9/20/2022 - September Is Overcommitment Month!
Sep 19, 2022 10:35 pm
9/20/2022 - September Is Overcommitment Month!
Greetings fellow readers and writers!
As a teacher, I should know by now not to assume I can juggle too many things right at the start of the school year. However, I too am cursed by the sentiments, "I can make it work," and "Maybe this time, it'll be different."
In many ways, this time it is very different. I'm only teaching part-time, online classes with far less grading, and I'm teaching subjects I really enjoy, which means that each class is less draining. Keep in mind that the school year started for me right after Labor Day weekend, which meant I was on the road from Atlanta just before I started teaching. On the writing front, I'm also taking on a very different role as an author, particularly as an editor and publisher of the new anthology, and right now as the manager of a Kickstarter—more on that later. I have one novel about to be published, another nearly finished, and a third in the planning stages. So, yes, this time things are different, and the docket feels fairly full. Naturally, this is the perfect time to say, "Sure! I can run a D&D campaign." (We'll see how that goes.)
I can't complain too much about any of these things, but sometimes it would be nice if the big events slowed down a little or came at us one at a time. Luckily, we can frame them that way in a newsletter.
Kickstarter News - Murderbirds' First-Day Funding, #ProjectWeLove Tag, and Bonus Authors
The Kickstarter is off to a great start! We managed initial funding in less than 24 hours, which means we can guarantee production and focus on the stretch goals, a few of which we've already hit. Another awesome vote of confidence came in the form of Kickstarter's "Project We Love" label.
At a recent stretch goal threshold, we got to add Crystal Crawford to the list of authors with her story "Cheer Hawks with a Side of Murder," and we're looking ahead toward Wulf Moon at an upcoming stretch goal.
After we cross that line, we'll aim at the Audiobook, and possibly at a 3rd bonus story. If you haven't had a chance yet, check out the Kickstarter, and see what kinds of options there are for readers and emerging authors.
New Release from DreamForge Anvil Issue 9
As of this last weekend, I have a new story published online with DreamForge Anvil in their 9th Issue, which also features author friends Shannon Fox, JMG Nerenberg, and Wulf Moon.
You can find my story, "No Place in Space," online for free, right here: https://dreamforge.mywebportal.app/dreamforge/stories/show/no-place-in-space-mike-jack-stoumbos
Ah, yes… Dragon Con
Dragon Con is a beast. At about 68,000 attendees, it would have to be. But here's something funny: it never felt that level of crowded. Sure, there were a lot of people, and the queue to get into the vendor hall could inspire epic poetry, but it was so well orchestrated between several hotels and many tracks. From a crowded standpoint, Emerald City Comic Con feels way more dense, possibly because everyone is pretty much confined to one building and certain celebrities pull five to ten thousand fans all at once.
Dragon Con felt almost familiar. I ran into a huge number of people I knew just walking around and had enough room and time to pause and chat with them. The level of shared excitement felt extremely inviting, like this was a con run by fans who loved to welcome other fans.
I was seriously intimidated about speaking on the Flash Gordon panel and being—well—the only person there younger than the film, but it was a blast! Yes, I did imitate Brian Blessed, and may have volunteered for a table reading in the future… Joining John Hartness on the Anthology panel was probably my personal highlight, just because it felt like a "made it" moment. The Xenoarchaeology improv was run by Jody Lynn Nye, who is absolutely hysterical, and included Ester Friesner, JD Blackrose, Bobby Nash, and Shami Stovall.
Unfortunately, by that point, I had mostly lost my voice. I tested negative for Covid, but I landed a sinus infection that was inevitably exacerbated by all of the talking and, frankly, con crud. I was completely unable to speak later in the day, and had to bow out of the space opera panel. <Sigh> Fortunately, there's always next year.
Special shoutout to Joe Crowe of the American SciFi Classics Track, Venessa Giunta who runs TWT (The Writing Tribe) and helped coordinate the Writers Track, and John Goodwin of Galaxy Press who got me set up on the sales floor and in many ways made it possible for me to go to Dragon Con in the first place. It takes a giant interconnected village.
That's all I have for my newsletter village today. Once again, please check out and share the Kickstarter—any signal boosts are appreciated.
Cheers,
Mike Jack Stoumbos