It’s been two weeks since Season One of SEARCH wrapped up and with the dust now settled from THAT finale (no spoilers here don’t worry) I thought I’d share a few thoughts - plus a few exciting announcements!
Season One: Author’s Afterword
This is not the first time the story of SEARCH has been told. It may not even be your first experience of the story but whether it’s your first, second or umpteenth time with this story, I’m incredibly grateful to you for being a reader of SEARCH.
When I say this is not the first time the story has been told, it’s because SEARCH has had a unique journey. This is in essence the third iteration of the story. SEARCH began life 14 years ago when I wrote down an idea on a bit of receipt paper. And now, all these years later it’s found life as a short film, an audio drama and now, finally, as a novel.
After it began life as a short film (originally titled Search for a Superhero and was filmed as a faux-documentary) it went under development at the BBC before it was then independently produced as an eight part audio drama series funded by Creative Scotland and distributed by The Big Light. Season One was released on February 15th 2022. New episodes dropped weekly with a stellar cast and a group of characters and cliffhangers that brought audiences back each week. Season One concluded on March 22nd 2022 and it left things on a cliffhanger, pointing toward where the story would go in Season Two. And then…
Nothing. Well not nothing, exactly.
Since the conclusion of Season One I had spent a lot of time working on how the story would continue. I had mapped out a rough three season arc (or two seasons with three special episodes to conclude the story - inspired by Russell T Davies’ return to Doctor Who). I had written the first four episodes of Season Two. I had even worked on ideas for spin-off stories. When I had a look at the folder dedicated to SEARCH in my Notes app there is 273 entries and counting. So, it’s fair to say that I had given it a lot of thought. I love the world of SEARCH but more specifically I love the characters. I kept coming back to it and that’s usually enough to tell me there is something there worth exploring.
In between writing ideas, drafting episodes and making notes on how the story would continue in its audio drama format, I spent a lot of time trying to fund Season Two and the Third & Final Season. I loved making Season One; mainly because of the amazing cast I worked with who I am lucky enough to call friends but also because of the response to those who had listened. Unfortunately, the attempts to fund the continuation of the podcast were close but ultimately no cigar. The primary funder of Season One wasn’t in a position to do so again. We had funding to make Season One where everyone got paid to make the show and I didn’t want to ask everyone to work for free. I still don’t. But I also didn’t want to end the story where it did. Which brings me to now. Which brings me to the story’s new life as a novel. Which effectively brings me to you.
At the same time I was writing and producing SEARCH, I was starting to use Substack as a platform for my writing, primarily of short fiction but with the intention to release a novel as a serial on then website. The audience for my writing started to grow as my subscriber count increased (thank you) and I eventually started to brainstorm ideas for what my first serialised novel could be. I wish I could say I was smart enough to realise that SEARCH was staring me in the face and I knew right away that this would be the story. But I didn’t. I started with another novel which still needs work so is back on the work in progress pile. But eventually I realised I had the perfect story to share. And the perfect platform in which to share it.
So, on 15th February 2024, two years since SEARCH premiered, I headed back down the rabbit hole and took you wonderful readers with me to rediscover SEARCH with Season One becoming Book One. I hoped that it would find an audience here which would mean I could continue the story to its conclusion. And I’m happy to say that it did. Adapting the story into a novel and releasing it exclusively here on Substack breathed fresh life into SEARCH which means that the story, and the search, will continue. I want to thank you for reading it here on Substack. It’s been a great experience and I can’t wait for it to continue.
Thank you.
Season One - The Audio Drama
With the novel of Season One now concluded, I’m going to share with you the original audio drama series here on Substack (once I figure out how to add it). I’ll add the link to listen to the podcast below but I’m hoping to include it in the Substack feed.
It will be an interesting listen; it’s largely faithful to the version of the story you have read but with the benefit of time (and the fact I grew as a writer) there are additional chapters and stories in the novel version that don’t feature in the audio version.
What does feature in the audio version though is an absolutely TREMENDOUS cast.
My genuine hope is that we find a way to make Season Two of the audio drama following it’s release here as a novel. But we will wait and see. I love working with that group of people and it was working with them that inspired much of the direction in Season Two.
