I know I’ve been whisper-silent on this blog since, well, forever. The reason for this is I’ve been in a “quiet time”. I’ve been writing, of course, but in amongst that was a job change, a collaborative project (almost done, thank you Mr. Gareth Jones), and of course The Tyrant Stratagem, which is the Tarrasque in the room.

So the big two projects are almost — finally — done. I anticipate the project with Mr. Jones being done sometime in the next few weeks. Then my novel should follow by mid to late summer and start making the rounds at agencies. If I can only get someone to give it a chance…

Speaking of, I think that’s why I’ve had such a hard time revisiting short fiction (in addition to the work load). 2009 and 2008 were years full of disappointment for me. Over and over again, my fiction kept getting “so close” with editors and getting narrowly turned down that I honestly think I lost heart. It’s ironic, I suppose, given my bibliography already, but I’m not immune to frustration. The entire experience has just left a bad taste in my mouth. It’s easier to turn inwards and labor at a novel during such a time.

That, and I’ve been ministering. It’s been very fulfilling and has had me looking over some of my choices both present and past. I’ve been introspective. One of those things I’ve thought long on has been my writing style and methods. You will see a transformative difference between my tales of the past and those that are coming.

Still, I have written a few short stories during this time — just haven’t sent them anywhere — and have also outlined several others. What’s happening is the “quiet time” is almost over. Almost.

There will be a small reminder of sorts at Balticon this year. Call it a distant trumpet. I’m coming back. Tired of sitting on the sidelines.

Stay tuned.

Mark it down in the books. Here lies the first draft of “The Tyrant Stratagem“, hammered out on this day of our Lord, October 27th, 2009.

Ten years back it took me a year and a half to finish a first draft. This one was done in nine months. I’m pleased about that. And it’s my hail-Mary to the world of publishing. Wish me luck with the play.

Stay tuned.

( 4/30/2011: This post below, made over a year back, describes my novel, The Tyrant Strategem The Tyrant Strategy, which I’m currently shopping around. A lot has changed since I made this post, but the goal is the same: I’m looking for representation for a tale with million-dollar characters. Do drop me a line if I’ve peaked your interest.)

——————————–

If you’ve followed this blog, you might wonder why I’ve been so quiet lately. The short answer is, I’ve been busy.

Interested in the long answer? It’s been a busy several months in my personal and professional life. We’ve cut back on staff where I work, which is symptomatic of the economy, and I’ve become the sole member of what once was a two-person team, and I’ve been merged with another group, taking on several old and new responsibilities there. I’ve been rabidly undergoing a series of home labs and study projects while I pick up much greater proficiency in T-SQL, which is a back-end language utilized by Microsoft’s line of database products. I’m learning quickly, but it’s the result of hard work and aggressive projects at my job. This is fine, of course, but there goes more time.

Back in February, I also had elective surgery to resolve a lovely spinal condition that had been plaguing me for the better part of a year. I’m still not fully healed-up.

To top it off, there’s still the mundane stuff, like submitting fiction (still chasing my first pro sale — hoping for this year) and the non-mundane stuff, like the novel I’ve been writing.

The piece is called The Tyrant Strategem (Jonathan: The Tyrant Strategy). It is the first in a three-part series. I have outlined everything that happens in all three novels in a ginormous outline. Character development is the core emphasis of this work, and what happens at the end is so specific and deliberate that I simply wanted to give this tale, this new universe, the best treatment I can. I’m about twenty-five thousand words into it. It’s a blend of dark character drama, thriller, and military action. I know that, no matter what, I will have bagged at least my twelfth fiction sale by the time I start agent-shopping with this work. I’ve other finished novels to my name, but this will be the first I’ll really start shop around.

So I’m busy. I’m still going to be updating here now and then, but I can’t promise you’ll hear from me more than once a month. It’s a short-term sacrifice to sink more time into the single work that deserves everything I can put into it. I believe in this piece. I think it could be the start of something big. Now I need only complete it and find an agent that believes in it as well.

Thanks for reading, everyone out there.