SYSTEMS UPDATE: Sprung

Winter, such as it was, has passed through and is now on vacation somewhere else. Spring is already warmer here than it should be by at least 10 degrees every night and day and that’s worrisome. Robert Heinlein said:

I think that science fiction, even the corniest of it, even the most outlandish of it, no matter how badly it’s written, has a therapeutic value because all of it has as its primary postulate: THAT THE WORLD DOES CHANGE.

I cannot overemphasize the importance of that idea.

“The Discovery of the Future,” Guest of Honor Speech, 3rd World Science Fiction Convention, Denver, Colorado (4 July 1941)

I hope he’s right. Because it’s changed a couple of times and not enough of us seems interested in getting the world back to a state that’ll be liveable for more than a couple generations.

Hi, I’m Jason. Your bright ray of sunshine.

Organ of Record

So let me give you some good news, eh? My third self-published book, The Envoy, dropped in July and has, to date, sold in every single month since its release. I’m overjoyed at this! It’s not a bestseller and it’s not nearly enough to encourage me to quit my day job but it’s a good sign. Plus just yesterday I heard from a reader who’s nearly done reading it that their palms were sweaty after reading one of the big action scenes. That’s a really nice compliment.

I also heard again from someone over the weekend that they were anxiously awaiting the follow-up. I’m still looking at early summer to release MASQUE, the Second of All the Devils Are Here despite having to do a page one rewrite. I found that, in revisions, I was doing more work to fix things that I’d pantsed in the drafting than it would be to just start over. So.

I’ve gone back and done all the outlining, plotting, world-building, and character sketches I should have done in the first place and am knee-deep in rewriting. Not be all braggy about it but I think it’s already miles ahead of the initial draft and you all are going to be pleased. This is a biography of the enigmatic leader of the Kashone people imprisoned on Earth. It details his struggles to keep agents of the Sah Empire from scuttling his plans to get his people home as well as his own trials and tribulations. I’m pretty sure if you liked The Envoy, you’re going to like this one. Watch for a cover reveal in May.

This book is changing my process quite a bit as I’m already doing the work ahead for the third book in the series. So, if I’m doing this writer thing correctly, you might see the next installment after Masque in six or seven months instead of nearly a year. Stay tuned.

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Planet Comicon 2024

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of Planet Comicon this year was a real blast. I’d made the difficult decision not to table on my own but was offered the opportunity to guest star with my friends Kevin Dilmore and Dayton Ward which I took advantage of on Saturday. The show was overwhelming (and there were numerous problems because of it) with ALL the people in attendance but my experiences with the con staff and volunteers were amazing and the patience by the staff in the hall was exemplary. I hope Bartle Hall works out the plumbing issues and collaborates with cellular providers to provide better service inside which is affected by so many being there. Vendors and their customers will be so appreciative of those efforts. 

It was so busy I heard tales of people spending nearly an entire day in line to meet celebrities if they got to them at all. The restrooms were overrun and there were reports of insanely long lines and non-working toilets on the ladies’ side and just getting in took some folks three or more hours, we heard. Not everything that went wrong was the show’s fault (see: parking and plumbing problems) and if one is frustrated and/or angry and looking for things to be angry about there was plenty for them to chew on. But overall, it was a HUGE show the likes of which we’ve never seen in KC.

I got to hang out with friends I’ve been tabling next to for nearly a decade, and I am so grateful to Kevin and Dayton for hosting me for the day. Being a part of the show as an exhibitor trying to turn people on to my books is one of the highlights of my year. And every year I get to meet and connect with readers and fellow creators and I feel more and more a part of the community of creatives in KC. This year, I got a message from Stephanie Hansen at Metamorphosis Literary Agency asking if I would be available to moderate a panel of authors and that is ALWAYS a terrific experience. Not only do I get to meet new people, but I get to be part of the conversation about how books get made. I’m still jazzed that Stephanie thought enough of me to ask if I could help. 

My con was a great experience. I wish I’d been able to be there on Sunday but hey, there’s always next year. Congratulations to everyone involved and I hope you all get a well-deserved rest. Looking forward to 2025!

At Capacity

One of the things that gets overlooked when giving advice on how to break in as a creative is making connections. Meeting people doesn’t always have to be about ‘what can you do for me?’ things and it shouldn’t be. You want to connect with like-minded folks who get invested in your success over time because they like you and your work. I am not nearly the raconteur I’d like to be and I’m often not very clever. I joke that my first drafts of comments are almost always a wreck and in person that translates into awkwardness. I never want anyone in a conversation to be uncomfortable, including me, so that imposter syndrome hangs on.

But recently I’ve felt like, with the relative success of The Envoy, I’m more confident than I’ve been in years. I feel like I’m a pretty good writer and every once in a while I land a particularly good section of writing and that’s something I wouldn’t have said ten years ago. This doesn’t mean anything is going to my head and I’m not looking to keep improving, it only means that I know that I’m capable. Once I find my audience, they’ll know it, too.

Be good to one another, friends. It’s going to be a weird year with a repeat election scrum that’ll be just as important as the last three were. As bad as it may get, it’s not new and we know how to deal with it now. Take care of yourself first before caring for others, and don’t engage with trolls whose only goal is to make your day worse. Find escape or solace in your favorite things and come back rejuvenated.

Until next time. I’ll see you when I see you.