C. Scott Frank's Blog

Echo: First Pulse

There is one question I’m asked more than just about any other question. And the answer is, “No, I don’t work out. I naturally have the chiseled physique of a competition bodybuilder.”

But the second most oft asked question is, “When will there be a print version of Echo!” To which I typically reply that it’s a pretty short story but if they want me to print it on an index card or whatever, I guess that’s fine. I’m kidding, kind of.

I never had any intention of printing Echo, because of the small size. But I think a great opportunity to do exactly that has presented itself to me. The rolling of the proverbial drum would be appropriate at this juncture.

Announcing… Echo: First Pulse

For the first time ever, the first three pieces of the Echoes in the Black are available together as one volume. Why just these three? In many ways, Echo, Frequency, and Pulse function as the first act of the whole story arc. They are the foundation and the supporting pillars of where the story is going and what is happening in the Echoes universe.

To put it another way, I think while each of the three stories can all function on their own as stand-alone works and you can read any or all of them in just about any order without missing anything—I absolutely recommend reading all of them before diving into the fourth-coming Feedback. (See what did there?)

Everything in the first three stories begins to tie together in Feedback, and all these narrative threads begin to form a cohesive strand. Or a bird’s nest. Either way.

Additionally, I think combing all these stories gives a great value for readers—rather than an assortment of small volumes, one single book can rest on the shelf with all the goodness of the first part of Echoes.

State of Echo

Echo: First Pulse also contains an exclusive narrative history feature called State of Echo that delves into some of the backstory and history of the universe for those who want to dive a little deeper into the world of Echoes. Think of it kind of like a special features section on a DVD (remember those?) or a behind the scenes look at some lore that didn’t make it into the stories themselves.

I’m super pumped to be putting all this together and I can’t wait to get it into your hands.

It’ll be releasing on November 29th with an unbelievable introductory price of $7.99 for the print copy (just 8 bucks for a 200+ page book?

Review: Ric Vayne and the Curse of Ghoul Nebula

It’s like if Ernest Cline helped Douglas Adams write Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

That was my first impression of Ric Vayne and the Curse of Ghoul Nebula from the super-talented Kyle Robert Schultz.

Kyle describes the story as a mix between Firefly, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and Thor: Ragnarok. I heard Firefly and that was plenty, but then throw in one my favorite Marvel films and I couldn’t wait to pick this thing up. Plus, it had total Hitchhiker vibes, but I’ll get to that in a minute.

Why I loved it

I love me a good space adventure. Throw in a snarky main character with perhaps more faults than heroic ability and I’m all in. That’s the kind of story Kyle has masterfully weaved in Ric Vayne. Add in a healthy dash of fantasy and we’re off to the races.

Kyle introduces a new character in Ric Vayne (presumably played by Adam Baldwin) and he’s a great love-to-hate protagonist. Arrogant, snarky, mayhaps a little reckless—my favorite kinds of character. Well, Ric’s reckless pride lands him in a unique kind of trouble. When he wakes up, he realizes that not only is he on the ship against his will. He is the ship.

If you think that sounds messy, well, you’re right. Not to mention, they’re headed toward the Ghoul Nebula, which is just as scary as it sounds. His mix of clever wit and quick thinking will need to work overtime to get out of this predicament.

wHy you should read it

If you like snarky characters and witty sarcasm, you’ll be all in for this story. Ric Vayne is basically Zaphod Beeblebrox but, y’know, likable. He says all the right things to make you giggle when you least expect it. But he’s not without his redeeming qualities. He encounters a relatively helpless character early on and makes it his mission to help her to escape. Probably not with entirely selfish motives.

There’s great SciFi/Fantasy action—now I want a spellblaster. The way Kyle weaves the fantasy elements into the sci-fi backdrop are so seamless, it's like that kind of fantasy tech has always been a part of good science fiction. Great fiction does take time to explain itself, it just presents the world as if it’s already in progress and the reader has to accept it—Kyle’s confident storytelling does exactly that, and whisks you away on a great adventure because of it.

The characters are memorable, the conflict is gripping, and the narrative twists and turns add enough excitement to keep you turning the page.

