I'm Writing, Are You?

I was sitting here in my office, getting ready to work on my second novel, when it occurred to me:  I haven’t posted a blog in weeks.  This is not an epiphany.  It’s something I consider nearly every day along with inquiries about strange growths on my head and research about elevated caffeine levels in the blood stream.  I’m not well.

Disregarding my deteriorating mental and physical condition, I decided there were two options available to me.  I could either write a blog post, or I could ignore it for another stretch of time.  It may come as no surprise to you–since you’re currently reading this post–that my decision was to make more coffee, paint my toenails, light some charcoal for the grill, and write a blog post.

Here’s the good news:  I’ve been working.

I know.  A writer who writes!?  Who-da thunk?  In my case, it’s worth mentioning because I do go through dark bouts of  inactivity.  It’s not writer’s block.  I don’t know what it is to be honest.  What I do know is I stop writing and it can go on for months at a time.  The most recent spell lasted from late autumn of 2012 until mid winter of 2013.

Sure, I’ll hammer out a few words now and then.  I might even finish a story or two.  But I don’t submit them and no one would ever want to read them.  The only upshot to this most recent dark period is that I happened to have two or three writing projects in the works.  Little projects that were going on behind the scenes without any need of my participation. One such project was the recently published audio-version of my story, “Morning Espresso at the Church of Me.”  (Free to listen to if you have the time).  Another project is an unannounced shared world anthology, wherein one of my stories appears.  (More on this in the coming weeks).

About two months ago, everything shifted again, and I’m back to daily writing.  The thing that helped incite this shift was the offer of a new project, which actually turned out being a set of projects.  One half of this deal is an anthology, and the other half is a novella.

It’s still too early to talk about these releases in detail, but I can say this:  The anthology is a go, and should be released before summer’s end.  My novella is complete (in first draft form), but I’m not yet sure if it will definitely be published.  That, I will find out soon.

There is of course, one other anthology that I’m a part of that I can announce (and have spoken about before).  The anthology is part of Evil Girlfriend Media’s “Three Little Words” series, and is entitled Roms, Bombs, and Zoms.  The story appearing in it is a co-written work (with Monique Snyman), entitled “I’ve got you Under my Skin.”  The table of contents has been announced, and it has a tentative release date of late fall.

With all of these projects buzzing about, there is one last thing I need to complete.  Something that has been a thorn in my side for way too long.

My second novel, tentatively titled, The Shadows of Flies.

I’m working on it again, and after four years, it WILL BE COMPLETED this summer.  This, I swear.

In the meantime, while you await new work, don’t forget the bevy of free offerings on my site, as well as the very cheap and highly rated short story collection Welcome to Moon Hill, and my equally enjoyable debut novel Soundtrack to the End of the World.  I can’t tell you how much your support helps move small-time writers like me forward.  It keeps us writing and shows us that there is someone on the other side of that blank, white page.

Until next time, don’t look behind you.