Any Other Questions...

As the first Episode of Other Plans is published, I thought I'd tackle some of the frequently asked questions I receive on this new project of mine...

Hello young man, I like the cut of your jib. So tell me, what's this koo-koo sounding Other Plans all about?

Good question, thanks for asking. Other Plans is a comedy drama serial in six-ish parts. Taking inspiration from old TV shows like thirtysomething and Cold Feet it follows the lives of a gang of friends and family as they deal with real life not quite matching up to their expectations.

At the centre of the group are Jen and Peter, who run The State, a rundown semi-arthouse cinema in a rundown semi-up-and-coming suburb of London. While they try to make a living showing old Woody Allen movies and cheap black and white classics, Peter's half-brother Salvador is just starting out on his medical career in a clap-clinic where shyness isn't a virtue. And Jen's cousin Kate is trying to make her mark in the world of architecture and move on from mainly designing toilets. Then there's Jason, who wants to be a rock star, but will take reality TV fame if that's all that's going.

As their dreams get further out of reach, the friends try to figure out what to do when life doesn't work out how it does in the movies.

I'm a busy executive and multi-tasking parent/young person with no attention span, I don't have time to be reading this sort of flim-flam. Who do you think you are?

Now don't panic! This isn't going to take a lot of your time. It's a quick read -- an individual episode should take an hour or so to read if you don't rush it. Perfect for a chauffeur-driven commute, time spent hiding from small children in a bathroom, or while you're also in a lecture, checking social media and chewing gum.


But basically, it's a novel in six-ish parts, right? Is this just a way to get me to pay over the odds for something that could have been sold in one go?

No!

Well, not entirely.

Following along with the series will cost more than most complete eBooks, but it's not meant to be like most eBooks. It's not just a novel with a series of arbitrary cuts added. Each episode should stand broadly alone, although there's a story that will run through the series, and hopefully something to make you want to read on too.

I should also point out that most of it's not written yet.

I think that's going to be a lot of the fun of it. I've got a broad outline for the rest of the series but things could change.

It might turn out that everyone hates a particular character, or wants to read more about a certain aspect of the story. One of the characters could do something that sends the thread rolling off in a completely new direction...

You don't know. I don't know. 

Of course, you could wait until the whole story is published and pick up a compendium for a cheaper price when the story's set in stone, but you'd be missing out on the fun along the way.

We're all in this together, gang. In fact, if things get a bit hairy deadline wise I might be asking you to fill in a few gaps yourself.

Alright, this all sounds sufficiently close to a TV show I once liked for me to decide to give it a go. Where can I get hold of a copy?

 An even better question. It's exclusively on Amazon, costs 99p/99c. And is available here:

http://bit.ly/nealdoran  (UK)

Or here:

http://amzn.to/1lvFjV4 (US)

It's 2015, dammit, is this an interactive experience? Where's the QR codes and virtual reality goggles?

Glad you asked. There's a range of cutting interactive elements to the whole Other Plans experience. Unfortunately most of them are so advanced, existing device technology is unable to support them. I'm hopeful the ambient sound effects and built-in aromatherapy experience will be enabled by the time of the iPhone 9.

In the meantime, there's an Other Plans Spotify playlist (https://open.spotify.com/user/1155675922/playlist/6xyb9yu8fKNVTEHTQRxU9I). It's got the unofficial opening credits music at the start, the closing credits music at the end, and some other relevant tunes in the middle. They should make sense once you've read the episode.

Oh yeah, and in more low-fi terms, there's a few other things to look out for:

Every episode will feature at least one hidden movie quote. Or possibly a misquote. Yell when you get it on Twitter or Facebook.

And because people love noticing this sort of stuff, there's also a 'Spot the Typo!' competition.

If you see any of the, obviously deliberate, typographical errors that may pop up over the course of an episode, let me know in a comment here and you can be entered into a prize draw to win something I haven't decided upon yet.

I'm a Luddite and only read fiction I can get in a form that can also be used for swatting indolent flies. Is there a paperback version available?

Other Plans is eBook-only for the time being. But all being well, and if there's enough interest, I hope to put together a paperback of Series One.

However, that won't be until nearly the middle of 2016, so get yourself the Kindle app to read it now (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/digital/fiona/kcp-landing-page?ie=UTF8&ref_=spkl_1_0_629732147), and keep a rolled up copy of The Economist to hand for dealing with bluebottle infestation. It's lightweight yet sturdy.

Can we expect any strong language and scenes of a sexual nature from the start and throughout?

Other Plans goes fairly easy on the swears, and it's not too racy, although there's certainly exceptions for both. Nothing you wouldn't see in a 15 certificate, mind.

And I am willing to go nude if the part demands it.

You've never actually been asked any of these questions, have you?

Sod off and mind your own business.


Any other questions? 

Post any more entirely genuine not-at-all-made-up queries you might have on Other Plans, world affairs, or home improvements in the box below and I'll try my best to answer them.