I hope your writing ventures are going well. Every month or two I’m going to send out a thread (in lieu of a story) to stir up some conversation and to check in with my fellow writers.
So, without further ado…what are you currently working on? Do you have any works in progress/writing projects that have been keeping you busy? Feel free to mention your own Substack, blog, WIP…anything that comes to mind. I’m curious to hear what everyone is up to!
As for me, I’m at a bit of a crossroads. Looking through my files, I’m noticing I’m the worst at finishing projects. I have five unfinished novels (some are 50-75% completed). My goal for this summer is to slay one or two of these monsters. I’d also like to self-publish a collection of my shorter fiction in the future — though I don’t have any concrete plan as of right now.
I'm hacking into lyric websites and editing all the Depeche Mode stuff to more accurately reflect Libertarian ideals. Ok, no I'm not. But I'm still publishing fiction every day on https://jimmydoom.substack.com and dragging my feet on publishing my new collection. An anthology I have a flash fiction story in ( 81 Words , edited by Chris Fielden ) just won a Saboteur Award in England. I don't know how prestigious the award is, but I love the name.
Haha! It does sound like a worthwhile project, though. 🤣
Good luck with everything. It sounds like you have a lot going on. Congratulations on the recent publication - the name of that award is awesome! Even though I fall behind with reading, I always look forward to receiving your stories in my inbox!
I have at least 2 readers who save them up 2 weeks at a time, then read and comment. I wouldn't mind if people went all the way back to story #1 and commented
I’m sure this summer I’ll read a slew from your archive. (I say this now before summer becomes just as jam-packed, haha.) But I’d definitely like to take a look.
Whichever stories myself and my readers think are my best and most representative of my work. I would bend slightly for disability and LGBTQ inclusion, but I think in many cases the stories with characters from those communities are better than some of the others because I took great care to get them right.
I'm changing the format of my Substack publication so that my weekly posts read more like snail mail letters we used to write instead of blog posts. (The first letter goes out tomorrow!) I'm also recommitting to finishing my Science Fiction Haiku collection for publication this summer.
Jason...I absolutely love this idea! I can’t wait to read your first letter. I miss snail mail - the anticipation of knowing a letter is headed your way. I think this is going to add an awesome element to your newsletter - and you already know I’m a fan of what you do over there.
That’s great news about your Science Fiction collection! I look forward to ordering a copy down the line. Best wishes on all of your writing projects! 😀
I’m finishing and polishing the beta release of my first text adventure game! It’s called Use Your Psychic Powers at Applebee’s and it’ll be exclusively for my subscribers at https://adventuresnack.com.
This sounds like so much fun, Geoffrey. I remember reading this in your most recent post! I can't wait to read & play my way through when it's released. Best of luck as you polish the final product!
Since the pandemic began I've had more fun writing short stories. I think that's because early on in the pandemic I couldn't concentrate for long on any one thing. Once I got into the groove of short story writing, I continued.
It's better when there is no pressure. That's exciting! What genres? Sci-fi, by any chance? I'm a big fan of all of your stories, but I love the ones with a time travel element. Can't wait to hear more as your novels unfold.
I've really enjoyed writing short stories as well, Bill. It's an entirely different process and most of the time the "bones" can be laid down on a single pass. The time commitment doesn't factor in as much as it does with a novel.
At the start of the pandemic, I hammered out a young adult science fiction novel in a month or two. I wasn't sleeping much anyway, so most nights I stayed up really late and hammered it out. The first draft of the novel needs some work, but down the line I'd like to rewrite it.
The only thing I’m doing consistently right now is blogging at least twice a week. My office is a mess I need to clean it up and get organized and get back to my transcription studies so I can finish the course!
That's awesome though, Kim! I hear you. I often find that when my surroundings are cluttered, so is my mind (this is especially the case at school and in my classroom).
I have barely written in the past two months. I foolishly burned out by way overcommitting on my newsletter and needed a break. But I made the necessary changes, took time off, and I am feeling the urge to write returning.
I do want to finish my Baron Britpop book trilogy. There are too many unfinished trilogies out there (I am looking at you Patrick Rothfuss.) I don’t want mine to be one. I would also like to get back to my Substack space sitcom serial, Space Traveler Fargone.
As you know, I am going to be writing a chapter in a round robin story with a dozen other Substack fiction writers. I am hoping that commitment helps me overcome my non-writing inertia. I wrote the opening paragraph, and it felt good. Probably not the answer you expected, but it’s the truth. 🤣
I took a solid month off not too long ago. Sometimes we overwork ourselves and burn out by taking on too much at once (Friday Fix *cough*). 😅 I completely understand where you’re coming from.
