it's been some time since I've written here.
I suppose it's a combination of reasons:
- the toddler in my life
- the move across the country (cali to OH)
- moving again from our apartment to a home a couple months after arriving
- getting some work done on the house
- working on my next novel
- working on short stories
- writing for mbird.com
good distractions to have, no complaints here. the good news I'M FINALLY A PAID PUBLISHED AUTHOR.
Ahoy Comics purchased two of my short stories and this week my first one is hitting comic book stores. It'll be featured in the back of Penultiman issue #5. I remember laying in bed looking at their website a year and a half ago thinking what a dream it would be if I could only get a story published. Sure, it's a small publication. Sure, it's in the back of a comic book. And sure, it's just a short story.
But for me, it's validation. A stamp of approval. For years I've been writing on my own with not much traction besides a friend or acquaintance saying something was good. I've self published and written for sites for free. Nothing major. But now, I received a check and someone is publishing something in print with my name on it! It feels great but it is only a step forward.
I need more stories published and the dream is for a novel to be published.
Which brings up the next topic. Since I finished "Reintegration" I said I was working on something entitled "Free Dom". I am currently two chapters away from finishing it. It's sitting at 90,000 words and I'm feeling great about it. At least today I am. It might be titled "Felix Culpa" now. Still debating. I hope to finish it this month and begin the messy work of editing it. I have high hopes about publishing this book.
"Reintegration" hasn't done great with agents and publishers. Some had interest and then backed out but nothing substantial. I've stopped focusing on it as much because I truly feel it was more a project for me to finish for my own self. I needed that. It was a goal and dream that I thought wasn't ever going to happen. But the zombie market is flooded and honestly, even I'm sick of zombies a bit. Of course, I think my story is unique but so does everyone. "Felix Culpa" on the other hand is unique.
My hope is to get some footing with the short stories and "Felix Culpa", once I can get an agent then I will always have "Reintegration" in my back pocket. Until then, it is full speed with "Felix Culpa".
Now, after this novel is finished I plan to work on a non-fiction book. Something biblical. Something revealing the true nature of some of the characters in the Bible, something that speaks to the way I view christianity, the church and faith. It can't be too personal yet because I don't have a big enough brand or platform for people to care about the personal aspects of my life. So it has to be bigger picture first. I have an idea but need to finish this novel first.
I think I can get that done quickly and still begin my next novel before the year ends. Hopefully. This will be about a bible college kid. Working title "Unfit" or "Diaspora". It will be the story of his unravelling. From legalistic to rebellious to somewhere in the middle. Still plotting it all out and deciding how or who I want to tell the story.
Anyways, breakfast is almost ready and I wasn't really even supposed to be typing this. I was supposed to be working on the end of the novel. But I am at a difficult part and feel stuck so, voila. This is what comes instead.
I'm looking forward to my work being in comic stores, finishing this novel and venturing into some non-fiction. Hopefully, I am on here sooner than it took me to get back this time.
Thanks for reading.
Blake Nail