A few months ago, I decided that I would see about posting here weekly. At least a collection of memes to keep things going, but - hopefully! - also articles on what I was learning about writing. So I’d be writing about writing. As this post is a discussion of that process, well, it’s getting meta. Turtles all the way down, as Sir Pterry would say.
So, what has been going on, you ask?
Well, quite aside from the usual holiday hustle and bustle, I realized I had a lot on my plate. When I last put down something about my progress on Salvage Run, I had multiple anthologies I wanted to submit to. Rather than shrink, that has actually grown, and a few of those deadlines were end-of-month. So I did what I needed to do, put my head down, and did some writing. Oh, and some reading/critiquing as well, because if you want feedback on your own stories, you have to be willing to give your writing group a slice of your time in return.
I managed to get two stories out in that time. “Pard”, a SF space cowboy tale that I hope will be accepted for an anthology. “Highwayman” is a kind of “buddy cop” fantasy story that I submitted for a contest. Both were completed and shipped off before their respective deadlines. I’ve also finished a third story, a fantasy humor piece titled “Harrold of the Gods”. I will submit that to a professional market this weekend, provided I can solve a minor issue…
After that, I need to finish “Carry Job” (fantasy meets pro wrestling), “Down Among the Dead Men” (fantasy noir), “Salvage Run” (SF space eldritch), and possibly a few others. It’s going to be a busy month!
Once all that’s out of the way, I will most likely wade into editing and revising a novel. Yeah, that will happen around the new year. So call it a resolution. One I made last year as well, but hey, better late than never, right?
I intend to include a couple of blog articles in that mix as well. I mentioned my writer’s group earlier. There are some really great people there, and I am learning quite a bit from their feedback. I’m especially happy that I’m starting to build up a checklist of “things to look for” when doing an initial editing pass. I’ll talk more about that in the coming weeks.
In the meantime…
Looking for something to read this holiday season?
Or perhaps a gift idea for the readers on your list?
STREET MAGIC will be part of the Urban Fantasy "Paperbacks for the Holidays" sale, running for the next three weeks (Nov 21 - Dec 12)!
This award-winning collection of urban fantasy stories includes "Gone Fishing", my story about a kelpie hunt along the Monongahela river in Pittsburgh.
Check it out! Along with STREET MAGIC, the sale includes over two dozen other paranormal and urban fantasy novels from just as many writers. Treat yourself to mystery and magic this holiday season!
