Story Behind the Story Archives

Story Behind the Story: The Editing and Publication of Nahla: Warrior of the North

By Nick Marone 1 December 23Story Behind the Story

This is the “story behind the story” for the editing and publication of Nahla: Warrior of the North. The first part in this series recounted the writing of the first draft, whereas this part shows the final stages. If you are unfamiliar with the many stages of the publishing process, this[…]

Story Behind the Story: Space Trip II

By Nick Marone 29 June 23Story Behind the Story

What's better than one funny book? Two funny books! Space Trip II follows in the same hyperspace lane as Space Trip, and I think it's even better than the first book. This post gives you the story behind the story of how Space Trip II came to be. WARNING! This[…]

Story Behind the Story: Space Trip

By Nick Marone 10 May 23Story Behind the Story

Space Trip has always been something of a joke in my family. But it is a joke I hope to share with everyone for many years. I certainly had a lot of fun writing it, so here are some background details about the first installment of the series. Genesis I[…]

Story Behind the Story: The First-Draft Manuscript of Nahla: Warrior of the North

By Nick Marone 27 April 23Story Behind the Story

This is the "story behind the story" for the first draft manuscript of Nahla: Warrior of the North. The idea spent several years in my mind before being written. Read on to learn more about it! This is Part 1 of a two-part series. READ PART 2 The Story of[…]

Story Behind the Story: Director’s Cut

By Nick Marone 6 May 22Story Behind the Story

Story Creation "Director's Cut" is a quirky short story about an alien actor who is determined to get a part in a movie, even if it means cheating. I remember a submission call for an anthology titled Monsters, Movies, & Mayhem. It was a project between Kevin J. Anderson and[…]

Story Behind the Story: The Price of Inspiration

By Nick Marone 30 September 21Story Behind the Story

WARNING: Spoilers follow. "The Price of Inspiration" has always been one of my favourite stories, not just for the premise, but for how the whole story began. Read on to find out. Inception Not many people know this, but I am not the only writer in my family. Both my[…]

Story Behind the Story: The House of Time

By Nick Marone 27 October 20Story Behind the Story

WARNING: Spoilers follow. The House of Time – What is time? Is it just a concept and a reality that affects everyone and everything? With the passing of time comes maturity, experience, memories, and sentimentality. On the other hand, time also brings deterioration and loss. But what effect would time[…]

Story Behind the Story: Pilgrimage to Earth

By Nick Marone 7 December 19Story Behind the Story

Here's a little account of the creation of my first published short story, "Pilgrimage to Earth". Please be aware that there are SPOILERS in this article. The Opportunity The folks at Aussie Speculative Fiction (ASF) are a great bunch. I love how they cultivate interest and creativity in the speculative[…]

Story Behind the Story: Fire Over Troubled Water

By Nick Marone 2 November 19Story Behind the Story

I was very pleased with this cover design. Here’s a little account of how Fire Over Troubled Water came into existence. I discovered the Drowned Earth novellas opportunity on Facebook in early 2019. The team at Aussie Speculative Fiction (ASF) had great plans for a series of novellas dealing with[…]