A Solid Start to 2023

Now Playing: KILLER by Eminem
Just Read: BILLY SUMMERS by Stephen King--A fun story, another about a writer but this one with a kind of unique twist that inspired some ideas in my own writing. 
Reading Now: LAST ARGUMENT OF KINGS by Joe Abercrombie

This year is off to a good start!

I had my first publication in ages this month with my story "Swatted" appearing in Metastellar Magazine. The link is on the left hand side of the page. Please check it out--it's a quick read, maybe 5 pages--and let me know what you think, either here on my blog or on Twitter at @dmmiller4000. 

I've begun to be more active in the Wulf Pack Writers Group, critiquing other writers' story openings and doing some exercises that I never took the time to do before. This has helped me stay vigilant with the word counts and the submissions in a way that I haven't since the old days of Write1Sub1 back in the early 2010s. 

I'm hoping this year to keep up the production of short stories while also editing a novel manuscript that has been on hold while I finished my degree and had a baby who is now 3 months old and sleeping well. It's an ambitious goal, but I like pushing myself and having goals outside of my capability. I believe that keeping this up will help me get better faster, keep my productivity high, and find success sooner. 

Back to the grind! 

Favorite Month for Writing

Now Playing: GIVES YOU HELL by All-American Rejects
Just Read: THEFT OF SWORDS by Michael J. Sullivan--A fun adventure novel with some intriguing characters and magic. I enjoyed the second half a lot, which was a mystery about a terrible beast. Page-turning!
Reading Now: IRON GOLD by Pierce Brown

I've come to think November is my favorite month for writing. 

Lots of reasons--first, it's NaNoWriMo and the writing community is alive and energized. I've completed NaNo twice, and have two novels that I love because of it. One day I will come back to them. They read like early attempts at novels, but I still think the stories are good. 

But something in the air is different in November, too. Maybe it's the changing seasons, how the weather gets colder and the days darker, that sparks some creativity. Something about the changing of a daily rhythm, perhaps, that gets the thoughts flowing. When I walk outside, the air seems more magical in November than any other month, and I find myself wanting to capture that feeling in a story. 

Along those lines, there's something creepy about November. It is heralded by Halloween. Life all around is dying slowly for winter. Heat escapes from my area of the planet. Every year I want to read Stephen King stories this time of year. (I'm catching up on some of his early work.) He's been one of my favorite writers my whole life, and reading him always makes me want to write. 

So I've been hard at it, usually while holding my newborn son (YAYYY!!!!) and have been submitting a few stories, as well. I also have some good publishing news to share soon! It's the kind of news I hope to have more of before long. Hope your writing is going well, too!

Don't Be Hard on Yourself, Self

Now Playing: IT'S A LONG WAY TO THE TOP  by AC/DC
Just Read: 61 HOURS by Lee Child--Another great example of how to keep the tension up, the questions asked, and the pace page-turning. Probably my favorite thriller series. 
Reading Now: THEFT OF SWORDS by Michael J. Sullivan

It's been a lovely start to fall! 

I graduated with my doctorate and took about a month to unwind and not worry about too much, including writing. I've been looking forward to getting all that time back, but it turns out I was more tired after my program than I was expecting. 

But I'm trying to not bee too hard on myself. That's difficult for me--I'm notoriously self-critical. If I haven't written much in a short period of time, I tend to get a little antsy and irritable, and I'm definitely feeling some of that, but trying to give myself grace and remind myself that I just finished the culmination of my education. 

Next month we will be welcoming our second baby boy, so time will probably disappear once more. Again, I'm going to (try to!) be easy on myself and not get mad when I haven't written a story every week. I know I won't have time for NaNoWriMo again this year, and that's okay. It's much more important to me to enjoy time with my newborn and family. 

On the other hand, I have a lot of story ideas in mind, was able to submit to the WotF Contest before the September deadline, and am almost done with a book about outlining novels, which I think will be a fun way to scratch the writing itch while rocking a baby to sleep. 

Ever onward! 

Outlining in my Future

Now Playing: THAT'S NOT MY NAME by The Ting Tings 
Just Read: BLUE MARS by Kim Stanley Robinson--A satisfying ending to a long trilogy about terraforming Mars and the relationships of the people who do so. 
Reading Now: NOTHING TO LOSE by Lee Child

Another quarter has passed, another story written, another submission to the Writers of the Future Contest.