Final tally? I give it 5 out of 5 spellblasters. Which is a good thing, I promise.

Strange Waters Story Reveal #6

Things have been quiet around these parts. Too quiet… Someday soon I’ll write a blog to you on what’s been happening around the Frankoverse (apparently it’s the in thing to add -verse to everything nowadays, so I decided to go ahead and get dibs on my own), but that day is not today!

No, today is reserved as a day for awesomeness. I even pulled some strings to make sure the president would give you the day off so you’d have plenty of time to read my announcement. If you’re in America, anyway. So, with all your extra free time, just keep on scrolling and feast those lookin’ balls on this:

 























 Finer Things

The Phoenix Fiction Writers anthology for this Fall is going to be awesome, y’all. True story. I mean, I’m biased, but just trust me on this.

Our theme for this year’s anthology is to all write a story that incorporates the same image: a sailboat drifting on a glassy sea with pillowy marshmallow clouds in that background. Since I am the picture of obedience, I did exactly that. For about 1.5 seconds, before those soft, billowing clouds are ripped apart by a space station burning up in the atmosphere of a distant purple planet.

Okay, let’s back up.

Soren Tallweather and Tabitha Courtney are madly in love with each other and furiously in hate with the society that says they can never be together. They could escape, if only they had the means to buy anonymity. If they can get their hands on the right merchandise, that can certainly be arranged.

It was supposed to be in and out, but no job ever goes according to plan. Now it’s a race against the clock to get to safety with an all-too-familiar enemy on their tails. But justice, it seems, picks the most inopportune times to show up.

Everything they thought they had is at stake as Tabitha must settle the war within herself: what’s more important? Her own freedom or those less fortunate than her?

It’s a story of challenging sacrifice and exhilarating action. There’s a hint of star-crossed lovers, and subtle against-all-odds sadness. There are twists and turns and adventures and moral dilemmas—basically your usual fare, if it has my name on it.

Simantikon

I absolutely love this world, it’s completely new to me and I had a blast writing it. I can already tell you that it’s inspired other stories from the same universe, and I’m super excited to write these stories and let them free into the world.

There may or may not be more Soren Tallweather and Tabitha Courtney coming in the future as well… we shall see.

Until then, be on the lookout for other Strange Waters stories from the other talented authors in the always-incredible Phoenix Fiction Writers. You can keep tabs on the story reveals as they come in here.

Don’t forget to follow Phoenix Fiction on all the socials!

The Infinity Order - My Marvel Movie Viewing Order

I recently had a kid. Okay, my wife had the kid, but I was there. And I took two weeks off to help bring the child home and settle into this cold world we call life.

Between feedings and nappings and changings and all the fun parenting, my wife and I have been going through the Marvel catalogue to get ready for Endgame. Since I have this awful habit of over-analyzing and overthinking everything, I decided to apply those same powers to this process. I looked at watching them chronologically, but that didn’t really fire me up like I thought it might. Release order was my next stop, but that didn’t do much for me anyway. So I laid out all the facts and the narratives, and applied what I think my preferred order is. The list is below, with explanations where necessary. And now I present The Infinity Order:

Captain Marvel - Obviously this isn’t out to own yet, but it’ll make a great starting point.

Ironman - I know, you’re already upset that I skipped Captain America. We’re getting there. But here is where it really all started. And honestly it holds up better than any of the other phase 1 movies.

Ironman 2 - Picks up where Ironman leaves off. You get to know Fury and Black Widow. Makes sense.

Thor - I loved this movie when it came out. But It hasn’t held up super well. Holy Dutch angle, Batman! Anyway, gives us Thor and a way-too-serious Loki. Oh, and that Clint guy.

The Incredible Hulk** - I almost don’t even consider this canon. Yes, Stark shows up after the credits. Still a terrible movie and Norton sucks as Banner. You can skip. But if you want to watch it, it goes here.

