At the advice of my Dark Master, Scott Oden, I am trying to stay focused on one writing project at a time. Right now I am working on a short story for a writing competition at Rogue Blades Entertainment. Speaking of RBE, if you enjoy short fiction anthologies, that's what they do. They have several volumes currently available, each with a specific theme. I just picked up Rage of the Behemoth and it's some really good stuff. I highly recommend checking them out for short fantasy and heroic fiction.
When this story is done, I am going to start working on a rather large project, but one that has been lurking in my mind for a while. I'm not going to go into details for now, but I will say it's a contemporary novel with lots of action and intrigue. There is a lot of research involved, but I have an inside track on someone who is very open to helping me out. And the best part is, I don't have to create a world or research a historical setting. This one takes place in our world, in our time. That's a little pressure relieved.
I've also gotten into blogging for Black Gate Magazine. I had my first blog published last Saturday, with another coming out this Saturday. They are both reviews of d20 products that are out of print. That seems to be my shtick for BG, game reviews. However, I do plan to do some fantasy book reviews soon too. I'm kind of short on ideas right now, but I think I can manage at least a couple, and I'm sure more ideas will come to me. And I will also take this opportunity to plug Black Gate. They are semi-annual, but the magazine is huge. And you can read samples of the stories, as well as buy back issues (while they last). Check them out!
I've been making online connections with a lot of writers, and people involved in writing and publishing lately. I think "surrounding" myself with people in the industry will help me stay focused and inspired.
Oh, and for some reason I have ninjas on the brain today...
Focus, focus, focus....
