Upcoming Publications & Writing Briefs

Things are very busy on the writing front for me, and at the moment, I’m balancing bunches of responsibility (which includes posting two to three times a week on this here blog, and keeping it relatively updated; in fact, under Follow Me Here in the sidebar, I’ve added a link to Duran Clan, a new wordpress site in which I’ll post family pics per season, for those inclined to follow).

The editorial team for Coach’s Midnight Diner has selected the stories for its second edition and we’re well into edits. This was a fun, interesting, if not tedious, experience. The four of us — Coach Culbertson, Michelle Pendergrass, Vannessa Ng, and me — conducted a two-hour-plus conference call in which we discussed each piece (at least, those not already rejected), and leveled yeas or nays. There were some stories I liked that didn’t make it, and some I hedged on that did. Either way, it was a window into how this process goes, how much we’re “at the mercy” of an editor’s “whims,” and how often we writers teeter on the precipice of acceptance / rejection. Anyway, this weekend I’m editing two more stories, neither of which require a ton of time, and both of which I’m pretty excited about.

I’ve got three smaller pieces in the chutes for publication, most notable is a creative non-fiction piece slated for the Summer issue of Relief Journal. It’s a memoir style rumination about my years in the ministry, highs and lows, the “defection rate” of young ministers, and my personal sojourn in grappling with life after the pastorate. I’m very, very excited about this, and am praying it will speak to others. Along with that, an eco-horror piece (at least, that’s how I describe it) entitled “Subterranea” will be published sometime soon in the Christian Speculative Fiction ezine, Fear and Trembling. Finally, the Diner will be publishing my story “En Route to Inferno,” in their upcoming edition. It’s the tale of four seminary students commissioned to invalidate a mythical Mexican healer, and explores issues of faith… from the opposite angle.

After much contemplation, and one solid year of research and writing, I have shelved my second novel. While the core concept and characters were fluid, the telling was not. I’m sure I’ll revisit it again… especially since I’ve got about 70,000 words already written! Meanwhile, I’ve just kinda chilled, worked on short stories and essays, and pondered my “career objectives.” Am I aiming CBA or ABA? And what’s my genre? Supernatural suspense? Horror? Sci-fi? But I’ve also grown fond of journalism and pop culture commentary. Perhaps a career as a satirist, reviewer or resident snark is in my future. It’s pretty confusing, but since pulling the novel, it’s given me the freedom to take a broader, less pressured look. After being contacted by an acquisitions editor regarding a “Christian vampire” idea I floated, the concept has assembled itself surprisingly well. I’m about 10K deep and have “synop-sized” it One Sheet-wise. But I’m still unsure whether I should devote the next year of my life to such a potentially “un-marketable” (at least, in regards to mainstream marketability) idea. At the moment, however, the determinant will not be “will it sell,” but am I excited about the story.