Captain America: The First Avenger - I know what you’re thinking: “The movie takes place in WWII, why would you jump all over the timeline like this?!” (You should know I said that in the Spongebob mocking tone.) Here’s why: You’re wrong. The movie takes place in 2011. The entire film is basically a disguised frame story. We start with the Capsicle discovery, then flashback to the war, and then he wakes up in NYC. Viewing it this way sets us up perfectly to see Cap punch a bag across the room in…

Avengers - We’ve set the stage for the original 6. And this movie is awesome. ‘Nuff said. As for arching narratives, it’s interesting to go back and see the tension from Cap and Ironman build so much even here. They’ve always had a rocky relationship. It’s like Ross and Rachel. I’m waiting for Ironman to yell, “We were on a break!” in Endgame. But, I digress…

Ironman 3 - Picks up with Tony battling his internal demons after almost dying in space.

Thor: The Dark World - Something something infinity stone. Fine movie, I guess. But now we know stuff is getting real. Oh, and The Collector gets his first stone.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Bucky is back! No surprises on the order here.

Avengers: Age of Ultron - What happened to Guardians of the Galaxy, you ask? It felt weird to break up the Avengers narrative with two completely tangential movies. Now yes, we get a bit more Thanos and some Infinity Stone progress, but Phase 2 is kind of all about getting some demons out of the way (or really in the way) to cause some chaos with the climax of the Infinity Saga. Go to Ultron, see more of Cap and Ironman begin to fracture. Oh, and a little tease where Stark says, “That up there, that’s the endgame.”

Guardians of the Galaxy - Now we can meet our new friends from out in the galaxy. And a new Infinity Stone! Plus some of what Thanos has been up to.

Guardians of the Galaxy 2 - While a great movie, this actually doesn’t do much for the Infinity narrative. Which is totally cool. These characters needed some good development and they got it here. Plus, it provides a good breath of fresh air, in my opinion, from the long arc.

Ant-Man - Now we get to meet Scott Lang and Pym and one of the best characters in the MCU. Luis is unbeatable.

Captain America: Civil War - Who are we kidding, this is Avengers 2.5 and it’s awesome. Bucky is back back and good or bad or something who knows, and Cap and Ironman are frenemenies, friends, and finally enemies. It’s actually pretty sad in the whole 22 movie context of everything. Oh, and Black Panther and Spiderman.

Black Panther - Super cool movie. Wakanda forever! Also good to see what Bucky is kinda up to.

Spiderman: Homecoming - I’ve always been a huge Spiderman fan. I liked this one a lot. A good, high school Spiderman doing high school things. Super immature, makes a lot of mistakes, gets the job done anyway. Tony and Happy are great additions. I do wonder how a studio like Marvel can make such a huge continuity error, with the whole “8 Years Later” thing though. Gross.

Doctor Strange - Good movie, sets up Strange to be in Thor: Ragnarok and Infinity War. I do wonder how the entire Earth can be threatened and none of the other Avengers noticed, but hey, I’m not Kevin Feige.

Ant-Man and the Wasp - Now, I struggled with where to place this one. I think I actually watched it before Strange, but thinking about it, it takes place 2 years after Civil War, so maybe it needs a little space. Plus, that mid-credits scene takes place after Infinity War, so it’s admittedly hard to place this film.

Thor: Ragnarok - This also technically happens during or just after Civil War, which places it 2 years before Ant-Man and the Wasp, but to quote the Grandmaster: “Time works real different around these parts.” So though Banner has been Hulk for 2 years, we can maybe assume time has passed differently by the time they get to Asgard? The reason I place it after Ant-Man and the Wasp is because the mid-credits scene here takes us straight to the start of Infinity War (because Sakaar time is wonky, I guess).

Avengers: Infinity War - Finally, we made it! Good work team! We pick up right where Ragnarok leaves off, eventually catching up to the Guardians, and Cap and Ironman are still on a break. Spiderman gets stuck in space and somehow that’s not the meaning of “Far From Home” even though it totally should be. Anyway, you’ve made it this far. Now we’re in the Endgame.

Now, do I claim to have all the answers? No. Admittedly, I may be off on some of the timelines. But I think this order provides a great context for the Infinity narrative as a whole.

I will say I had a great time finding all this new little threads and beads that just take the movies to the next level for me. For example, the choir during the parody drama scene in Thor: Ragnarok is actually singing the score that was behind that same scene in Thor: The Dark World, which makes it even more hilarious to me. So good.

