Ever Been in a Cockpit, Jimmy?
"Where to, sailor?"

Being in the driver's seat of one's life must feel great. Before then though, I'd just like to get a rein on and a direction in the creative work I've been doing. (Getting paid...well...getting paid consistently for it would be the next big milestone.)

Anyhow, my contract with Southern California has been renewed for a least another six months. Now the question is how to make that count.

I've spent the last week gathering together my materials to start making submissions to literary agents on my second novel. Now that's not to say that I don't hope to sell the first or the third one, I just think that No. 2 is the most accessible, well written, and potentially marketable. (The first one's an enormous beast, and the third's a prequel of sorts to a much larger book I plan to write at some point.) It's been a bit of labor to get all the various elements together for what each of these agencies want for submissions, and I've about got all of them written up. My only concern (as I'm more than a little on the impatient side) is that while my query letter might get a response in as little as a week, once I send them the book, it could be several months before they side if they want to sign me up and push this thing.

Also, while I consider the book more of a satire than anything, it does take place in "the future"...sort of. A lot of the places that sound like they might go for my kind of material often state that they don't do science fiction. Well, Kurt Vonnegut never considered himself a science fiction writer despite the sci-fi elements in many of his books...but unfortunately, I'm not Kurt...or one of his kids...or the guy that mowed his lawn. So we shall see...

Next, I'm still wrestling with what to do with my fiction blog. I've decided to try to do another 100 entries, and come up with a short serialized novel. The problem is that I've got so many other projects swirling around in my head, I haven't had time to come up with a concept for it. Lately, though, I've been missing the discipline of sitting down and either warming up or cooling down after a day of working on other stuff by writing my one new page of fiction. That's one thing I've learned about blogging, like most things extra-curricular (exercise, painting, etc.) from career: It's easy to maintain if you keep yourself doing it, but the minute you fall off, it can be really hard to get back on the horse.

I will, however, be trying to pull together that anthology of the first 100 entries. After all, it's nice to print something out and hold it in your hands...even if it's not got a price tag and a glossy cover at the corner Borders.

Ok, ok, I'll also admit that I do miss writing the occasional poem...haha...something I never thought I'd feel. And call me aggro, but I can't remember the last person I met who called themselves a poet that I didn't want to punch in the face. Of course that leads me onto a whole thing about how it's mostly the rich and/or in some ways privileged who actually get to make a living at playing artist these days.

Anyhow feel free to send in any comments and suggestions about what you think you might like to see.

I've got one idea for the serialized novel...but I'm a little worried that it's a little too "dirty" to be out there in the open on a bright screen. And I thought about playing down the more shocking elements...but...haha...suppressed filth, especially half decently written suppressed filth tends to be oh so much dirtier than just out and out filth.

What a wonderful world.

Cheers.