That’s exciting to hear about your trilogy. I need to remind myself to buy a copy of Baron Britpop. I started reading it on Medium and never finished it, but I remember really enjoying it. Also: come on, Patrick Rothfuss! You can do this! 🤣
My primary goal this year is to write a novella. I believe I have the stamina, and I'm just starting to think about the story. Ultimately I would like to publish it for Kindle, but I wouldn't be opposed to a Kickstarter for a very limited print run. Other than that I'm just going to keep writing short stories on my Substack at https://brianreindel.substack.com. I'm curious Justin, what do you think is the reason you're not finishing the novels? I don't think it's an uncommon problem. Do you lose interest, or is there some needed clarity for the endings? I look forward to hearing the good news that you finish one this year :)
That's exciting, Brian! Best wishes to you as you begin writing your novella. I'm a bit behind on my Substack reading, but I look forward to reading more of your work here as well. I really enjoyed last week's story, but haven't gotten to the more recent one yet.
Thanks for asking! I think there are a bunch of factors. I "pantsed" my way through one or two of my earlier novels with no clear outline or roadmap to guide my process. Since then I've evolved a bit in my process and learned what works for me. I outline my novels now, start to finish, but allow room for flexibility as I work my way toward the ending. I don't know if I've ever lost interest in the novels, I think it's more about getting distracted by new ideas - like outlining another darn novel and starting it, ha! The unfinished novels I mentioned are all fully outlined, so now it's a matter of choosing one to resume and focusing.
Substack has built up my discipline in terms of writing consistently, so now it's a matter of following through!
Thanks Justin, and thanks for reading! Sounds like you've got a good writing process moving forward. I think mine is pretty similar. I outline the major plot elements, making sure to have a solid ending in mind. If I go into it without the ending solidified I know I'm in trouble. The rest is much like what you said, it's there, but could possibly change. I'm sure whatever I write will be speculative, preferably low fantasy. It's my favorite sub-genre, but doesn't get a lot of notoriety, and it's the most fun to write :)
May 17, 2022·edited May 17, 2022Liked by Justin Deming
I am delighted to hear that you have so many unfinished novels. Not because you haven't been able to finish them, but rather because now I don't feel so alone.
I am working on the second in a series of novels set in my Broken universe, stories of Texas Rangers with dark secrets or hidden pasts. The first deals with human trafficking. So many people, when/if they think about human trafficking always envisions the child or teenager being grabbed off the street and whisked away never to be seen again. Yes, that happens. Broken Toys (available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble online, Walmart.com, etc.) addresses a different kind of trafficking—the Romeo Syndrome. Young, attractive men and women target teenagers on the fringe of society, the ones with low to no self-esteem. They befriend them and then the teens vanish. It's real and it's scary. Broken Toys also shows how easy it is to manipulate these same teens.
In addition to that, I've been working on some sci-fi and fantasy short stories, a weekly newspaper column on the Perils of Parenting (https://www.pleasantonexpress.com/articles/that-ones-mine/ the most recent contribution), and a monthly column for The Municipal.
I'm trying to figure out how to make a living with my words, but until such time as I win the lottery (which I keep forgetting to play) I will keep scribbling away and showing up at the day job to count beans.
And I really need to start writing on Substack instead of just reading.
Thanks, Glenda. I bet there are plenty of others out there who have a difficult time finishing their novels, for whatever reason. We are definitely not alone!
Your Broken books sound like something I’d be interested in reading. I’ll have to check out your first novel!
You should start writing here! It’s a wonderful community, and I feel like I’m slowly finding the fiction writers and readers.
Hi! I don't remember how I found your Substack but this seems like a good time to introduce myself! I also live in the Hudson Valley and I write weekly nonfiction at https://finnschubert.substack.com/
I'm working on gathering the past 5 months of essays into a self-published collection, in collaboration with my fantastic artist friend, Shea in the Catskills.
Hey, neighbor! Thank you so much for sharing your Substack and for subscribing to mine! I look forward to reading some of your work later tonight. (Also, I hope those storms that whipped through just now didn’t hit you too hard.)
Best wishes on your collection/collaboration! It sounds like you have a great vision in mind. Keep me posted as things get rolling!
Nice meeting you, Finn. Take care and I’m sure I’ll see you around! 😀
I'm hacking into lyric websites and editing all the Depeche Mode stuff to more accurately reflect Libertarian ideals. Ok, no I'm not. But I'm still publishing fiction every day on https://jimmydoom.substack.com and dragging my feet on publishing my new collection. An anthology I have a flash fiction story in ( 81 Words , edited by Chris Fielden ) just won a Saboteur Award in England. I don't know how prestigious the award is, but I love the name.