Anyway, there you have it. Have a different viewing order? Can’t wait to tell me I’m wrong? Let me know in the comments!

Contaminated Meat: Fact and Fiction

I love fiction that blurs the lines of reality. That’s why I’m drawn to authors like Michael Crichton who do a great job of writing not only great fiction, but fiction that is grounded in the “could be”.

This love often bleeds into how I write. I love to research and learn and really dig into subjects and then write about their speculative future. I am constantly inspired by how unreal the real world often seems. The term “stranger than fiction” comes to mind.

That same idea ran through my head almost two years ago when I first heard about Chronic Wasting Disease.

I don’t like where this is going.

Chronic Wasting Disease

It was a casual Sunday lunch. A family member told me about this disease that could make deer hunting a thing of the past. The disease is fascinating, infecting mostly deer, though hogs can be carriers. But it is equal parts mysterious in that we don’t know how it could affect humans.

My mind ran wild.

You see, Chronic Wasting Disease is a prion disease, which means proteins in the brain fold in abnormal ways that lead to brain damage, loss of neural function, and eventually death. Through the process of this disease effectively rendering the brain useless, the neural processes end up doing some weird things. So naturally, my imagination went to zombies.

What If?

I started to imagine what might happen if the disease spread to people, say, from hunting. What might that look like? What would a zombie deer outbreak really mean?

Everyone in the south hunts. Well, almost everyone. So I imagine a world in which the affected southern states quickly degenerate into chaos as zombies take hold and the government institutes a quarantine. The long incubation periods mean the disease can spread considerably before being noticed.

Enter, Venison.

I wanted to explore a world after CWD has struck. Two friends of high school age stuck in the backwoods of Oklahoma, avoiding zombies and crazy folk, just looking for somewhere safe to land. It’s a fun story, but fiction, right?

Maybe.

Recently, interest in Chronic Wasting Disease, or CWD, has taken a massive uptick on the heels of new information. CWD has spread wildly, now found in deer populations of over 20 states. Still little is known about the disease, however, so we need to study it. The major concern is whether it can spread to humans through consumption of infecting meat. The answer from the scientific community is a resounding maybe.

Presumably just before posing for an awkward picture on the CDC front lawn. See, they’re baffled.

Some researchers do think it likely that we will see infected humans in the coming years, which is a scary prospect. In fact, Michael Osterholm from the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota said, "If Stephen King could write an infectious disease novel, he would write about prions like this."

I’m no Stephen King, but I gave it my best shot.

So far, humans are in the clear. But that could change any season. Let’s just hope this fear stays firmly in the realm of fiction.

Back to the Fantasy

So the title was supposed to kind of be a play on Back to the Future, but it doesn’t really work. Anyway, I’m too stubborn to change it, so that’s what you get. You’re welcome.

What I’m working on

I’m taking a brief hiatus from my sci-fi stuff and Venison to jump back into an old love of mine: fantasy.

In 2017 a friend and I wrote the first foray into a fantasy world we’d been dreaming up. We ended up writing a short little novella that we hoped would set the stage for bigger things. But after we finished and released it, it never felt quite right.

I think I grew impatient and just wanted to get something out there as fast as I could (first release jitters, I guess?) I think my writing partner would’ve been content to take our time and write the best book we could’ve, and I should have listened to him.

Regardless, it’s been on my list for some time to go back and fix that, and I’ve recently been super inspired, so now it’s time to tell the rest of the story.

Legend of Varya

The land of Aeda is an ancient country with lots of history and a little mystery. Varya is the power that binds creation. Found in five major elements: fire, air, water, earth, and lightning, those with the ability to wield such power are known as Varyans, but they are more rumor and legend than anything.

This is a place with a rich history I’ve loved exploring and can’t wait to bring to you over the years! It’s something I’m really excited about, so look for more updates soon!

New outlining method

I’ve seen this pop up a few times recently in the circles I follow, and I think my newest project is the perfect place to try it.

