I’m entering the fifth month of my new obsession with science fiction and fantasy (SFF). Last month, I focused solely on sci-fi. The genre is somewhat new to me, and I wanted to build a foundation by reading the classics and penning some stories. April, however, has been all about fantasy. I read some great books in the genre, my favorite being Elantris by Brandon Sanderson. I’ve fallen in love with his writing and have since bought three more (massive) books by him that I plan to get to soon. Short Stories An approximation of the planet Atha (via Wikimedia Commons) I finished my story “Mother ..read more

It was a gamble veering off into a new genre after writing horror all these years, but I am so glad I made that choice. Science fiction is fast becoming my new obsession, with so many ideas flooding in and so much to explore. I was worried in last month’s post that I would quickly lose interest in sci-fi and fantasy, but I am happy to report that I am more inspired than ever. I had expected fantasy to be my focus. Instead, science fiction has consumed all my waking thoughts. Reading Isaac Asimov’s Foundation trilogy was my foundation (image via Amazon) I’m reading as much science fiction as I ..read more

Returning to science fiction and fantasy has reminded me why I love these genres so much. The amount of creativity that goes into worldbuilding alone is astounding. And when it’s done right, it transports you to another realm. Fantasy has always had a special place in my heart. The books below are some that mean the most to me—all of which I would highly recommend. I should point out that the first two books technically belong to the New Weird genre, but I’ve included them here as I feel they share many similarities. Perdido Street Station by China Miéville This book blew me away. I went into ..read more

With my novel finished, I’m ready for the next chapter of my writing journey. But what to do? I love this freedom, a thousand directions I could go in. After much thought, I’ve decided to get back into writing short stories before I start another long project, but not necessarily horror. Before I go any further, I should let you know that I have a curse. Whenever I announce a big writing change on this blog, I inevitably give up on it within a month. But I’m so excited about this latest passion that I can’t help myself. I’ve been exploring fantasy and science fiction. A month ago, I was inspir ..read more

I have trouble finishing long writing projects, which is why it felt so great to complete the final edits of my latest novel last week. First drafts take me no more than a couple months to write. I’m in the zone, obsessed with the words I’m putting on the page. The problem comes later. I’ll be halfway through editing a novel or novella when my interest wanes. I’m too excited about the next project and so I abandon it. Months later, I’ll return, do a little more work, and abandon it again. Thus, nothing ever gets done. I’m changing this. There were many times while I was editing M: The Plastic ..read more

The last time I completed the final edits of a novel was back in 2018. The book was called Snap. It was my first long submission and received several polite rejections. A couple years later, I submitted a novella called The Preposterous Theater, which was deservedly rejected. Now my novel M: The Plastic Prometheus has just a few more edits and then I’ll be done. I was still in my writing infancy when I wrote Snap and The Preposterous Theater. With this current novel, I think I’ve progressed a lot. I still have a long, long way to go, but I have more confidence than I did before. My old method ..read more

It’s only halfway through January and I’m already going back on a New Year’s resolution. I stated that I wanted to read 52 books this year. That, I discovered, wasn’t the right approach. I should read the books that I want to read without worrying about quantity, and if I so happen to read 52 or more, great. I came to this conclusion when I was studying the spines on my shelves. Many of the books that I wanted to read were thick tomes, some with 1000+ pages, books like The Stand or the works of Terry Goodkind. It was disappointing to realize that I would have to put these on hold yet again. Ot ..read more

I’ve been immersing myself in good horror as I finish the final edits of my novel. Two of the books below are Bram Stoker Award recipients. I also focused on reading gothic literature so I could get a better understanding of its pacing and atmosphere. December is my month for reading longer books. Around then, my Goodreads goal is usually completed, and I have free reign to dig into fatter books. As such, all three books below are over 500 pages. ANNOUNCEMENT: This will be my last “What I Read” post for at least several months. I don’t like how they impact my reading habits. Instead, I should ..read more

This was a productive year. While I didn’t accomplish everything I set out to do, I progressed as a writer, reader, and person. I read some great books, worked on projects that I’m proud of, and even added a little bit to my bibliography. I attended two conventions that inspired the heck out of me, and for the first time in my life, I felt good about my writing. I’m usually a total pessimist, but barring some catastrophe, I think 2024 might be my year. (I knocked on wood as I typed this.) Via Wikimedia Commons Last Year’s Resolutions Read 48+ books (including 10 by Stephen King). So far, I’ve ..read more

This month has been an editing marathon. My goal was to finish the edits for my gothic horror novel by the end of December. I’ve halted all my other projects to do so. However, despite my efforts, it might seep into the beginning of January. Via Wikimedia Commons What Needs to Be Done My editor stated that I don’t need to remove anything from the novel, but rather add more to it. He said 12,000 to 15,000 more words. I honestly don’t think I can put that many new words into it without making it feel bloated. But I hope to add at least 8K-10K. My novel is a book inside a book, and he felt the ou ..read more