Summer 2021 Update
Summer’s speeding along with the propulsion of a booster rocket. After a year of sequestering due to Covid, we’re taking full advantage of the great outdoors. Boating, camping, fishing, tennis, swimming, and mingling amongst the masses, all gleefully hoping the Delta variant is a seat in the exit row and not the slapback villain that pops up from the tub for the final, deadly climax that leads us to a post-apocalypse wasteland. It seems like yesterday we were putting on the “Corona 20,” which is remarkably different from the “Corona 20” I put on in college. Unfortunately, these 20 aren’t coming off quite as fast.
In between outdoor activities, I’ve managed to keep writing despite all the distractions. Many readers have asked about the break between published works. Here are the deets: I wrote a middle-grade novel that I’m very proud of last year, and one beta readers loved. Once completed, I submitted it to agents for traditional publishing representation. Unfortunately, the response wasn’t what I hoped for. I decided to hire a former Big 5 publishing editor to break down what it needs to bust through (slip past?) the gatekeepers. The gist is I need to rewrite the voice in the first couple of chapters. Not a daunting task but one that’s taking some strategic planning to get right. I know I can always self-publish it, but it is difficult for indie authors to market for the middle-grade audience. I’ll take another swing at traditional publishing and self-pub if necessary. It’s too good a story not to get out there.
In the meantime, I wrote a screenplay in the vein of Mrs. Doubtfire. It’s a feel-good family-oriented comedy that the world needs right now. Yeah! Free Britney! A prominent film producer is submitting it to directors as we speak. I’m optimistic this one will find traction. I could easily see it on the big screen or on any of the current streaming platforms. Look for updates here!
While those irons heat up, the question beckons: what do I want to tackle next? While I view genres with the variety of a smorgasbord, the branding boot keeps kicking me in the butt. More and more often, I’m drawn back to Robinson and Friday, wondering how their lives are settling in 2247. I’ve long had the broad strokes of the second trilogy planned out, but lately, the details are coming with greater frequency. If that interests you, feel free to leave a comment below letting me know.
June’s in the rearview mirror, and times it feels Winter Is Coming. Let’s squeeze every drop of juice from July and August. After all, the future is promised to no one.
Please be good to others and yourself. And good reading!