With my current WIP, I’m going to try and outline with index cards. Each card gets a scene, from beginning to end. I’m a pantser by nature, but I think with a little more structure, I won’t have to spin my wheels as much. Especially with something as broad and sweeping as fantasy can be. I want to lay everything out in front of me and really wrap my head around it.

I’ll let you know if it works for me and what my thoughts are soon. It may revolutionize my process. Or it may be a total flop. We shall see!

Ready for some things

My goal is still to blog and update more this year, I just need to get in the habit of it, which is way easier said than done. Either way, we’ll get there! I look forward to a productive, book-filled 2019!

New Year: Time to Rearrange

I sometimes get stuck. For example, remember that time I said I was going to start blogging regularly and being more active? Yeah that last like 2 weeks and then I disappeared from the face of writing earth for 2 months.

Turns out the holidays are busy.

But it also turns out it’s hard to produce when things feel stale.

What do you mean stale?

You know the feeling. When you just can’t seem to get the wheels spinning and you can’t quite put a reason to it. It’s like trying to walk underwater.

It’s not as easy as it looks.

You just feel suffocated. The air is stale and heavy. Like the world is collapsing around you and you don’t know how to get anything done.

Okay, maybe that’s a little dramatic, but if you’re a recovering perfectionist workaholic like me, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

But even if you’re not, I have a trick that will help you get the juices flowing again and have you up and producing in no time!

One of my favorite life hacks

Rearrange.

It’s that easy. Honestly, it’s a great way to jump start the mind.

Once I year at work, I love to completely rearrange my office. I move my desk to a different spot, move a shelf or a file cabinet, even just rearrange what’s on the walls. It’s like a breath of fresh air. In fact, it does a lot of things.

When you make a change, it gives your brain permission to explore. Now, I hate change as much as the next control freak, but there’s something to this. In fact, Psychology Today has an article discussing this idea. One of the great points the article makes is that “meaningful hand use elevates mood.”

Give your hands something to do, and your brain will thank you for it.

There’s also this effect of having a blank canvas to explore. It seems like when I make an organizational change, my mind runs wild with discovering all the new facets of it. But the effect can be replicated on a much smaller scale.

Sleep upside down

No, not like this

Sometimes when I feel like I just need something new and fresh, I’ll put my pillows on the other side of my bed, so my feet are now where my head usually is. Yeah, it’s weird. Some of you OCD folk just got really uncomfortable, but it works.

Yeah, sometimes I wake up super confused, but I feel like it just gives my brain permission to see things differently. To reset and approach things with a fresh eye. It’s small, it’s weird, and it probably doesn’t work for everyone.

When you’re stuck and feel like things just aren’t firing, try to rearrange. And if you can’t do that, sleep upside down.

A nano NaNo - My November Challenge

I’ve never really taken part in NaNoWriMo. For a lot of reasons, but for one, that thing is daunting. And it’s not that I don’t like setting goals or I’m afraid to dream big. Shoot, a big chunk of my blogs include where I’m at and how much I’m missing my goals.

I love goals. Goals are super important. I’ll probably have a post soon about goals and all that, but this is about November for moi.

Flash Fiction

My challenge to myself this year is to write a 100-word short story every day. Or at least, I want 30 of the stories finished by the end of the month. I have plans for the stories that you’ll see after awhile, but that’s the basics of my goal.

“Gee, Cameron, 3,000 words is way shorter than 40,000 words, why don’t you want to try?”

First off, hey, be nice. Secondly, this will pose a real challenge because for one week I’ll be pretty much completely out of pocket, and another week will be Thanksgiving, so I’ll be spending more time with family than anything else.

It’s also harder than it seems to tell a good story in just 100 words.

Think about it. I have just 100 words to show a compelling character, deep world, interesting conflict, and provide a somewhat satisfying resolution or at least an ending that doesn't seem clipped. It’s not super easy. That’s 7 to 10 sentences. That translates to:

A couple sentences of setting

A sentence or two to introduce a character

A sentence to bring a conflict

A couple sentences to deal with the conflict

And a sentence to close out the narrative

There’s not much to work with. So the challenge then is in working out just how to deliver the most information in the most efficient way. Often, a single sentence or statement will tell loads about the world. It’ll be a lot of fun figuring out how to do exactly that.

