When I started this little story, it was nothing more than a vague idea in the back of my mind, with no real focus, plot, or purpose. I just set fingers to keyboard and let words flow, and I've been following them where they take me ever since. I have a general sense of where things should go in regards to probably the next half dozen chapters, but no real bullet list or extended "this is how the story should go" plot mapped out from the beginning to end like I have with The 8th Day. The Fallen Ascending is, more or less, a completely free form story that's still developing itself as we go.

Ask me something like, "Will Michael ever marry Le'Nara? De'Nara?", and all I can say is, "I dunno." I know the next chapter is about the group trying to recover from their loss and trudge forward, but I don't have a clue about what might happen next month in the story. We haven't got there yet!

With that aside, by making this such a free-form story, it's allowed me the utter freedom to let my mind run wild and in any direction that I want it to. Things like The Creation myth which Crystal recited so nicely for us, explaining about The Children of Chaos, is one of those little side effects of the unbridled free-thought exercise. The story about the fairy is another.

Since I've started this little story, I've let my mind wander in all sorts of free and unfettered directions. Fairies are the Children of Chaos, and we have a story about them. How about the story of the Great Bear Dance? The Great Game? The Sacred Bees of Air? Tree of Death? Where do I share the truth about magic? The First Born?

I've already thought about these things, and they are part of the world that Michael finds himself wandering around in. Some of these things might have an influence on him, that he has no awareness of -- much like with the goblins and them fearing he was "Touched by Chaos". They're a part of the background of the story; a part of the rules and setting, if you will, but not actually part of the main storyline as we see it with Michael and the others.

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So here's a question for all you good folks:

Should I explore and write about these little side stories, and toss them into the same forum here at RRL? Like the story "Save Me", they add background and flavor to the world, but they're not really part of the world itself.

Should I simply not worry about sharing any of these little side thoughts and world development quirks? After all, if Michael never comes across someone doing The Great Bear dance, does the reader need to know it?

Should I write these little side stories, but put them in a completely different forum? Create a story and call it "The Fallen Ascending -- Side Stories", or something similar.

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My thoughts:

Kept here, they kind of break the flow of the main story and may not always be relevant.

Placed in their own forum, it's more work for people to keep up with and have to follow/read. What might be "common knowledge" for people who read the "Side Story" forum, might end up being something that someone who only reads the main story won't relate to as well.

Kept here, the stories are inclusive but disruptive.

Kept elsewhere, they don't interrupt the flow of the story here, but are externally exclusive.

Both methods have their pros and cons -- and thus, the poll to give you guys a chance to vote on how you'd like to see such things handled. Here, There, or Not at All.

Feel free to comment, offer opinions, solutions, and questions. There's no wrong answer. I'd love to know how all you folks think I should handle the side stories, especially if they keep growing and expanding into the story universe as time goes on.