Sharon Lee and Steve Miller team up again (or really, it’s as usual for this pair) to bring us a side story — Fledgling. Interesting is that this is a side story that’ll be supported by fan donations, with the added bonus of publication if there’s enough support. As an added incentive, $25 into the pot will get you a copy of the final publication if/when it happens. I’d already dropped it in before starting to read, but regardless, the chapters are free for anyone to read, and there’ll be a new chapter each week. Not sure I’m really a fan of the episodic nature — I’m more of a read till you hit then end kind of client — but I won’t turn down any amount of stories of Korval. It’s probably my second-most favorite series, right after the Vorkosigan stories by Lois McMaster Bujold — and the next Miles Vorkosigan novel is currently in the air.

Interesting idea is the “Storyteller’s Bowl” purchase mechanic — the idea that you can tell a partial story, and then get paid to keep on going.  It’s got a good sense of incentive for the author/performer — if the story is good,  there’ll be more money in the bowl.  Then again, the temptation to “blackmail the reader”, and, of course, the classic cliffhanger endings.  The “Insert Coin to Continue” trick…