Elle Fielding: June Newsletter

What comes after Rockstar Bay?

Hi everyone,

I hope this newsletter finds you well. Since it's the beginning of the month and I missed our May newsletter, I have a lot to cover today. So, without further ado, let's dive right in.

First off, I'm thrilled to announce that Rockstar Bay Season One (RSBA) is now COMPLETE! Woo! To celebrate this milestone, I wanted to share a few fun facts about the series:

1. The idea for RSBA came to me on November 18th, 2017, and I spent the following months plotting the story.

2. I submitted it to Wattpad Studios in 2019 when the Wattpad Futures program was disabled. Although Rockstar Bay Academy was not successful, I remained confident in the story. When asked by Wattpad to compare it to other books/shows, I described it as a mix between Fallen Crest High by Tijan, Paper Princess by Erin Watt, and the TV shows, Glee and Dance Academy.

3. I wrote the first 50% of the serial in 2017 and 2018, and I completed the remaining half between June of last year and now.

4. The season turned out to be my longest serial/book to date, spanning 125,550 words. Previously, my second longest was Trusting the Enemy Next Door, which was 109,000 words before being edited for publication.

5. RSBA drew significant inspiration from the music program at a local high school.

6. When I started this serial, my dream was to see it on the Australian Broadcasting Channel (ABC) as a TV show for teens. While I haven't given up on this dream, I'm now considering how I can bring it to life myself, perhaps as an animated series. Who knows, if my audience grows large enough, I might even consider a Kickstarter campaign...

7. Rockstar Bay Academy marks my first "Happy For Now" (HFN) ending, and it's also the first story that will have more than one season.

Committing to a story has always grounded me and given me a sense of purpose. Over the past 12 months, I've poured my heart and soul into RSBA, obsessing over the characters and feeling the weight of responsibility to bring the story to life according to my original vision. While I'm always relieved to finish a story and excited to move on to my next work-in-progress, completing RSBA left me feeling quite emotional. It's a natural part of my writer's cycle—an intense high that lasts about half a day or a day, followed by a low. I've learned to embrace this pattern, which is why I refer to this period as a "hangover."

If you haven't had a chance to read RSBA yet and would like to enjoy it for free, I recommend doing so as soon as possible. Please note that I can't guarantee how long it will remain available for free.

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An official launch of paid subscriptions

I am thrilled to share with you the official launch of paid subscriptions on my Substack platform!

First and foremost, I want to assure you all that I will continue to provide great content to free subscribers. I understand the value of your time and input, and I appreciate your support immensely. Without my free subscribers, I would not be where I am today, and I will always strive to be fair and act with integrity. I understand these are uncertain times, not everyone has money to spare, and there are many fantastic writers and entertainers who deserve loyalty and support. Please know that I am grateful for every single one of you, whether you choose to become a paid subscriber or not.

However, I am also excited to offer something special to my paid subscribers. With a paid subscription, you will have access to exclusive fiction content that is not available anywhere else. This includes serialized stories that will keep you engaged and entertained, and access to early chapters of upcoming novels before they are released to the public.

While I have had paid subscriptions available as an option before, I have never actively promoted them until now. This official launch comes with exciting new content that I cannot wait to share with you! Until now, I haven't been confident in how to provide value to both paid and free subscribers, how to maintain fairness and integrity, and what stories and content I should share with both tiers of my audience. However, after careful consideration and input from my readers, I am confident in my approach.

My paid subscribers will have access to exclusive fiction content that is not available anywhere else, including serialized stories, never before seen chapters, first drafts, or first versions of books now published, as well as early access to upcoming novels.

My free subscribers will still have access to my stories, with a longer 'free' period on Substack and early access to new chapters before they are available anywhere else.

Curious about what's available for paid and free subscribers? Check out my contents page for an overview of what can be expected for both free and paid subscriptions here on Substack.

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Question and answer time

I’ve decided to make the final part of this newsletter a question and answer format.

Q. Now that you're done with Rockstar Bay, what's next? What can we expect to see updates for?

Great question! Let me break it down for you:

For Paid Subscribers: Lights, Camera, Pretend to Love Me (Too Hot for TV) will be exclusively available to members of my second-tier subscription. As a result, revamping Lights, Camera, Kiss Me, which precedes it, is a priority in case I decide to publish Pretend to Love Me on platforms other than REAM. The old version of Lights, Camera, Kiss Me will be completely removed from Wattpad so I can begin publishing the edited version there and here on Substack. While the story will still be set in 2010, I will give it a more contemporary storytelling feel.

For Paid and Free Subscribers: You can look forward to weekly updates for Game of Hearts (Remake of the 2011 KMBMH), Lights, Camera, Kiss Me (New Version), or Lightning Bay (these updates may come later in the year).

I'm super excited about Lightning Bay. This serial/book is set in the same universe as Rockstar Bay but takes place around twenty years prior. In the series of books I have planned for this universe, I will actually tell the story of how Lightning Bay eventually becomes Rockstar Bay. I have a whole timeline mapped out, and for that reason, I have decided to date Lightning Bay with the first scene taking place at the start of 2002 when Kia returns to the Bay. This also gives me the opportunity to explore a slightly older time period, which I'm thrilled about.

But what about Bet Me and the new Kiss Me, Break My Heart?

Excellent question. Don't worry, they are still on my mind. However, because their stories are intertwined, it's taking some time to move each forward without disrupting the other. In fact, I’m considering a change in approach to speed up progress. This won't affect the storylines you’ve already read, but it may help me move them along more quickly.

Q. When can we expect to see the second season of Rockstar Bay?

Another great question. I'm actively working on it, but I'm also committed to expanding the Lightning Bay/Rockstar Bay universe. It's a significant undertaking for me as an author. These new challenges keep me engaged, invested, and allow for personal growth as a writer. It's crucial for me to enjoy what I write, as that passion translates to the reader's enjoyment.

Wrapping up now

I think that's all for now. Embarking on this next part of my writing journey with all of you fills me with excitement, and I'm committed to delivering more quality content—paid and free. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the new paid subscriptions, or anything else, please don't hesitate to reach out. I am always here to listen and address any worries you may have. Thank you all for your unwavering support, and I can't wait to share more of my stories with you.