It started with another project: Fourth Fiction, the “first blog-based literary reality show.” Several official contestants and a few outside participants worked at writing a novella based on a series of prompts. Viewers (readers) voted off their least favourite at each stage, until the very last, when it turned out… Well, I don’t want to ruin the surprise, but it was quite an event. I’d never read anything like it. All those people who’d never even met, combining their talents into something great. And during the process I got to know Jodi Cleghorn, who was writing as an outside participant.

Through her I found out about The Red Book. Happily I’d received a Sony Reader for Christmas, so I got to read the book right away (I believe I was first in line on release day!) and enjoyed it a lot. When she asked if I’d like to write for the next in the series, there was no way I’d decline. I was raring to go and almost annoyed that I’d have to wait so long to start writing. Then as my time grew nearer I was more and more nervous. Taking someone else’s character is a huge responsibility. I was worried I wouldn’t do it justice.

Happily, my editor Paul Anderson has a delicate yet straight-to-the-point approach, and when I eventually started writing there was no moment that I regretted getting involved. The stories that have been produced are so varied and impressive, I can’t wait to get to read them all together after publication. The whole is truly more than the sum of its parts, and I hope we’ve created something with the Yin & Yang Books that will be very much enjoyed by many readers.

Jen Brubacher’s “Lost and Found” is the eighth story for The Yin Book. You can read more about the creation of “Lost and Found” on 8th September and the first 750 words will be available 6th October.