The Catch-Up

Wow, things have been kind of busy here!

Since my last post, I’ve: Had one of my short stories was accepted for publication in The Sword & Laser Anthology! I wasn’t expecting that one at all. The nice thing about submitting to places early and having to wait until the deadline hits and then wait during the decision process is that eventually you push the thought to the back of your mind. Then you get to be surprised by a very nice email in your inbox. We’re working on the copyedits now with a deadline of November 1st. No official publication date yet, but I’ll let you guys know when I do.

The story they picked up is called A Good Man, and (without giving too much away), it’s about two brothers who love each other very much but don’t always see eye to eye. Oh, and of course there’s a crippling addiction to a toxic magic, a fight for a crown, and dragons, too. Can’t forget that!

finished the unexpected-YA-contemporary novella that I started. From page one, I didn’t know exactly where it was going. Now, that’s not totally abnormal for me. My way of plotting could be described as minimal (but would be more accurately described as “hand to mouth” — I know what’s going to happen a page or two before it happens, with the exception of big things.)

But still, it was kind of a whirlwind in that I had no idea exact what it was. I’m still not sure I do. It’s not a genre I usually write, so I’m letting it sit in the back of my mind and take shape. Once I figure it out, I’ll be taking another pass and we’ll see what it turns into.

Since I can’t really describe it, I’ll do the next best thing and give you a song as an idea of what I was listening to while writing it:

Played some D&D! Wow, it has been a long time since I got to play Dungeons & Dragons. I finally got together with a group of internet-friends and started up a campaign. Even cooler: since we’re doing this online, we can make the maps for the game look like whatever we want. When a friend showed me a tutorial on how to make the game look like a classic SNES RPG, I pretty much had to.

It was like jumping into a swimming pool of nostalgia.  What’s not to like about that?

New Project! Oh yeah, I also started something new after finishing the novella. Things have been a little… wonky in the area of getting started, but that’s not exactly abnormal. The beginning is always the roughest. I’m on my way to working out the bugs, though, and soon I hope to be cruising along with it.

The pitch: Necromancy, stranded in a castle, ghosts, and a play. Super vague, just the way I like it.

You can have a song for what I’ve been listening to while writing that one, too:

Phew! I told you it’s been busy around here.

I’ll get some new book talk posts up soon. I’ve been reading a lot of books that I’m really excited to delve into and talk to you guys about! (Like Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan and The Blood Knight by Greg Keyes!)

Filed under: Life, Writing