Happy belated New Years everyone! 🎉🎉
I truly hope this post finds you and yours well in 2022. I wanted to take a moment to check in and give you some updates on what is going on with my literarily as well as literally.
Writing Projects in 2022:
Thus far in 2022, I have submitted a short story to Crimson Pinnacle Press for their upcoming short story anthology, which has a working title of Old Scratch. The anthology is meant to be a collection of stories about the devil, demons and other hellish subjects. With my debut novel, The Condemned along with my love of horror, I felt this was a great opportunity for me to come up with a unique story to submit. I call that tale, The Devil’s Cut and it takes place in a dive bar in Southie Boston, Massachusetts with a bartender who comes face to face with a truly hellish character. The deadline for submissions is February 10, 2022, and my hope is that by March 10, 2022, I will know if it was selected to be included in the final selection of stories.
Now while I am confident my story is unique and would a story people would want to read, I am prepared for rejection. I only say that because one of the things lots of other writers have said is that rejection is part of the journey. For example, the short story that I wrote called, Abiding Love, for Scare Street‘s open submissions for their anthology of ghost stories was rejected. Did it suck to not get a response from them either way about the story, you bet. However, after sulking for a day or two about it, I brushed it off and got back to work.
That brings me to my own short story anthology that I started last year. I have one story left to finish in that and two others to revise and then I can send it off to the publishers that expressed interest. Before I do that though, I am working on another radio play to submit to several podcasts that I think would be interested in it.
I came up with a story that I am excited to tell about a man who comes home to a black envelope just inside his apartment. Upon opening it, all of this black ink like powder pours out staining his hands. Inside of the envelope is a collection of folded papers with a note on them that reads, Actions have consequences. The story is going to be quote a wild ride of the characters involved and once it is done and submitted, I can share more. I did just finish my first draft of scene two (2) tonight. I wrote a synopsis for each scene, and it looks like it will be five (5) scenes in total. I’m excited about that story and I hope one of the podcasts that I submit it to likes it.
Lastly, the radio play that I wrote entitled, Wolf’s Bane, will be airing this year on the Bane Podcast, which is a premium podcast for Patreon members of The Grey Rooms‘ podcast. They release new episodes at the start of each month, and they haven’t told me when mine will be posted, but once it does, I will be sure to let you all know so you can check it out. Since it is a premium podcast, you will have to pay to listen to it, which I realize may not be something everyone wants to do, but the teams that put these sorts of podcasts together rely on our support to produces such great programming, so I truly hope you will consider paying the fee for the first month of access to check out my story and perhaps stay for all the other great talent that is on offer there. I don’t get any sort of financial benefit from people signing up. This would just me hoping you would consider paying to hear my story. More to come on that. Otherwise, my next novel will come after the short story anthology.
That is all I have to share for now. I want to say thank you again to those of you supporting me and showing your interest in my work. Your kind words and support mean so very much to me. I am hopeful that 2022 is a year where more of my work ends up in your possession for you to enjoy. Take care of yourselves, support the art that you love, and I’ll post again soon.
🤟
Literally Jesse 