Hello again, dreamers.

For the first time in a while, I did little writing this past week. But I’ve hardly been idle: I devoted much of the past week to editing, and the vital work of preparing my query for Pioneers.

Querying is a nerve-wracking process. You only get one shot to impress each agent, and if they pass, that’s another name scratched off the list. I only need one “yes”, but I’m prepared to get a lot of “no’s” first. But it has to be done. I’ve sat on Pioneers long enough. The time has come to share it with the world, and I believe I am finally ready.

While I expect the query process to be lengthy, I also expect that, now that I’ve begun, it will take up little of my time and effort. Most of the query process, after all, comes down to waiting. That leaves me with plenty of time to devote to other writing pursuits. So with that in mind, here’s what’s in store for this week:

Querying Pioneers

It’s been a long time coming, but as of this morning, I’m pleased to report that my first five queries for Pioneers have been sent.

As stated above, the query process mostly consists of waiting. That said, I’ll still have things to do. Currently, my plan is to send out batches of queries five at a time. Queries to agents typically take 5-8 weeks. Many simply will not respond if they’re not interested in your work. Some of the agents I’ve queried even suggest re-sending a query if a response is not received within eight weeks. So this will take some time.

In the meantime, I plan to revise my query letter, synopses, and the novel itself between batches of queries. My hope is that, as I progress through this process, I will be able to refine my query with each round. Thus, the query will grow stronger each time. At least, that is my hope.

In the mean time, that gives me plenty of time for actual writing. That’s good; with many modern agents repping sci-fi, the goal is not to publish a standalone work but rather a more lucrative series of novels. Thus, the first question they’re likely to ask if they’re interested is “What else are you working on?” I’d like to come up with a damn good answer before they ask.

Short Fiction

Thus, my attention turns once again to my ongoing efforts in short fiction. Though my writing pace slowed understandably over the past few weeks, with the queries out I plan to devote myself once again to short fiction projects set within the Dotiverse.

I did make two bits of clear progress over the past week. First, I began work on Europa, which will be the last of my Beyond Pathfinder series of short stories. Second, I ultimately decided to shelve one of the two remaining stories: Terrarium. Abandoning a project of any kind, even a short story, is a difficult decision. Invariably, it involves discarding at least some amount of writing. And regardless of its quality, that writing is something I put effort into, in terms of my time as well as mental and creative energy. But the more I looked at Terrarium, the more I felt it no longer fit with what I was trying to do.

My original intention for Beyond Pathfinder was to produce a series of stories that simply followed the day to day life of people living in 2094. In addition to the stories I’ve written thus far, that included one set on the moon, following a communications technician, as well as one following a UN functionary visiting the US capitol on Earth. These stories were meant to be mundane, focusing on either interpersonal relationships or social isolation and with minimal characters. Why I believed this was a good idea is something of a mystery to me, in retrospect.

All of that changed with Fantoms. Originally title Icebreaker, as it was intended the story was to follow the daily life of a demolitions expert in the Asteroid Belt, as he went about his duties overseeing asteroid mining on a mining ship. But while I was writing it, something changed. Perhaps it was the fact that I’d begun writing it after finishing Ganymede, which ended up being a gripping tale of survival. But ultimately, the story took a hard turn. Instead of a dull story following routine mining operations, Fantoms became a riveting narrative in which a character who’d lost his career was called upon for one, final, monumental task. It became a rescue story, with a detailed cast of remarkable characters.

After finishing Fantoms, I moved on to MERIT 19, which underwent a similar transformation. Instead of a story mostly consisting of two astronauts arguing over radio, it evolved into an action-packed story with intriguing characters and a fun ending. Then, I moved on to Terrarium, and I began to see a problem. Terrarium was meant to follow a UN inspector overseeing evacuation efforts on Mars prior to terraforming. In this instance, there was simply no hope of introducing action or suspense. It was all meant to be a lengthy commentary on the finite nature of human existence and accomplishment.

Terrarium has become, for me, a reminder of my development as a writer. It largely follows the basic formula many of my early short stories did: focus on a single character, revolving around their internal musings and philosophical questions. It can be intriguing, perhaps, but modern sci-fi thrives on action as well as drama. Over time, my writing has evolved; contrast my earlier works, like Odyssey and A Life of Days (still one of my favorites) with more recent stories like Chapel Perilous, and the change is clear to see. The fact is, while Terrarium probably isn’t the sort of story most modern sci-fi readers want to read, that’s not even the most glaring problem. Put simply, it isn’t the sort of story I want to write anymore, either.

So, with that in mind, Europa will be the last story in the Beyond Pathfinder series. That means the series is drawing to a close, which means it’s time to decide where to go next.

What’s Next for the Dotiverse

I’m pleased to say I’ve made a few important decisions on this end, as well.

After giving it a lot of thought, I’ve decided to follow Beyond Pathfinder with a new series of short stories: Beyond Pioneers. Currently, this is planned to be a series of six stories set during the time period of Pioneers, which I’ve begun referring to as the Pioneers Era. Most of the stories will take place on Megrez 9, during the events of Pioneers, and will follow various colonists (some of whom appear in the novel) as they learn to live on their new planet. At least two stories, however, will fall beyond the scope of the novel. Kentaurus will follow the events of the Rigel Kentaurus Incident: an event that features the first space battle in human history. The second, Wasteland, will occur following the events of the novel, and follow William Ford as he leads the first expedition into the arid region south of the Sanctuary Valley. All of these stories will tie closely into the narrative of both Pioneers and its series. As such, they will likely be unsuitable for publication in any literary journal. That means the stories will inevitably end up here, likely starting in January.

That just leaves me with the search for my next novel. As I’ve said previously, I plan to devote much of my efforts for the rest of this year to writing either Pathfinder or The Pioneer Era. Though obviously right now I’m keen to resume work on Pathfinder, for various reasons I’m not willing to make a decision yet. I’ve committed myself to choosing my next project and beginning work before the end of the month. Stay tuned.

What’s Next for This Website

As for this site, my plans haven’t changed, and still focus on continuing the transition from hosting a blog to providing free science fiction content. Currently, I plan to remove several more of my early short stories, as they no longer fit with what I’m trying to do here. I also intend to revise some of my existing short fiction, which may be re-posted upon completion.

As far as new content goes, I have three pieces of news for my readers:

-This week I will be resuming my flash fiction posts after taking a week off to focus on querying. Fresh Air will drop on Friday at 5:00 PM EST.

-My next monthly short fiction piece, MERIT 19, will be posted on June 3 at 6:00 PM EST.

-In the interest of hyping my short story collection, Unrealized Realities, I am considering offering periodic samples each month. Currently, The Envoy is available for viewing here. If you haven’t read it, take a look. And if you like what you see, consider purchasing Unrealized Realities on Amazon Kindle. Don’t forget to leave a review!

It’s another big week for me, but I feel good about this. I believe I’m ready to take the next step in my development as a writer. So keep reading, and as always, dare to dream. – MK