So there it is. That’s my NaNo goal, if you will. I’m excited to dive in and see what I can come up with.

Plus, I’ll be continuing in the world of Venison getting ready for Season 2, and of course the release of Chomp the Halls toward the end of the month. A lot of fun things going on, and I can’t wait to dive in!

PS. I’ve been doing some fun things over on my Instagram, so be sure to give a follow! I think you’ll like what you see!

Silence in The Machine

The first thing he noticed was the sound. Or rather, the complete lack thereof.

Amos was fifteen going on twenty-five. And for every single one of those fifteen years, the constant droning of The Machine had been the soundtrack of his life.

“What’s that?” Marlon said.

Amos held a finger up to his lips. The silence was new. But that wasn’t the only thing.

Shouting. From above. The metallic echoes were almost imperceptible, and would have remained hidden if not for the absence of The Machine.

“I’m scared,” Marlon said, tugging on Amos’s tunic. Marlon was his little brother, only eleven but almost the same size as Amos. He was a big teddy bear: tender despite his size.

“I’m sure it’s fine.” Amos crept toward the bulkhead at the end of their Broom.

“Where are you going?” Marlon asked.

Amos ignored him and poked his head from the opening. Other workers poked their buzzed heads out, wide eyes darting this way and that.

The cramped space was dim. Rusty metal walls soared upward while oxidized green pipe traced shapes on every wall and up to the ceiling high above. The walls almost seemed to glitter as they sweat grease and grime—the dirty result of keeping the boilers running at all times.

Until they’d stopped.

“Back in your Brooms!” Nasty Nyal screamed from the railing above them. His long black hair hung in a greasy mess over his shoulder as spittle dripped from his lips. He rapped on the metal with his bully stick. “In your Brooms now, don’t make me ask again.”

Each worker tugged their head back into their own Brooms. The BunkRooms each held two workers, usually siblings. Or so they were told. Amos had his suspicions because he and Marlon looked nothing alike. As if the difference in size wasn’t enough, Marlon had pale white skin and blonde hair, while Amos had skin of umber and black hair.

Siblings.

Even still, Amos treated Marlon like a brother. The only family either of them ever knew was each other.

More yelling from above. Not Nyal, even further than that.

Amos had always suspected there could be more than the boilers and The Machine and Nyal, but he’d never known for sure.

Three Brooms down, something hit metal with a loud clang and someone screamed. “Oy! Cut it!” Nyal shouted.

Sobbing from down the hall.

“I’ll come down there if I have to,” Nyal said. Amos hoped he wouldn’t.

Two Brooms away, the sounds of fighting started. Punches and kicks and yelling and cursing. Marlon whimpered next to Amos.

A new sound, louder than almost anything Amos had ever heard. Louder even than The Machine.

Three years before, on Amos’s twelfth birthday, The Machine nearly broke. The loud rumble had turned into a heavy rocking sound. Even the floor itself had rocked and bucked. The Machine rocked louder and louder until all the workers held their ears.

Nasty Nyal had tugged on his earmuffs and barked orders to the workers. Not that any could hear it. The Machine was far too loud.

Then another noise came, followed by heat and fire. Nyal had called it an explosion.

One valve had rocked out of the casing and the whole thing exploded. That was when Amos learned The Machine was far bigger than he’d ever imagined.

His part of The Machine had stopped, but the sound from beyond the walls was still a deafening roar, his own Machine’s silence barely noticeable.

Now all The Machines slept.

But then, another explosion. Not from inside the boilers, from beyond the walls. From what Amos had heard whispers of something called The Outside.

He couldn’t help himself, he peered out of his Broom to see what was going on.

Nyal screamed. He came down from the railing and yelled at the workers. He banged his bully stick on everything he could find and told everyone to stay in their Brooms.

Then he froze. Purple light crackled around his eyes and teeth and he fell, sweaty body shaking on the rusty floor.

Behind Amos, Marlon wailed in terror.

“It will be okay,” a smooth voice cut into the air. A woman held her hand up to Amos. Behind her, a bright blue light filled the hallway. Men and women wearing gray poured into the boiler and pulled workers from their Brooms.