Success! 

It's been busy, what with finishing my doctorate in August, herding a toddler every day, and caring for a wife just coming out of her first trimester (woohoo!). But it is important to me to get a submission into this contest every quarter, and I did so, and I think it's a good one. I always think they're good, but you know. Still waiting to hear back from last quarter's submission. 

In other news, I have some edits back for a novel manuscript I haven't been able to get to, but maybe I'll find some time this month, between finishing a final project for one class and analyzing data I just got in for another class. There's certainly no end on the to-do list! 

I do have a fun plan for the next six months, though. Once I'm through with my classes, I'm going to read a book about outlining novels, then use what I learn to outline at least three novels I've been stewing over for the last two years. They are all largely formed in my head, but I think getting an introduction to effective outlining will help me flesh them out. This in turn (I hope!) will make the actual composition come easily. Wish me luck! 

Stories in Bloom

Now Playing: IN BLOOM by Nirvana
Just Read: TROUBLED BLOOD by Robert Galbraith--Such an intricate book, so much so that at times it was difficult to keep up. A main mystery and half a dozen ancillary mysteries, lots of liars, the knotted plotting this author is known for. Overall I greatly enjoyed it, though it took me some time to get there. 
Reading Now: BLUE MARS by Kim Stanley Robinson 

The second quarter of the Writers of the Future Contest just passed, with me submitting on the last possible day yet again. But I submitted! And that's the important part--you can't win if you don't write and submit.  I'm actually really pleased with the way this story turned out. It's been a year in the making, ever since I went on vacation last spring to the Outer Banks and learned a little bit about the Lost Colony of Roanoke. Three of the five stories I've been working on lately have been historical fantasy, which isn't necessarily my forte, but I've really enjoyed writing them. 

This WotF experience may be different than any before. Sadly, David Farland, the coordinating judge and writer of much epic fiction, passed away in January. Though I'd never met him, his death struck me. I'd always dreamed of learning from him in person, at the WotF winners' week, and now I'll never have that chance. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I've actually learned an extraordinary amount from him already. His advice in the WotF books, his videos on YouTube, and his Zoom meetings where he answered participants' questions (including mine!) were all incredibly helpful. His generosity to new writers is hard to quantify. I hope to be able to give back in a similar way one day. Even without meeting him, I will miss him. 

This week was the winners' week, and Friday was the awards gala, and another year passed without me being there. I expressed to my wife how depressing that was. I've been submitting to this contest for almost half my life! But she pointed out that I have only gone one quarter in the last several years without winning at least an Honorable Mention, and I've won four Silver Honorable Mentions--a reassuring sign that my fiction is indeed improving in quality, despite feeling sometimes like I'm banging my head against a brick wall. Nothing to do but keep writing and keep submitting. 

In other news, I'm working on edits for a novel manuscript I received in March. They have been super helpful--if daunting--so far, and I'm hopeful to finish another polished draft perhaps by the end of May, when this current doctoral semester is over and I have a little more time to dedicate to it. Lots on my plate! But honestly, it's been fun--it feels like I have a dozen stories in bloom this spring, and I'm excited to see where they go. 

Subject to Inertia

Now Playing: PARTICLE MAN by They Might Be Giants
Just Read: THE EVENING AND THE MORNING by Ken Follett--Another great one. I really enjoy the way his books unfold and would love to do something similar on a sci-fi/fantasy scale. He does such a good job of making you hate the villains!
Reading Now: BLACK SUN by Rebecca Roanhorse

As part of my class on leadership this semester, we've been reading this book called Deep Change by Robert Quinn. Basically, it's about undergoing a (frequently painful) major revision of culture or self in order to accomplish growth and improvement, and to get off of a slow death spiral that ends in misery or collapse for yourself or your organization.

It's made me think about this concept of inertia--an object in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted on by an outside force, and the same is true with objects at rest. Does the concept apply to people as well? I definitely go through fits and spurts of productivity, with writing and lots of other areas of my life. I sometimes realize I have been stuck at rest and need something to act upon me and give me a jumpstart. Usually it is something I read that inspires me, like a particularly good story or novel that I want to be like, and then I'm off again for a while.