Haha! It does sound like a worthwhile project, though. 🤣
Good luck with everything. It sounds like you have a lot going on. Congratulations on the recent publication - the name of that award is awesome! Even though I fall behind with reading, I always look forward to receiving your stories in my inbox!
I have at least 2 readers who save them up 2 weeks at a time, then read and comment. I wouldn't mind if people went all the way back to story #1 and commented
I’m sure this summer I’ll read a slew from your archive. (I say this now before summer becomes just as jam-packed, haha.) But I’d definitely like to take a look.
I need to just sit down with a few people and pick out which stories will be in the next paperback.
Great idea! How do you decide which stories go together?
Whichever stories myself and my readers think are my best and most representative of my work. I would bend slightly for disability and LGBTQ inclusion, but I think in many cases the stories with characters from those communities are better than some of the others because I took great care to get them right.
🤣🤣
I love this!
I'm changing the format of my Substack publication so that my weekly posts read more like snail mail letters we used to write instead of blog posts. (The first letter goes out tomorrow!) I'm also recommitting to finishing my Science Fiction Haiku collection for publication this summer.
Jason...I absolutely love this idea! I can’t wait to read your first letter. I miss snail mail - the anticipation of knowing a letter is headed your way. I think this is going to add an awesome element to your newsletter - and you already know I’m a fan of what you do over there.
That’s great news about your Science Fiction collection! I look forward to ordering a copy down the line. Best wishes on all of your writing projects! 😀
I’m finishing and polishing the beta release of my first text adventure game! It’s called Use Your Psychic Powers at Applebee’s and it’ll be exclusively for my subscribers at https://adventuresnack.com.
This sounds like so much fun, Geoffrey. I remember reading this in your most recent post! I can't wait to read & play my way through when it's released. Best of luck as you polish the final product!
Thank you! It won’t be too long until the game is “served.”
Intriguing!
I have two novels in progress, but no rush.
Since the pandemic began I've had more fun writing short stories. I think that's because early on in the pandemic I couldn't concentrate for long on any one thing. Once I got into the groove of short story writing, I continued.
It's better when there is no pressure. That's exciting! What genres? Sci-fi, by any chance? I'm a big fan of all of your stories, but I love the ones with a time travel element. Can't wait to hear more as your novels unfold.
I've really enjoyed writing short stories as well, Bill. It's an entirely different process and most of the time the "bones" can be laid down on a single pass. The time commitment doesn't factor in as much as it does with a novel.
At the start of the pandemic, I hammered out a young adult science fiction novel in a month or two. I wasn't sleeping much anyway, so most nights I stayed up really late and hammered it out. The first draft of the novel needs some work, but down the line I'd like to rewrite it.
Thanks for sharing!
I look forward to your short stories every Sunday Bill!
Thank you, Brian. I enjoy writing stories and I'm glad you enjoy reading them.
I am a big fan of your short stories, Bill. I love writing short stories also because it doesn’t take months or years before getting reactions.
Although I wrote my last novella on Substack so I did get some reaction as I posted chapters.
I think readers like short stories, too: It's a quick adventure.
Your (and Justin's) stories are always something I look forward to.
I like the idea of serializing a novella on Substack. I'm going to think about that.
I love that idea, Bill. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while now, but I’m not sure if or when I’ll go for it.
The only thing I’m doing consistently right now is blogging at least twice a week. My office is a mess I need to clean it up and get organized and get back to my transcription studies so I can finish the course!
That's awesome though, Kim! I hear you. I often find that when my surroundings are cluttered, so is my mind (this is especially the case at school and in my classroom).
Best wishes as you finish your course!
Thank you!
I have barely written in the past two months. I foolishly burned out by way overcommitting on my newsletter and needed a break. But I made the necessary changes, took time off, and I am feeling the urge to write returning.
I do want to finish my Baron Britpop book trilogy. There are too many unfinished trilogies out there (I am looking at you Patrick Rothfuss.) I don’t want mine to be one. I would also like to get back to my Substack space sitcom serial, Space Traveler Fargone.
As you know, I am going to be writing a chapter in a round robin story with a dozen other Substack fiction writers. I am hoping that commitment helps me overcome my non-writing inertia. I wrote the opening paragraph, and it felt good. Probably not the answer you expected, but it’s the truth. 🤣
I took a solid month off not too long ago. Sometimes we overwork ourselves and burn out by taking on too much at once (Friday Fix *cough*). 😅 I completely understand where you’re coming from.
