Here at year’s end I’ve been pretty busy. I always feel rushed due to the holiday season but to quote one of my favorite films, ‘a writer writes, always’. I’ve written a few new short stories and I’m gearing up for another new novel early next year (working title: REDSHIFT RUNNERS). Just recently turned in TRAJECTORY to my agent, my time travel UEA novel (with dinosaurs, yay!). I’m rethinking what I really want to say in the next draft of AFTERWORLD, my posthuman work. Audible rereleased SIGNAL after fixing some issues with the audio production. I renewed my dues to SFWA for another year.
Yeah, kinda busy.
For the first time in a long time I feel like a SF writer again. It’s easy to let depression, shitty reviews, and the current state of politics in this country bring me down. It’s even easier to give in to self-doubt and frustration and wonder why I’m still doing this.
But here I am, still writing, naysayers be damned.
The other hard part is to keep challenging myself. It’s all too easy to fall into a regular story formula. Once again I need to break out of the trope cocoon. But I’m stoked about my upcoming projects. I’d like to focus less on space operas such as INHERIT THE STARS and THE LAST ETERNITY and write more suspenseful stories. Plus I’ve written too many ‘chosen one’ plots that I don’t want to repeat that any time soon (or ever, really). Less pew pew pew, more WTF.
One more thing: I’m going to try and keep this blog updated on a regular basis. I’m not as witty as other writers out there—I’ll admit this blog could be more entertaining. Okay, stop yawning. Still considering the Patreon thing but I’m not sure it’d be worth my time. I’d be pressured to create content every month for it while working on my main projects, which I worry would cause both to suffer. I’m not simply posting trunk stories if someone’s going to donate moola to me every month. It has to be quality content or I’m not doing it.
Anyway. Here’s to a better year in 2019, with better stories to tell.