Perhaps there will be a flurry of book sales that means we can fund it….
… “book sales?” I hear you ask.
Announcement #1 - SEARCH Will Be Available on Paperback & Digital!
That’s right! SEARCH will be released on e-book and paperback!
It will officially be released as Book I of The SEARCH Files Trilogy. I’ve been looking at a number of book series and authors I like as inspiration for design etc and it’s certainly a fun process.
I’m working on designing both the e-book and paperback versions of the story and they will be released on February 27, 2025.
That is a little while away but I want to make sure I give enough time to get the design right. It’s not a process that I want to rush. Although, of course if they are ready earlier the release date may be brought forward.
I’ve always referred to the story as SEARCH: THE SERIES, however based on inspiration from a few other book series that are also written in the epistolary format as files, e-mails, transcripts etc, I’m going to change the name of the series to The SEARCH Files Trilogy. It’s also a nod to the lovely review that
has provided for inside of the book (with an extract on the cover) in which he refers to it as “A wonderfully mysterious science fiction story that recalls the very best of The X-Files.” Thank you for that Daniel! If anyone else has read the story and would like their review featured in the book you are welcome to send it to me.There are also changes afoot here at Toasted Fiction which is prompting the delay in release. I’m working on the background on and want to release it when those changes are ready.
But most importantly, my son is due early November and I want to spend my paternity leave (and as much of my time in general from thereon in) with my wife and son. As much as I’m enjoying the process of putting the book together, I would rather spend less time doing that and more time with them.
Dad & Husband first. Writer second.
Announcement #2 - Season Two Is Coming
They found something. Something that should have stayed buried.
That’s right, Season Two is on its way (with a brand new image for the season) and as before will be released weekly (or every few weeks) here on Substack first before it becomes a novel available in e-book and paperback. I initially planned on writing the story in full before releasing it but I think that would just delay its release. I have the story outlined and a good chunk written already. Inspired by the process
shared for her wonderful short story The Shell my plan for Season Two is to write and release each week, using the outline as an anchor. It will allow me the space to discover surprising parts of the story as I write which is always my favourite part.There will be a sneak peek of Season Two available very soon. I cannot wait to tell this story and continue on from Season One.
Annoucement #3 - SEARCH Will Remain Free….Until It’s Paperback/E-Book Release
There has been a lot of discourse on Substack about the free model or the paywall model - it’s a discourse I don’t wish to wade into in any great detail. Everyone has there own opinion on this and I can see valid points on both sides. I think the main thing with anything like this (and a general rule of thumb in life) is to do whatever works best for you.
I’ve thought a lot about what I want to do with regards to this and what a paid model on Substack would look like for me. I struggle between not really placing much value on myself as a writer (the curse of every writer I would wager) and just wanting to find an audience to read my stories. I’m a writer and a writer needs a reader; without that I’m just putting words on a shelf that nobody looks at.
Finally though, I had a brainwave as to how the paid model may work for me whilst maintaining my commitment to making sure my stories are available to read for everyone who wants to read them. And I decided on this.
SEARCH and any subsequent serialised novels will be released for free exclusively here on Substack first. They will remain free to read to my subscribers until the point they are released for sale as a paperback/e-book. At the point the novels are released for sale, that is the point at which those novels will be moved behind a paywall for paid subscribers only.
And of course my Fifty Word Fiction and Short Stories will remain free - if any collections are released I may have a look at that model but I think I’ll just keep those for free.
So SEARCH Season One will remain free to read until February 27, 2025.
Season Two will remain free to read until whenever that is released as a novel.
Hopefully that makes sense and is a positive way to do it! It’s the way that feels right for me anyway - without my free subscribers I would have nobody reading my stories here at all. So I want to ensure you continue to feel valued and you make my writing feel valued.
Thank You
I just want to end again by saying a wholehearted thank you. For supporting my writing here as a subscriber, for reading my work, for engaging in the stories, for sharing it with others and of course for reading SEARCH.
Thank you.
I can’t wait to share more stories with you and of course to continue the story of SEARCH.
Well done, Chris!