Hello, dreamers.

It’s a new year, with new potential and new challenges ahead. For the past few years, I’ve had a hard time finding traction in my writing. My life has been changing rapidly, and at times it’s been hard to prioritize my writing. As such, I’ve been lax in updating my site, even after my comprehensive overhaul last year. For that, I apologize. But 2023 is going to be a year of writing for me, and I can’t wait to share this experience with my readers. Here’s what’s coming:

New Short Fiction

At long last, new short fiction is coming to this site.

2022 was a year of frustration for me in writing, but I did manage to accomplish a few things. Perhaps most notable was The Envoy: my first new short story in several years. Set in the not-too-distant future, The Envoy revolves around David Hyde, a diplomat with the United Nations. Assigned to the first representative of an alien species to visit Earth, the story is a touchingly human story of family, love, and loss. I dare say this is the best short fiction I’ve written since Focus, and without a doubt the best thing I’ve written overall since Pioneers. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing.

Querying for Pioneers

Speaking of Pioneers, I’ve decided that this must be the year I finally see my treasured novel published. I’ve revised and revised and I doubt there’s much more I can do to improve the story at this point. It is what it is, and I’m okay with that. I truly believe this is a good story, and it needs to be read. So, I plan to devote much of my writing this week to rewriting my query letter and finishing my synopses. My intention is to send out my first query letters no later than February 6, the first Monday of the month. That, as of today, is a mere two weeks away. But I’ve found I do my best work under pressure.

Resuming Weekly Posts

Starting this week and over the coming two weeks, I will at last be resuming my weekly posts. I’m committed to posting regular content again, to reward my longtime readers for their patience and attract new audiences. Starting this week, my weekly posting schedule will be as follows:

• Monday: Writer’s Desk
• Tuesday: Science Fiction Reviewed (Bi-Weekly)
• Wednesday: WIP Wednesday
• Thursday: Science in Fiction
• Friday: Weekly in Review, Flash Fiction
• Friday: Short Fiction Fridays (Monthly)

I already have several pieces in progress, ready to post. Here’s a look at what I have coming:

Upcoming Content

Wednesday, 1/25

WIP Wednesday

The latest update on my current work-in-progress. This week’s installment will cover both the query process for Pioneers and where this series of novels is heading next.

Thursday, 1/26

Science in Fiction: The Structure of the Heavens

How would the structure of an alien star system affect its planets, and any potential life forms living on them? In my latest installment of Science in Fiction, I look at what science tells us about the structure of planetary systems, in the first of a multi-part series on constructing believable alien environments in science fiction.

Friday, 1/27

January Short Fiction: The Envoy

For nearly a century, we’ve known little about the Charon, aside from being told they are “very different” from us. But when David Hyde finds the Charon representative he’s been assigned to appears to be a human child, he will learn that we are more alike than we realize. A surprisingly human story of love, family, and the connections that bind us all.

Tuesday, 1/31

Science Fiction Reviewed: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

A look at the hit Paramount+ series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and the challenge of working a completely new story into Star Trek‘s dense canon.

Mailing List

After shelving the idea last year, I plan to at last launch my mailing list in earnest this year. Sign up is available through the link on my homepage. My first newsletter will be released on February 15, but sign up now to receive a free sample of my novel Wide Horizon, available now on Amazon Kindle.

I’m looking forward to this week, dreamers, and to the year ahead. Keep reading; it’s gonna be big. And as always, dare to dream. – MK