Hello, dreamers. Today begins the final week of 2025, and what a year it has been. I couldn’t feel much better about what I’ve accomplished over the past year (though a book deal would’ve been nice). But I’m not done. Not yet. I’ve got three more days to go in this year, and I plan to make the most of them. So with that said, here’s what I’ll be up to this week:

The Drum

As of this writing, I’m still hard at work on the first Drum story, “Seeds of A New Eden”. And this story has really taken on a life of its own. Things are about to turn violent as my core group of characters set out on a desperate mission to ensure the amnesiac crew’s survival, while their self-appointed leader prepares to force everyone back into cryonic suspension to wait for a rescue that may never come.

For the most part, I’ve simply been writing, allowing the story to unfold day by day as I tend to while writing a short fiction piece. But I’ve gradually come to the realization that I’m writing what will be my first true novella. This is a new experience for me; while my short pieces tend toward the longer end, most rest comfortably in what the market considers novelette length.

Novellas, for those unfamiliar with the term, are exactly what the name sounds like: basically a short novel. I’ve kept reminding myself that some of the most notable works of science fiction have been novellas (Flowers for Algernon and A Clockwork Orange, for example). But the truth is, novellas aren’t particularly marketable in today’s literary industry. They fall within a sort of Uncanny Valley; too long for literary magazines to publish them, too short most agents to be interested.

Of course, there is a thriving market for novellas and novelettes in today’s literary space: the self-pub market. Given my focus on finding an agent for my novels, needless to say I’m loath to dip my toes into the indie space at the moment. However I am considering it, in no small part because unlike most anything else I’ve written, this really does feel like the kind of sci-fi story that sells well in the indie sci-fi market. Add that it’s intended as the first in a long series of stories, and I could finally be on to something.

Either way, I’m getting ahead of myself. I really should, you know, finish this story before I start figuring out where and how to sell it. And that will be my primary focus this week. Though I can clearly see where the story is headed in terms of basic plot, I’ve been having a hard time gauging exactly how far I have left to go. But I’m confident I can finish it before the end of the week.

Once that’s done, I’ll have to decide how to proceed: step away from The Drum and pivot back to standalone short fic, or press on into the next story. My current plan for the next story (part of which is already written) would place it several centuries after the events of “Seeds of A New Eden”, following a professor of Earth history who’s trying to determine exactly how long the Drum has been in space. Before I move onto that one (or any other stories, for that matter), I’m thinking it would be helpful to sketch out at least a rough map of the interior of the Drum. If I do so, I’ll almost certainly share the results here with my readers.

Short Fiction

With the January submission window approaching, I’ve already planned out my submission strategy, and will be firing off my next round of short fic submissions on Friday. I feel more optimistic about this window than any before. Partly because I feel I have some really great stories to send out, partly because this will be the first sub window where my cover letter will include both my win in Writers of the Future and my two acceptances.

That said, my primary focus in short fic this week will be my annual “Sketch Audit”. Every year on January 1, I open my Daily Sketch file and comb through the previous year’s sketches. Any sketches that show promise (aside from those that have already grown into actual stories) is placed in my “Sketch Fragments” file, where I can go if I’m looking for ideas. Everything else is deleted, and I begin again with my first sketch of the year.

It’s become a sort of annual tradition for me: a chance to look back on everything I’ve written over the past year. To look back on both what I did and failed to do, and take stock of a year’s worth of writing. Obviously not every single thing I write in a year begins as a daily sketch (work on novel projects, for example). But I like to think of it as a sort of snapshot: my year in writing, writ small.

Querying Seven Days on Samarkand

As of today I am officially back in query prep. Starting today, I’ll be reviewing my query materials and compiling my list of target agents. I’ve devoted most of my late night writing sessions over the past week to agent research, and am pleased to report that my target pool has grown considerably. I’m confident I’ll be able to find at least ten that I’m confident enough to query.

At present, I’m planning to fire off my next round of queries a week from today. Whether I hew to that timetable largely depends on how I feel about my manuscript and query materials. One of the nice things about query windows as opposed to short fic sub windows is that, generally speaking, it all happens at once. When a short story is rejected, there’s rapid turnaround: I’m editing stories that have been rejected while subbing new ones to rejecting markets (after their prescribed cooldown, typically about a week). But with queries, I send out my round of letters and then that’s it.

If I happen across a new agent who seems to be looking for what I write, I may go ahead and whip up a query package to shoot off at them (I did so twice in the last round, once because one of my original targets turned out not to want sci-fi). But essentially that’s it. I sit and wait. With any luck, at least one of the agents I query in this round will send a request for more. Either way, I’ll be looking ahead to what I call the “Second Chance” window in February.

Upcoming Content

Amid some egging-on by a fellow writer who’s made it big, I’m planning to formally launch my Substack in the coming month. At present I’m working on a content strategy, with an eye to making sure what I’m offering on that platform differs from what’s offered here. That said, here’s what you can expect on this site through the week ahead:

Wednesday: 2025 Year in Review

As the clock ticks toward midnight, I’ll take my annual look back on the year that passes. From prolific short fic to query prep, acceptance, publication, and hope, I’ll recap what has been a banner year for my writing.

Friday: “Sci-Fi Reviewed: Murderbot“

In my first “Sci-Fi Reviewed” post of 2026, I’ll be taking a look at the television adaptation of Martha Wells’s All Systems Red, and how Apple TV managed to capture the heart and soul of a dark comedy in which science fiction delights in making fun of itself.

Sunday: “Dear Sir or Madam”

In this week’s post on my querying journey, I’ll provide an update on my upcoming round of queries, and look at where and how querying authors find agents to submit to.

It’s going to be another big week. So read on, and dare to dream. – MK