STATUS – 9.29.2024 –

Hello and good morning.

Today is one of those days where wife has offered to hang with the boys without my input, so that means I can actually turn out one of these STATUS updates.

A few days ago, I wrote about the weird feeling I had that I missed a time where blogging was the norm and not so formal. I want to return to that, in some way. Social media is hurting itself in odd ways, and I honestly would like to say more on there, but don’t want them to own everything. Think I might try later today the first in a series of “tumble blog” style posts, where I don’t say anything TOO significant, but it’s definitely way too long for a character count over on Bluesky or Threads.

PROJECT UPDATE:

BIANCA – The 5th draft of Project BIANCA, my middle grade contemporary fantasy, should be done by today. As it stands I’m on page 45-ish of a 200+ page manuscript so I don’t think that’s happening. September took a lot out of us here in the Trinacostadad Stronghold. COVID, strep, providing in-home care, yada yada won’t trudge through the details. Part of being a writer in this stage of your journey is just accepting that while you try to make your own writing a priority, real life will most likely not treat it the same. You accept that, do the things that bring in the money or keep the family going, then find the time to write until writing becomes the thing that brings in the money and keeps the family going.

Let’s aim for this final draft of edits to be done by the second week of October. Will work on the draft package in the meantime.

#AMQUERYING – Pitched Project NESS once last week to an agent who, long ago, asked for the full manuscript for Project GREY. They ultimately passed, but said they liked it a lot but couldn’t figure out what was off about it. After extensive rewrites, Project GREY is no longer the same book it was before. Since they opened (after a loooooooong time being closed to queries) I submitted NESS as something new. Didn’t get to pitch GREY this week, but will change that this upcoming week.

CURRENTLY LISTENING: GlitchxCity is easily my favorite video game remix artists out there, and her work has been in my ears for over a decade now. Earlier this year, she put together a non-stop radio station for her lo-fi work and it’s something I go back to from time to time when I need a good flow. Check it out.

CURRENTLY READING: This section should really be called “Just Finished Reading.”

Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston

Glad I read this one, if anything, to learn from. Once you pitch enough you start to keep in mind what agents ask for. “Send me the first 5 pages, 10 pages, 100 pages, the first three chapters, the first chapter, etc.” ALL of those benchmarks were hit in this book. I can see why Alston was signed and it taught me a lot about how to structure my own stories.

Also:

Working by Robert A. Caro

A cover of the book "Working," by author Rober A. Caro.

You ever read something by someone you’ve never heard of before but wish you had discovered much, much earlier in your life? That was Robert Caro for me while reading this.