Media Fast

I'm going on a bit of a media fast. Among other things, it means that I won't be spending as much time fritzing around on Facebook or Google News or even Wikipedia as much. 

My hoped-for benefits? Without constant distraction, I'm hoping that my heart will get more sensitive, that my hunger for God's presence will increase, that I'll be able to hear his voice that much better. 

Other desired side benefits include an increased focus on the things that really matter to me, including my family, my friends, and of course, my writing. 

Look for my blog posts here to increase some, particularly as I up the level of writing output. 

Last chapter...

I'm down to the last chapter on my current book project (which I'm ghostwriting with another author). I hope to get the bulk of the remaining chapter banged out this weekend. At the moment, I'm waiting to hear from the publisher on a couple of detail-y things, so we'll see how things are going to pan out. As far as I know, though, once I get the go-ahead from the publisher, then we'll enter the editing phase and get the project published before the fall (God willing).

Another book deal in the works...

I've been asked by a local publishing contact to write another non-fiction book starting in July. I don't have the contract yet, so of course there's the slight possibility that it might not happen, but it looks like it probably will. I met with my contact last week and at least verbally (and in email exchanges) it looks like it's going to happen. I'll post more details when I've got the contract for sure. 

First Draft of "Day Off" finished

I've finished my first draft of the robots story. I'm still working out a couple of details, but I'm pretty much satisfied with how it came out. I'll be working on the "up" draft (or second draft) now, and then it'll be ready to send around to my readers. 

It's sort of an unusual story for me in that it came in under 3,000 words on the first draft. It'll end up weighing in around 3,000 words max, I think, as I don't intend to add a lot of material. It's probably the shortest story that I've done which wasn't flash fiction to start with. Yet it feels complete as it stands. Actually, the length will probably make it easier to sell, as editors like stories that enable them to squeeze just a bit more into a particular magazine issue. We'll see.

Big, Dangerous Robots

I'm most of the way right now through a story that I'm really enjoying writing (always a good sign). I won't tell all now, as I really hate giving synopses, but it does involve robots. Dangerous ones. And it's kind of funny (at least I hope that's how it'll come across). Not a deep story by any means, but a fun one to write, and I know just where to submit it when I'm done with it.

Adam and Eve story

My bigger book project is still looming and I'm working away at it, but it's nice to be able to seize inspiration every once in a while and just run with something new and fresh. 

I woke up one morning recently with a dream still vivid in my mind: I'd dreamed of Adam (yes, the famous one from the Bible) and he was mourning his wife's death--the first death he'd ever seen from old age. 

I don't know if anyone's ever done this angle before (though I'd be willing to bet that they have) but I thought I'd give it a try. Its earthiness and direct-ness reminds me quite a bit of Frederick Beuchner, actually (which is a high compliment, in my mind). Anyway, if I ever finish it, I've definitely got some markets (some paying and some not paying) that I'll be sending it off to. 

Time to dust off the cobwebs...

It's been so long since I've made a blog post here that I'm surprised that Blogger hasn't deleted my account.

Anyway, I'm still around. I just got busy for a while with other things. It happens. I'll post next about a couple of things that I've been doing related to writing, but in the meantime: I'm back!