So as the new year gets underway in earnest, I'm trying to think about how I can make productivity a habit. I might have to undergo some deep change to do it, like giving up staying up late and eating and drinking unhealthily, and instead wake up early and exercise and write when I'm the most energized. I've never been a morning person, but I've always wanted to be--maybe this can be the moment. I'm off to a good start so far, and if I can build some inertia, I think I can produce some good stories this year.  

Oh How I Miss NaNoWriMo!

Now Playing: INSIDE THE FIRE by Disturbed
Just Read: GREEN MARS by Kim Stanley Robinson--Tons and tons of sci-fi worldbuilding that really got me thinking about my own worldbuilding skills, especially beyond the physical. So much politics! 
Reading Now: THE EVENING AND THE MORNING by Ken Follett

Congratulations to all you NaNoWriMo winners out there! 

I've won NaNoWriMo twice, and both times were amazing experiences. I loved the feeling of being submerged in the story, thinking about it all day for a month, and writing writing writing alongside so many peers. The community on Twitter was inspiring and really helped push me to get to 50,000 words. 

This November, I had to focus on my doctoral project, so I didn't have the time to dedicate to NaNoWriMo. But following along on Twitter made me remember sitting up late at my desk, listening to music from a hundred different film scores, and typing from one plot point to another. For me, it was a magical time, when writing felt more like play and less like work than ever before. 

What was really amazing, though, is how much NaNoWriMo taught me. Maybe it was just by virtue of word count--I've heard that your first million words are just practice, and I think more and more that that's true--but I think it was more than that, too. It taught me the skills you need to write a novel, such as how to construct it, how to foreshadow, how it can be broken into different acts (or beginning, middle, and end) and what those parts need. I had written novels before NaNoWriMo, but they were a different kind of fun. This was like being a part of a masterclass, with all the Nanoers as my fellow students trying to accomplish something together. 

My program is finished next August. Who knows what next year will bring, but I hope I can do NaNoWriMo again in 2022. 

Pacing Yourself

Now Playing: GOLD GUNS GIRLS by Metric
Just Read: THE RACKETEER by John Grisham--Kind of a slow pace for me, but it picked up when we learned the narrator wasn't telling us everything.
Reading Now: GREEN MARS by Kim Stanley Robinson

There are a few aspects of writing that I find continually challenging to self-evaluate, and pacing is one of them. I've always approached it instinctively when editing--does this feel right? It's all very subjective; I feel as though pacing lacks some of the other more definitive mechanics of other aspects of writing. Things like tone, theme, and points along the character arc also fall into this category for me. Spotting where such changes are needed is probably the part of fiction I struggle with the most.

Editing myself is something I've been working on improving all year. I read a book on the topic, scanned some helpful blog posts, and listened to a number of (very generous) podcasts by published authors. I've also allowed myself more time between composing the first draft and editing it into a final draft, which is a tip I've seen pop up again and again, and I'm hopeful it will pay off. 

So now what I'm doing is writing a story each quarter for the Writers of the Future Contest, letting it sit for a month or more, and then revisiting it and editing it before the submission deadline. In this way, I've earned a Silver Honorable Mention in three of the last four quarters. I've earned a minimum of Honorable Mention every quarter for the last two and a half years. I'm so extremely hopeful to get a win that it's painful sometimes, but all I can do is keep writing the best story I can and submitting. 

If you know any good books on self-editing, leave the title in the comments! Thanks! 

September's Gone!?

Now Playing: THE KIDS AREN'T ALRIGHT by The Offspring
Just Read: DEEP SKY by Patrick Lee--Loved the pace and complexity of this novel, and have really enjoyed this sci-fi/thriller series. Definitely the kind of series I hope to write one day.
Reading Now: THE CONCRETE BLONDE by Michael Connelly

Is it mid-October already!?

This has been the busiest, fastest September I can remember. My son is three months old, I'm six weeks into my doctoral program, I'm working full time, my wife is back to work, and I'm preparing and giving three lectures over five weeks. Yow!

Still, fortunately, I found time to write two short stories in September. I'm glad I was able to--having a creative outlet was a nice way of venting after all the non-creative work I've been doing. Writing has been more cathartic this month than normal. I'm happy that I've been able to keep up my 2020 goals of putting out more short stories. 

