Brad Writes Worlds

I was polishing Aric’s manuscript this week and stumbled across something unexpected. Not a plot issue, not a thematic oversight, not some grand structural revelation. Nothing nearly that dramatic.

No, it was a keyboard ghost from the past.

Somewhere in the endless word count I noticed a pattern. A strange absence. A tiny punctuation rebellion that I have apparently been waging for years without noticing.

I almost never use the apostrophe.

It turns out that learning to type on a typewriter leaves a few quiet fingerprints on you that last longer than any teacher ever warned us about. The apostrophe was always the awkward key. The one that stuck. The one that required just a little more force than the others. The one that snapped the smooth rhythm of the machine and made a sound like an interruption.

So, I unconsciously did what any stubborn young writer would do. I avoided it.

And decades later, here I am, editing a hundred thirteen thousand word novel and catching myself writing things like cannot, do not, did not, could not, will not, etc. and its with the confidence of someone entirely convinced this is how English works.

I laughed, fixed them all, shook my head at myself, and kept editing.

Aric’s book is almost done now. Final polish is moving smoothly toward the January first release. It is a strange feeling to see the finish line approaching after spending so long building the world and the cast that will shape The Broken Legacy Saga. It feels real in a way it didn’t before. Small discoveries like my ancient feud with the apostrophe only make it feel more like the universe is tapping me on the shoulder and saying yes this is happening.

I’ve thought about going back someday to clean up my older fanfics, especially now that I can see every little quirk in my writing with fresh eyes. But right now I simply don’t have the time. The Broken Legacy Saga is my main focus, and I’m still working on my Stargate Universe episodes as well. Between the original series and the crew of the Destiny, my plate is full in the best possible way.

The fanfics will stay as they are for now. They were written at a different stage of my life, and they still carry that version of me. I am letting them remain exactly as they were while I move forward with what comes next.

This original world’s been waiting a long time to take its first step into daylight, and I’m looking forward to finally sharing it.

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