That’s exciting to hear about your trilogy. I need to remind myself to buy a copy of Baron Britpop. I started reading it on Medium and never finished it, but I remember really enjoying it. Also: come on, Patrick Rothfuss! You can do this! 🤣
Good luck with all of your projects, Mark!
Yup. It was my own fault. I just kept adding things. I have to learn the hard way. 🙄
I plan to ease back into it and keep it fun. 🤓
My primary goal this year is to write a novella. I believe I have the stamina, and I'm just starting to think about the story. Ultimately I would like to publish it for Kindle, but I wouldn't be opposed to a Kickstarter for a very limited print run. Other than that I'm just going to keep writing short stories on my Substack at https://brianreindel.substack.com. I'm curious Justin, what do you think is the reason you're not finishing the novels? I don't think it's an uncommon problem. Do you lose interest, or is there some needed clarity for the endings? I look forward to hearing the good news that you finish one this year :)
That's exciting, Brian! Best wishes to you as you begin writing your novella. I'm a bit behind on my Substack reading, but I look forward to reading more of your work here as well. I really enjoyed last week's story, but haven't gotten to the more recent one yet.
Thanks for asking! I think there are a bunch of factors. I "pantsed" my way through one or two of my earlier novels with no clear outline or roadmap to guide my process. Since then I've evolved a bit in my process and learned what works for me. I outline my novels now, start to finish, but allow room for flexibility as I work my way toward the ending. I don't know if I've ever lost interest in the novels, I think it's more about getting distracted by new ideas - like outlining another darn novel and starting it, ha! The unfinished novels I mentioned are all fully outlined, so now it's a matter of choosing one to resume and focusing.
Substack has built up my discipline in terms of writing consistently, so now it's a matter of following through!
Thanks for your response, Brian!
Thanks Justin, and thanks for reading! Sounds like you've got a good writing process moving forward. I think mine is pretty similar. I outline the major plot elements, making sure to have a solid ending in mind. If I go into it without the ending solidified I know I'm in trouble. The rest is much like what you said, it's there, but could possibly change. I'm sure whatever I write will be speculative, preferably low fantasy. It's my favorite sub-genre, but doesn't get a lot of notoriety, and it's the most fun to write :)
Of course! Yeah, I agree with you. I think planning with the end in mind is key. It sounds like we do share a similar process!
Low fantasy is a lot of fun! The first novel I ever wrote was speculative/low fantasy…I had a blast. One day I hope to return to it and rewrite it!
Have fun with your upcoming project!
I am delighted to hear that you have so many unfinished novels. Not because you haven't been able to finish them, but rather because now I don't feel so alone.
I am working on the second in a series of novels set in my Broken universe, stories of Texas Rangers with dark secrets or hidden pasts. The first deals with human trafficking. So many people, when/if they think about human trafficking always envisions the child or teenager being grabbed off the street and whisked away never to be seen again. Yes, that happens. Broken Toys (available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble online, Walmart.com, etc.) addresses a different kind of trafficking—the Romeo Syndrome. Young, attractive men and women target teenagers on the fringe of society, the ones with low to no self-esteem. They befriend them and then the teens vanish. It's real and it's scary. Broken Toys also shows how easy it is to manipulate these same teens.
In addition to that, I've been working on some sci-fi and fantasy short stories, a weekly newspaper column on the Perils of Parenting (https://www.pleasantonexpress.com/articles/that-ones-mine/ the most recent contribution), and a monthly column for The Municipal.
I'm trying to figure out how to make a living with my words, but until such time as I win the lottery (which I keep forgetting to play) I will keep scribbling away and showing up at the day job to count beans.
And I really need to start writing on Substack instead of just reading.
Thanks, Glenda. I bet there are plenty of others out there who have a difficult time finishing their novels, for whatever reason. We are definitely not alone!
Your Broken books sound like something I’d be interested in reading. I’ll have to check out your first novel!
You should start writing here! It’s a wonderful community, and I feel like I’m slowly finding the fiction writers and readers.
Hi! I don't remember how I found your Substack but this seems like a good time to introduce myself! I also live in the Hudson Valley and I write weekly nonfiction at https://finnschubert.substack.com/
I'm working on gathering the past 5 months of essays into a self-published collection, in collaboration with my fantastic artist friend, Shea in the Catskills.
Hey, neighbor! Thank you so much for sharing your Substack and for subscribing to mine! I look forward to reading some of your work later tonight. (Also, I hope those storms that whipped through just now didn’t hit you too hard.)
Best wishes on your collection/collaboration! It sounds like you have a great vision in mind. Keep me posted as things get rolling!
Nice meeting you, Finn. Take care and I’m sure I’ll see you around! 😀