One thing I haven't done is submit as many of those stories. I've been writing feverishly, finishing a story, and moving on to the next without editing and polishing each one for submission. They aren't ready yet. So my plan for October is to write a flash horror story (love reading and writing horror in October!) and spend more time revising the stories I wrote in August and September. It's an ambitious goal, but one I'm motivated to achieve because I received some good news recently--I won a Silver Honorable Mention in the Writers of the Future Contest! That's the highest I've ever gotten in the contest after submitting for, like, 15 years. I have been winning Honorable Mentions regularly now, and winning a Silver definitely feels like a validation of the work I've been putting into the craft. 

I am hopeful that the trend will only continue! 

August's Stories

 Now Playing: REMEMBER by Hans Zimmer

I've written two stories since becoming a dad!

It's funny how that moment so quickly became a demarcation--there was a life before I was a dad, and a life after. My son is only six weeks old tomorrow, but that short amount of time was enough to change everything around here. And I definitely like it this new way. 

Having a newborn does wonders to your time, though. It's like a drain opened up and all my free time went spiraling into oblivion. Since I've started going back to work, I've had to really think about time as a much more limited resource, one which requires planning to use efficiently. I've tested it a few times to figure out how to squeeze in the writing. 

So, the two stories I've written have been flash fiction--one 900-words, the other 1400-words. Figured I'd start small. I wrote them in my office while my son slept, or sitting beside my wife on the couch while the baby nursed. A few hundred words here, a few more there. I know lots and lots of professional writers get their fiction on paper with kids (and with a day job too!), so there's no reason I can't. But it takes some deliberate focus that I didn't necessarily need before. 

I'm hopeful I will be able to keep up my goals of writing and submitting at least one story per month, and preferably two. I'm trying not to stress too much about it, though--I'm enjoying these fleeting newborn moments too much! But there's a part of me, always piping up in the background of my mind, that gets anxious when I don't write. 

I'm reminded of a line from Hamilton: Why do you write like you're running out of time? I definitely feel that way sometimes, like writing is a desperate thing that has to be done before I can feel accomplished. If I don't do it now, it won't get done, and I won't be a writer because a writer writes, and that would be awful. It need to temper this feeling, so I can just enjoy myself and my son. The fiction will come.

Anyway, diaper change--gotta run! 

I Have a Son!

Now Playing: WORK by Jimmy Eat World
Just Read: THE BREACH by Patrick Lee--Very enjoyable. A fast-paced thriller full of cool science fiction. Definitely the kind of book I'd love to write.
Reading Now: THE EYE OF THE WORLD by Robert Jordan

The world will never be the same! My son was born earlier this month, and it's been a whirlwind ride getting him home from the hospital and taking care of him here. Forgive me if my fiction in the near future is all about being a new dad--I'm obsessed!

Somehow, though, in my spare time while he's napping during the day or while I'm rocking him in the middle of the night, I managed to peck out a few words and submit some stories. My last few rejection letters have actually contained some really positive feedback, which is very encouraging.

I've also had some time to do some reading this week, while my son is snoozing or while he's eating. I started reading The Wheel of Time novels at the hospital. I thought there was some symbolism there, I don't know. Like I was starting a long and life-changing journey as a father, and at the same time starting a long epic journey in literature. Maybe if he's really inconsolable, I'll read a few chapters aloud to him. Give him a break from Dr. Seuss books (which I've recently rediscovered, and are even more amazing than I remember).

Perhaps I'm being foolishly optimistic, but I'm still going to shoot for at least one new story per month. I've written 8 stories so far in 2020, and July's is underway. I'm planning for it to be a flash piece--seems like a more manageable project with an infant. Also, I submitted my quarterly story for the Writers of the Future contest, am still waiting for last quarter's result, and have this quarter's submission ready for editing, so that I'll still be able to meet my goal of submitting every quarter.

I hope one day I'll be able to tell my son that I wrote such-and-such story/novel while juggling feeding him,  changing him, playing with him, reading to him. It would be really cool to pick up a novel I wrote and had published and remember how old he was and what he was doing while I wrote it. The future is bright for all of us!

Productivity and Momentum

Now Playing: COME ON EILEEN by Dexys Midnight Runners
Just Read: THE BLACK ECHO by Michael Connelly--Definitely a cool mystery, with some intriguing characters. I've never read a Harry Bosch story before, and it struck me how vulnerable and imperfect he was.
Reading Now: THE BREACH by Patrick Lee

Moderation is good--sometimes I think it's the most important thing there is--but I have noticed that binge-working is so productive and satisfying.

