Today I updated the STORIES page on this blog to include my recent acceptances. I think this is the most stuff I’ve ever had pending all at once.

I also think many people never look at that page, so I’ll post the whole current list of forthcoming publications below as well.

“Jewels and False Memories: The Origins of a Lunatic” in Surreal Worlds, edited by Vincenzo Bilof
FORTHCOMING, SPRING-SUMMER 2015

“Miles and Kathrine at the Crimson” in Leaves of a Necronomicon, edited by Joseph S. Pulver Sr.
FORTHCOMING, AUGUST 2015

“Apprentice, Muse and Mancer” in A Mythos Grimmly, edited by Jeremy Hochhalter
FORTHCOMING, EARLY 2015

“The Tidal Pull of Salt and Sand” in Xnoybis #1, edited by Jordan Krall
FORTHCOMING, SPRING-SUMMER 2015

“Delirium Sings at the Maelstrom Window” in Cthulhu Fhtagn!, edited by Ross E. Lockhart
FORTHCOMING, AUGUST 2015

“The Smoke Lodge” in Autumn Cthulhu, edited by Mike Davis
FORTHCOMING, AUGUST 2015

Thanks for all the above editors and publishers for believing in my work. One thing I’ve always hoped for was to find a variety of outlets for my work. I hope to have at least one more item to add to the list before too long.

I’ve always been interested in seeing pictures of how creative people work, maybe because I’m constantly tweaking and reworking my own work processes and tools.

Maybe the most notable thing about how and where I write is that I write in a lot of different places and situations. Sometimes I write longhand, sometimes I type into a simple distraction-free text editor (Byword or Writeroom or Pywrite), though most often I work in Scrivener.

This variety is driven by the need to move around and change positions throughout the day (especially on Sundays, when I wrote from early morning until 8PM) for comfort’s sake, and also in recognition of the importance of trying different approaches.

I haven’t included a picture of my main desk, but here are a couple of alternatives I sometimes use.

First, a standing desk.

In the above photo, I’m using a vertical monitor orientation and a distraction-free (meaning no menus or toolbars or icons visible, just a page full of words) text editor.

I enjoy the change to a standing position, though I doubt I could write like this for an entire day. I tend to move around a lot, and I enjoy standing right between the stereo speakers. Music is a big part of the background atmosphere I use to create the right mental space.

At least once a week, I write on the treadmill.

You can buy expensive “treadmill desks” but I’ve created my own setup by clamping a board across our existing treadmill. In this photo, I’m using a shoebox to lift my laptop to the desired height, but lately I’m using a more permanent lift solution… one of those adjustable aerobic “step exercisers.”

While writing, I walk at a pretty low speed, usually 2.2 MPH. Faster walking makes it hard to type accurately. In order to get myself a bit of a workout — I want to get some exercise, and increase my heart rate, but not get too sweaty while I’m touching the keyboard — I increase the treadmill incline to 6 or 8 degrees.

I find myself getting caught up in the world of the story and forgetting about the walking. Usually I do at least 90 minutes, more often closer to two hours. It’s something I’d very highly recommend to writers who need to spend a lot of hours writing, and lament the usual lack of activity.

There’s nothing too noteworthy about my laptop – it’s a 17″ Macbook Pro and I use Scrivener quite a bit. I also rely on an internet-blocking program called Self Control to prevent myself from using the distraction of social media to escape when the writing work gets tough.

I’m pleased to report my story “The Tidal Pull of Salt and Sand” will appear in the first issue of XNOYBIS, a journal of the weird from Dunhams Manor Press.

It always seems the case that when I go longer than usual without a blog update, it’s during a stretch of especially hard work.

I just finished writing a 38k word novella, which I hope will occupy the final slot in my planned story collection. I’ve assembled that collection manuscript and begun the submission process, and I hope before too long I’ll have some idea when, how and where my collection may appear.

I had a good year writing and publishing in 2014, though it included a share of disappointments and frustrations.

Story publications included:

“No Mask to Conceal Her Voice” in the King in Yellow themed issue of Lovecraft eZine

“May Dawn Redeem What Night Destroys” in the Current 93 tribute anthology Mighty In Sorrow edited by Jordan Krall

“Firedancing” in The Children of Old Leech, the Laird Barron tribute anthology from Word Horde.

Most significantly, I published the standalone novella Far From Streets with Dunhams Manor Press. Though that was published in a small edition of only 50 copies, which quickly sold out, that publication has received an excellent response from those who have seen it. That novella should reappear in my collection, for those who missed the standalone.

These acceptances for publication should appear in 2015:

“Apprentice, Muse and Mancer” in A Mythos Grimmly

“Jewels and False Memories: The Origins of a Lunatic” in Surreal Worlds

“Miles and Kathrine at the Crimson” in Leaves of Necronomicon.

I still have several other pieces under consideration at various venues, so may soon be able to add to the list of acceptances pending publications.

Of course the biggest thing I have going is the story collection, which is now in the submission process. While that’s underway, I’m beginning work on a novel, and sorting ideas for the next few things.