Back Again

My last blog post was...  Wow.  Over two years ago.  Well, I didn't exactly abandon a rabid fan-base thirsty for more of my wisdom, so I'm thinking it's a "no harm - no foul" situation.

Why has it been so long?  So glad you asked.  Okay, no one did, but that's aside from the point.

As a writer, I don't feel as though I'm anywhere near a point in my career where I can dole out advice to others on those common writer topics like how to write a captivating query, or story creation, craft, etc.  It felt very disingenuous, and I had an issue with pursuing a blog from that angle.

I recently published my first novel, which I had written over three years ago now.  I didn't get picked up by a major publishing house, or a big shot agent as I had hoped I would.  I've actually got a pretty impressive stack of rejection letters from agents.  Most are form letters, some are simple "thanks but no thanks" scrawled on the top of my original query to them.

But some weren't rejections.  I lived for those moments, man.  When I got a letter or an email (I really like it when an agent uses email - I think it's better for everyone involved) and that letter said something like, "Hey, you've got me interested.  Send me some chapters."  Now, that's the cat's pajamas.

Unfortunately, none of those chapters convinced the agents that they could carry my novel.  I did get a couple of notes back, which I valued highly.  Because as anyone who's been through this process knows, personal feedback is rarer than gold.  At any rate, they said that while they liked my work, they wouldn't be able to sell it.

I get that.  I'm not saying I like it, but I get it.  We have to keep an eye on what's going to earn our next meal, right?  Hey, I don't go to work every day because I'm in love with my job.  Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful for it and I appreciate it.  But, if I won the lottery today, I wouldn't be showing up tomorrow, you dig?

You know what I would still do even after winning all that money?  I'm sure it's obvious.  I'd write.  I'd tell stories.  Because, that's what I love doing.

Which brings me back to the blog - I'm okay with posting again.  I want to come at it from a different angle, though.  I'm going to post about trying to sell books.  About bullshit writing contests and trying to get your name out there.  About fretting over query letters and secretly hating anyone who gets published because they wrote ANOTHER GODDAMN VAMPIRE STORY.

I guess the best way to say it, is that I'm going to post about the journey instead of trying to pretend I've made it to the destination.  You're welcome to read, and I welcome your comments.

Except from trolls.  Trolls can go fuck themselves.  You know who you are.  Y'all should be ashamed.

New Year Update

What’s new?

The hunt for an agent to represent The Red goes on. Meanwhile, I’ve been working on two other large projects:

First, I’m writing another novel, this one is a modern fantasy story based on the character Jared that appears in the short story, Gifts and Curses. I’m having a lot of fun with this one; Jared is awesome to write with his bitter sense of humor and world-weariness. Given my schedule I don’t imagine I’ll be done with this for quite a while, but I’ll post updates periodically. When all is said and done, it’ll be an exciting paranormal drama/suspense story.

Second, I’ve been writing short stories for a collection that I’m tentatively calling, The Lighthouse. In modern parables told through rhyme and verse, the reader gets a unique look at the whimsical “people of the coast” and how they manage life’s challenges. It’s geared toward young adults and grown-ups and it’s also been a lot of fun to work on since it’s such a departure from the style of writing that I normally do. I’m going to pick one of the stories and post it on the website. Of course this will exclude it from being part of the final collection, but I’m not so concerned with that right not. Short story collections from unpublished authors have about as much of a chance of success as a Pekinese in a pit fight, so I don’t imagine most of these will see the light of day for quite some time.

Any other ideas for short stories that I get in the meantime will of course be fleshed out, and ultimately find a home on the website. I hope everyone is getting their new year off to a wonderful start!

Keep reading!