I know I'm a writer because finishing a story leaves me with such a rewarding feeling of accomplishment. For this reason, the more productive I am, the more momentum I seem to get. The more I write, the more I want to write. And often, the opposite is true, too--the more I'm away from writing, the harder it is to get back into it.

Is there a happy medium somewhere, where I can write a satisfying and rewarding number of words per day while still performing at my day job and balancing my home life? It's a question I see lots of people talking about on #WritingCommunity on Twitter. Until writing is the primary source of income, I think a lot of writers struggle to parse out time of their day for it--getting paid is an objective validation of your writing ambition, and if you aren't getting paid, why are you doing it? For me, it's for that reward. The money will come in the future--I hope!--but I really just enjoy telling stories.

So, I'm working for that elusive moderation. It's a kind of bullseye, and my darts are sticking all around the perimeter. But that's okay. I really believe that I can find a routine that will maximize my writing quality and quantity without sacrificing the other parts of my life. Every year--every writing session, really--I get a little closer to it.

Revising the Times

Now Playing: ANNA MOLLY by Incubus
Just Read: SLEEPING BEAUTIES by Stephen King and Owen King--Turned out to be a big world, slow pace/high build sort of novel. Not terrible by any means, but there were a few times where I was a bit checked out. Overall, enjoyed it.
Reading Now: THE BLACK ECHO by Michael Connelly

Well, the pandemic hit. So far, we're staying healthy here and getting ready for a new baby to arrive. We both work in hospitals, but the testing for COVID-19 has increased, and we're able to keep ourselves pretty safe.

In the meantime, quarantine has meant lots of writing time. I always aim to produce at least one new story per month. It's May, and I've finished six and have started on a seventh so far in 2020, so I'm a little ahead of my goal, which is always great.

Most of my efforts lately, though, have been on revision. I took an editing class online in the hopes of improving those skills, as editing my own work has always been my greatest challenge as a writer. I also took two writing classes through Great Courses, and I think the focus on actively getting better as a student of the craft has paid off. I guess we'll find out when I start sending out these stories or having friends give me some feedback.

I finished a novel manuscript in the fall, and after completing those courses, I've spent a lot of time editing it. My goal is to finish a solid second draft by the end of this weekend, and maybe see if some friends are interested in giving me their feedback. I've also been reading a lot of writing advice (using my quarantine time to study!) and have written a few drafts of query letters that might go out sometime this summer.

Lots to look forward to, despite the times. Writing is a kind of constant, something that doesn't change in all the madness in the world. It's more important to have fiction as an escape than ever--reading is a balm for my mental health, and writing is an outlet for a hundred different reasons. All I can do is keep getting better as a writer at whatever pace I can and in whatever ways help the most.

Stay healthy out there! Wash your hands, don't touch your face!

Early Progress Report

Now Playing: STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS by Michael Giacchino
Just Read: THE LAST WISH by Andrej Sapkowski--Greatly enjoyed all of these stories! I'm looking forward to reading the next installment. And the show was awesome, too!
Reading Now: SLEEPING BEAUTIES by Stephen King and Owen King

Not doing too badly on my 2020 goals so far. I'm almost finished with my fourth new story of the year, have submitted stories nine times so far since January (and plan on submitting another today), and I am about to finish reading my eighth book. So all in all, I've stayed pretty close to my goals. I still have a ways to go, and maybe a little bit of ground to make up, but I can't beat myself up too badly.

It's March, and that means a few deadlines are approaching. The Writers of the Future Contest quarter ends at the end of this month, and I've got a story I'd like to edit and submit. Also, Heroic Fantasy Quarterly is open to submissions this month, and I have another story I'd like to edit for them. Their word count limit is 10,000 words, which means I'll have to find about 1000 words to cut out of the story I have in mind, but that should be doable.

Also, I started looking into local writing opportunities around me here in North Carolina. I really want to go to a writers conference sometime this year, but the one close to me is on the same day as a wedding I'm going to, so that's out. Instead, I met up with a local writer's group this past week and found out about some open mic nights to attend, and some book signings at stores in the area. Maybe a helpful critique group could come out of it. We'll see. Until then, more writing!

