It's been a while since I gave an actual update, but here is what has been happening lately in my world. For starters, I should start by getting this off my chest -- I haven't written any original material in months. Both my current novel projects -- Elias Starr and the Prometheus Engine and Die By The Sword (the sequel to Chasing The Dragon) -- have come to a screeching halt. My attempts to bring these back up to the previous speed I had managed on them has met with frustration.A few friends helped me deal with some self-doubt I've struggled with in my writing. All of them offered great support, but I want to draw attention to two of them in particular -- Josh Reynolds and Jason Franks. Josh, who writes for a number of anthologies, posted a link on my private web journal to the submission guidelines for several theme anthologies. Jason saw this and then challenged me to join him in submitting to Utility Fog Press' Assassin's Creed anthology.
At first I struggled. Then I remembered the aborted scripts for the Love & Bullets comic. I really love that story and the characters, Kyle Shire and I came up with some great stuff in that original screenplay. After the first issue of the series failed, I went back and rewrote the script for the first issue, although nothing more has come from this endeavor. So I dug out the script and adapted the first scene into prose and submitted it to Utility Fog. We'll see what comes from that.
On the plus side, this has led to me continuing to adapt the scripts to prose. I've gotten 7500 words written so far and haven't finished adapting the first issue of the six-issue series. This is a pretty good sign for me and I'll keep going with this. It's not any new material, but at least it's something and I think it's more marketable than my currently published novels.
As far as comic work goes, there has been some progress. Two pages for the Steampunk Western submission have been penciled, inked and lettered, several more pages still to go unfortunately. It's slow-going, but the pages are really high-quality -- Alain Chan and Jon Michiemo are blowing me away with their work. I think it has a very good chance of getting picked up by a publisher.
Also on the comic front, my first Threeta story for AC Comics' Femforce title has been completed and will be in their next issue. And, referencing Jason yet again, the story he and I co-write, Trauma Ward, has been completed for Black Glass Press' Kagemono anthology. Carl Yonder provided the artwork, some of the sharpest work I've seen from him, and I'm really proud of the lettering. This will take a bit longer before it's available, because Jason chose to make this edition of Kagemono a graphic novel instead of a single issue.
More information as it becomes available.
