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Emotional Archeology

Because of my long absence from this blog, you might think that I’ve been inactive. It’s not so. Major issues and life-changing events have kept me busy. I’m not going to write about them here, because that’s not what this journal is about, but I will say that so far, as events continue to develop, things have come out OK. I’ve had a long walk through a dark woods of indecision and uncertainty, and I can see the light ahead.

No, this blog is about my pursuits. Writing, art, and all things that relate to that.

After a long year of working hard on many projects, yet never getting done with any of them, I decided to focus on just a couple for the remainder of 2019 and see some things through. To that end, I am working hard on two books, “Name of the Shadow,” and “Johnny Saturn: Changing of the Guard.” Both books have the benefit of already having been written, but they lack final go-overs, formatting, and covers. I decided to tackle these two first because I’m a firm believer in finishing the easier stuff first–it makes one look more productive, it clears stuff off the slate, it’s good for personal morale, etc.

“Name of the Shadow” is a fantasy novel that I wrote in my late twenties. Yes, it’s a “trunk” novel, hidden away for decades. When I wrote it there was no internet to speak of, and I tried really hard to get a literary agent, and unsuccessfully tried again and again. It almost happened, but didn’t. Anyway, at 26 chapters and 216,000 words, this book has waited for it’s chance in the sun for a long time. This novel poses an interesting challenge, because I wrote it when I was younger. So, I consider it to be a collaboration between me and an untested 27-year-old writer. I’m making it a point to not re-write my collaborator’s book, to leave his voice intact, and instead to simply tweak it here and there. I have more trunk novels set in this same world, so I’m also going to make small changes to keep it in continuity with what is coming down the road.

“Johnny Saturn: Changing of the Guard” is a collection of all the finished Johnny Saturn short stories and novellas written between 2007 and 2019. There are nine in total, and, with the exception of “Being Johnny Saturn,” written by Benita, they are all by me. They include the stories included in “City of the Broken Gate,” which I will cease publishing once this book is ready. Two of the stories are new, and never before published. As far as genres, these are all superhero stories, but different ones are also crime noir, horror, romance, or science fiction. Even though they were written over a twelve-year period, there is a weird cohesiveness to them. I hope you’ll read this collection and find out for yourself.

My other projects, such as the “Book of Lists,” and “Apex Killers,” are still very much on the horizon. I just want to get some of my projects done before I get back to them. There is also a black-and-white portfolio that I’ve been hard at work on, pen-and-ink prints set in the Spire City/Johnny Saturn world. There is an upcoming Johnny Saturn miniseries called Planer Eclipse. And, a fantasy novel called “Requiem.”

I’ve got a great deal more I could write about here, but this is probably enough for now. Next time, I’ve got movie and television show commentaries; items that have come into my possession; new computer programs and apps that I’ve got or have been experimenting with; and so much more.

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