Amos screamed and backed away, pushing Marlon back into their Broom. He wouldn’t let them get his brother.

“I’ll get these,” the woman said as she appeared in the opening, looking over her shoulder at a man with goggles. She looked Amos right in the eyes, her own eyes a fiery shade of purple. “I promise, we’re friends.”

“What do you want with us?” Amos asked, standing between her and Marlon.

“I want you to be free.”

Amos stared at her, waiting for her to convince him.

“I won’t let them hurt you or your brother anymore.”

“How do you know—”

“There’s so much I want to show you. What’s your name?”

Amos looked at Marlon. His brother’s eyes were wide, but he nodded. He seemed to trust the woman.

“Amos. My name is Amos.”

The woman nodded with a pleasant smile. “Nice to meet you Amos. I’m Aliya. Can I show you something? I’m your friend, I promise.”

Friend? Amos didn’t have friends. He had his brother, and that was all. She held her hand out to him, her purple eyes cradling a playful sparkle.

Reluctantly, Amos took her hand. She led him out of his Broom and down the corridor past Nyal’s sleeping body. Toward the blue light. His heart raced. He’d never seen anything so bright.

She must’ve noticed his squinting, because she waved her friend over and took his goggles. “Wear these,” she said and placed them on Amos’s head.

His vision darkened, but he was immediately able to see into the blue light. He gasped as he noticed it wasn’t a light at all. It was another room. But this one larger than any he’d seen before.

His pulse raced as she led him to the opening. The room stretched out endlessly beyond. Jagged shapes marked the distance, a sharp edge between the blue above and the gray below. Sky. This must be what they’d called sky.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Aliya said.

Amos couldn’t bring himself to speak. He looked down and his world spun. The room—the outside—stretched far below him. His head swam, dizzy.

“Easy,” Aliya said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “It’s a long way down, but it’s worth the climb. When you come with us, you will be free.”

It had never occurred to him, but Amos realized he’d always wanted that. He’d always wanted it for Marlon. And for himself, he just wanted to truly see.

The New Hotness

It’s been quiet… too quiet.

I have this weird disease where I constantly have new ideas I want to try and do and make happen, but I only ever get like 13% into them before some other shiny object steals my attention and I chase after that instead. I think it’s called cystic fibrosis or something.

I’ve always had these dreams of keeping a consistent blog going and releasing content on the regular and I still love that idea, but also I have a kid now so that’s easier said than done, but here I am, ready to try again!

SO, here are my new goals, laid out for all the world to make fun of me here in about 3 weeks when I’ve dropped all of them.

Why Goals Now?

Good point. It’s the middle of October. Nobody sets goals in the middle of October, unless they’re candy or Hocus-Pocus-Marathon related. Don’t worry, I have those, too.

I like setting goals before New Years so that by the time the new year hits, I’m in full stride and I can use the new year fervor to light a fire and keep up momentum. I should say that I like the idea of doing that, because I haven’t actually done it yet. But I’ve thought about it for the last few years. Why not try it now?

First, the News!

Venison Season 2 is coming. Probably sooner than I’d like to admit to myself, because I’m not ready (never ready). But it’ll be coming first thing in the new year. Looks like it’ll be coming in at 22 episodes, which is almost double last season’s count!

Here’s what’s really different:

I’ll be publishing on Patreon. I feel like I may have just heard a collective groan, but hear me out. The reward tier to read the serial episodes is just $1 per month! Aaaand the episodes will be weekly, so that means you get each episode for 25 cents. That’s super duper cheap. That’s like, 1920s comic books cheap.

Aaaaaand…

I’ll be releasing one free short story each month right here on the ole website. Some will likely be tie-ins to other universes, some may be fun little standalone pieces, maybe even the occasional fanfic if I’m feeling saucy. Each new short story will release on the last Friday of the month.

That’s my goal. Which brings us to…

The Goalzzz

I’m going to try and get back to weekly blogs. Even if they're tiny little 300 word jobs. Just getting words out there will be huge for me. I’ll do 3-4 blogs a month, and fill in the dead spots with short stories.

That means a lot of juicy goodness for you to read. So buckle up, buttercup.