2020 Goals

Now Playing: DAY ONE by Hans Zimmer
Just Read: END OF WATCH--Interesting how this series ended up with a supernatural twist. Didn't expect that, considering the first two books were simpler private investigator mysteries. Good stories, though.
Reading Now: THE LAST WISH by Andrzej Sapkowski

So, about my 2020 writing goals . . . .

The gist of it is to keep it up. I would like to read 50 books this year (I reached 48 in 2019), write 5000 new words of fiction per week, and dedicate 5 hours per week to studying writing. I added this last goal because I feel like I've stagnated a bit over the past few years. I've published about 25 short stories, all in semi-pro or token magazines, with one publication in Daily Science Fiction. I have won 12 Honorable Mentions in the Writers of the Future Contest, which people say is like a letter saying I am "almost there." In 2020, I'd like to get "there."

So, to that end, I have a few books on the style and craft of writing that I'm going to work through and see if their bits of advice can help me elevate my game. I might even look into a Master Class. I've already been listening to more podcasts on writing, and I would like to read more short stories, too. I'm also going to try to submit more stories--so far, I've submitted four--and work on writing stories that are shorter. For the past two years or so, most of my stories have been around 10,000 words. Those are harder to sell. In 2020, I'm going to shoot for stories under 7500 words.

That's really it! I want 2020 to be a year of hard work and, hopefully, reap the benefits of that hard work. Let's get to it! Happy New Year everyone, and good luck achieving your own goals!

NaNoWriMo From the Sidelines

Now Playing: SCAR TISSUE by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Just Read: TRIPWIRE by Lee Child--LOVED the twist to this one, and thought the idea behind this story had endless potential. Very exciting book!
Reading Now: END OF WATCH by Stephen King

November was a busy month, even without doing NaNoWriMo!

I won NaNo last year, though the novel I wrote, called Star Struck, still isn't finished. I bet I still have another 20-25K words to go. I put it down to write a different novel, called Active Shooter, which I started in mid-July. I had been steady progressing on Active Shooter for months, but really kicked it into high gear in November.

Despite not starting a new project, just being surrounded by the NaNo community inspired me to write as much as possible. In November alone, I wrote about 20K words, and finished the first draft of Active Shooter at 85K words. Now, I'll let it sit for a while and take a step away from it to work on other projects, such as editing a story for Writer's of the Future submission this month, and maybe even trudging toward the completion of Star Struck, if I can find the energy.

And it's time to start thinking about what my 2020 goals are, too. The most productive year I've ever had was doing Write1Sub1, where I wrote and submitted one story per week for a year. I don't know if I have it in me to do that, but maybe two stories per month is manageable.

Lots to mull over! And definitely a lot of fun on the horizon.

Looking Forward to Fall

Now Playing: FAMINE WOLF by Between the Buried and Me
Just Read: LETHAL WHITE by Robert Galbraith--Probably my favorite in this series so far. Easier to follow than the last one, but still a complicated, intricate mystery. Really great book!
Reading Now: TRIPWIRE by Lee Child

It's Fall, y'all!

It's been a good September, with some pretty productive writing sessions. I'm working on a thriller novel and am about 50,000 words into it. That's the goal for a novel during NaNoWriMo, which I've won twice, but this has taken me since mid-July to accomplish. But it hasn't been my only project; I've written 5,000 words of a story I'm planning on finishing and submitting soon, and also edited an old story into something I could submit to the Writers of the Future Contest.

Speaking of, I just found out that my last submission won an Honorable Mention! I believe this is my eighth. The email said that means I'm in the top 2% of submissions. I'm pretty proud of that benchmark, but the truth is that the winners are probably closer to the top 0.002%. That's a lot of improvement still to go, but it's also good motivation.

I'm looking forward to October. I might--might--be able to finish and submit that story AND finish this thriller novel. But I'm not going to kill myself doing it. I'm having more fun writing lately than I have in a long time, and I think that's important. I want to foster that. Also, I'm going to pick up some Stephen King again and read him during the creepiest month of the year. Maybe I'll read "IT" so I can finally see those movies.

Hope you have a great start to fall! You can find me at my desk, writing fervently!

Thirty Years Old!

