For the past two years, I used this blog to publish most of my reading journals for my graduate program. I graduated in June, and now it’s time to give this place a new purpose.
I’ve put a lot of thought into what kind of thing this site should morph into, and I haven’t quite decided yet. I think I’ll start doing book reviews, but we’ll see. For now, I’ll post the occasional thought and progress as I work toward publication.
I completed my first horror novel of 81,000 words during my program. At my final residency in June I gave my thesis defense which included reading a section of my novel and fielding questions from the audience.
This is me reading.
Photo Copyright Coelynn McIninch
I was scared. I was fortunate to have a lot of familiar faces, and my mentors Scott A. Johnson and Tim Waggoner were extremely supportive. The whole experience was like my first roller coaster ride. I spent hours in anticipation, racked by nervousness, only to get on, pull the bar down, and find out that I LOVE roller coasters! I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished, eager to keep producing more (hopefully) quality fiction, and enticed by the possibility of sharing more of that work in person.
I have already started my next steps.
I’ve submitted my manuscript to two places already. I have a short list of more agents. Why haven’t I sent it to all of them yet? I expect rejections. A lot of them. I just don’t want them all to come in at once.
I have started my next novel-length project. It’s turning out to lean more into fantasy, but there’s still strong elements of horror in it. I’m having fun with it, and I hope when it’s done that my readers will too.
And to fill the spaces between, I’m working on some short stories. I have two long-overdue for revision based on critiques from my graduate program, and one that I’m drafting to submit to an upcoming (no ETA) anthology of Meatpunk stories. Yes. Meatpunk. It’s all the rage. Want to know more? Check out the blog posts by Chris Shearer and John Dixon.
~Meat punk - it’s what’s for dinner. Now stop whining and eat.~
That’s it for now. Watch this space for more words and stuff, sucka.