Writer’s Desk

Hello, dreamers. Last week, I had my first-ever book signing event. This week I had my second, and it was one to remember. With that done, I’m now in the planning phase for my next events. I’ll be back to visiting local bookstores, shaking hands and showing off Writers of the Future, Vol. 42.

But while I’m eager to line up more in-person events (especially after how this one went), I’m already looking ahead. I’ve got short fiction to write and edit. Critiques to perform. Queries to follow. A new novel to write. I’m not slowing down, not even for a second.

So with that said, here’s what I’ll be up to this week:

Tome Signing Event

First, I’d like to fill readers in on my second signing event. And all I can say is, “Wow”.

Last week, I wrote the post “A Very Minor Celebrity”, about the sobering experience of my very first book signing. Suffice to say, it didn’t go the way debut authors hope their first signing will go. This one, on the other hand, was more than I could have hoped for.

Once again, I was signing books with my illustrator, the incomparable Nathan Deiwert. Tome Books and Novelteas had plenty of foot traffic, but more importantly, customers who came in were all eager to speak with us. A winner from Vol. 38 of Writers of the Future showed up, as did the reporter from the Cincinnati Enquirer who interviewed us after our return from Los Angeles. We met a lot of great people, shook a lot of hands. And we sold a lot of books.

It was a lot of fun, as was my speaking appearance with Tome’s writers’ group last Thursday (one of the writers actually showed up to buy the anthology). So in case I haven’t done so enough, I’d like to take a moment to thank Jeremy, the writer who owns Tome Books and Novelteas. He’d a gracious host, a supportive good citizen of the writing community, and a great guy. If you live in the Cincinnati area and are looking for your next great read, make Tome your first stop.

Short Fiction

Writing, as I always say, is not an exact science, and I was reminded of that this past week. I did something I don’t normally do: I abandoned a “struggle story”. I did this because, frankly, I realized the plot wasn’t really grabbing me. It never fully caught on. I managed some good passages, and feel like I made progress toward getting back to where I need to be. But I’m still not there yet, and this story wasn’t going to get me there.

So today, I plan to write around a bit. I’ll write one of my daily sketches, open a few lapsed projects, see if something shakes loose. In light of the success of my most recent story, I’m seriously considering a rewrite of the original first story of the Drum series. I wrote most of it around the holidays last year, and never really managed to devote my full concentration to the project. It feels too hollow to really work as is.

On a brighter note, however, I’ve largely completed my critique edits on my most recent completed story, “All the Endless Days”. And I gotta say, this may be the best short fiction piece I’ve ever written. I still have a few very minor concerns to address, but luckily I’m in no hurry. I’ve learned from experience that there’s little value in submitting short fiction to major markets during the summer. It’s a great way to be rapidly rejected.

That said, I’m itching to submit somewhere. A few smaller short fic markets have recently reopened, and I’m mulling over a few anthologies with open calls. At present, I have four active submissions. Of the two that had been inactive, one has begun (very slowly) working through submissions. I have high hopes that I’ll hear something from someone by the end of the week.

Upcoming Content

Hawkeyed readers will have noticed two changes to my homepage. First, I added the badge of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association, as I am now a full member. Second, the content carousel now displays my latest works pages rather than blog posts.

This is because my weekly newsletter is moving.

Starting next week, my weekly “Writer’s Desk” newsletter and my weekly “Dear Sir or Madam” query update will be relocated to my Substack: Martians and Lasers. If you haven’t already, head to Substack and subscribe here for free. If you visit this site to read my weekly posts, I strongly suggest you subscribe to my mailing list (there are forms on my homepage) to receive my newsletter right in your inbox.

Henceforth, my weekly posts will be available through email and Substack only.

With that said, here’s what you can expect from me in the week ahead:

Tuesday: “Mr. Big Stuff”

My first signing went pretty much the way I’d feared it would. My second went better than I could have imagined. Learn more about my first moment in the sun since Hollywood, in my latest post about my Writers of the Future experience.

Friday: “Sci-Fi Reviewed: Alien Clay“

Available on Substack

In this month’s post, I review the novel Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky: a book light on dialogue and heavy on body horror. Learn what makes it good and why it works.

Sunday: “Dear Sir or Madam”

Though I have several queries I’m waiting to hear back on, this week’s post will mark the end of “Dear Sir or Madam” for the time being. Learn the latest on my querying journey, and why this mission can only end one way.

It’s going to be a busy week. So keep reading, and dare to dream. – MK