Now Playing: RISE by Hans Zimmer
Just Read: MISTBORN by Brandon Sanderson--The first of his novels I've read. Very entertaining, from beginning to end! An interesting and unique magic system that he obviously thought through very well. Good stuff!
Reading Now: LETHAL WHITE by Robert Galbraith

I'm thirty years old today!

People have talked to me about their own thirtieth birthdays and the feelings they had about being thirty. Namely, that they hadn't accomplished all they'd wanted to thus far. When it comes to my writing, that's true for me as well--I always thought I'd have a novel published by now.

But, I can't complain. I have done a lot of other things in my 30 years of which I'm very proud, like finding an awesome wife, finishing grad school and working as a nurse anesthetist, and writing multiple novels and countless short stories, even if none of the novels have been published yet. The truth is, the one I think is most publishable, I haven't queried yet because I think it still needs some tidying up. So, maybe after some editing, that dream will come true.

Until then, I'll keep doing what I'm doing--working my day job and writing as frequently as I can find the time and energy to do. I'm becoming a better writer by the day, even if I haven't published a ton of stuff recently. Word by word, I'm getting better.

Here's to the next decade! 

Summer Focuses

Now Playing: HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX by Nicholas Hooper
Just Read: ANCILLARY JUSTICE by Ann Leckie--A wonderfully fun concept around which an awesome space opera is built. Totally recommend this one! Pushes some awesome sci-fi thoughts.
Reading Now: MISTBORN by Brandon Sanderson

Summer is my favorite season. I always get a lot of reading done during the summer. Not sure why, but I think it has something to do with longer days and more time to spend by the pool, which I love to do while reading.

As always happens when I read a lot, I get encouraged to write more during the summer. This summer, I have a few plans. First, I'm 76,000 words into a novel called "Star Struck", the second in a trilogy I have planned. The first book,  Star Born, is finished, close to being worthy of sending out to agents.

But, I have a new idea in mind. A novel that's completely different, and one that is a bit closer to home. The story landed pretty much fully formed in my mind a few months ago, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it, even while working on Star Struck. So I think I'm going to go for it and begin it, even if it means working on two novels at once. I don't really have any fears that I'm going to let Star Struck languish unfinished, because I really enjoy the story, and picking up where I left off comes easily for me.

Hopefully this new novel comes as easily onto the paper as it did into my head.

And as always, I have stories in mind for the Writers of the Future Contest. Fortunately, the story I plan to submit by the September deadline already has a first draft completed. It'll be a purely editing project this summer, which I think will be a nice change from the pure prose construction that I'll be focusing on otherwise.

So many stories to write, so few summers in which to write them!

Stories Out of Control

Now Playing: BULLS ON PARADE by Rage Against the Machine
Just Read: DOCTOR SLEEP--A pretty typical Stephen King book, meaning slow pace and high build, with lots of good twists and turns and a very fleshed out world. Always enjoyable!
Reading Now: ANCILLARY JUSTICE by Ann Leckie

Well, that story I had such high hopes for in the Writers of the Future Contest didn't place. I had been on a streak of Honorable Mentions, but this one didn't even get that far. Too bad--I really thought it was pretty good. And when they published the long, LONG list of people who had won some level of award, it was a bit disheartening.

It's hard for me to tell my own story's quality. I find editing and improving stories very difficult. I never have a very good idea about what changes need to be made, and after making them, I can't usually tell if it really is better or not.

But, on to the next! That's the name of the game.

Lately I've had stories that want to go on and on, out of control. I might come up with a plot like "An unexpected chemical leak leads to violence among an exploration team" and try to sit down ad write a murder mystery. But I'm almost 9000 words into this mystery and it STILL isn't over. It's science fiction, so it might be a good candidate for Writers of the Future, but I didn't expect it to be this long, or take through May to finish.

I was hoping to do one story per month, but the stories for March and April have stretched so long that my word count is high but my story count is low. Now I'm thinking I might let them sit and chill for a while, then spend the rest of May and June editing them. My new words can go toward the novel I started in November, and when that's done, I have a different novel I want to work hard on the rest of the summer.

So. Many. Projects.

Gotta stay disciplined! That's key. I read an article lately about Danielle Steel's discipline, and my mouth fell open. She puts out seven new novels each year--that's the dream! Probably not ever achievable, but the lesson is clear: keep keep keep writing!