had books where they haven’t asked me to change a thing. I wasn’t sure. Then I realised that they were right although I didn’t agree “entirely”. It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with the longer opening sequence, not if this was a purely sci-fi book for the sci-fi market, but this was for the romance market. I needed to get the characters together more quickly. However, I was reluctant to do so per their suggestion. I had to find a compromise. Three days later I still couldn’t see my way, I couldn’t seem to see through the dust on the planet where my characters first appeared. Before signing the contract, I had to think of way to give the publisher what they wanted, at the same time pleasing me, the writer.

Another writer-friend read the first chapter. She gave me an idea. It wasn’t perfect but…I could use it in a slightly different way! I thanked her and sent my proposal into my publisher, which was this. I wanted to keep the very first part of the book (which I would have been sore to lose), cut the ensuing fight (a fight I admit I’d had trouble with from the start), and then jump ahead to just before the fight ends, with a slightly different outcome. They agreed and I’m happy to say I am very happy with the opening chapter as it now stands. Therefore, I have two authors to thank here: Fiona Glass (for whispering Axel and Snake in my ear) and Alex Beecroft (for the suggestion on how to tweak a scene). The rest, for good or bad, is mine, and is the outcome of scribbling made by a bored young woman sitting at an office desk, no doubt. As I said at the start, this is a very OLD story and you’d be amazed how it differs from the original, unemotional draft. Proves no writer should ever throw anything away.

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