9/23/2023 - “Murderbugs” Cover Reveal, Free Preview Story, and Upcoming Workshops

Drumroll, please…

Good morning!

Murderbugs, volume 2 of the Unhelpful Encyclopedia series, is creeping up on the Kickstarter launch--and looking great. To get the ball rolling, we have released a preview story from award-winning author Desmond Astaire: “You Are the Mother of Doomsday.”

You can read it here for free: https://www.mikejackstoumbos.com/murderbugs-preview-story

And, if you’re into riddle-solving and code-cracking, have a go at the secret message embedded in the story. (Yes, you’ll know it when you see it.) There will be prizes for the first ten to solve and turn in the message. Details in the link above.

Upcoming Workshops

I’ve made a new page on my website (Workshops and Services) to manage workshops, and I’ve copied the current list below.

• Short Story Structure Crash Course - This Saturday August 26, 6pm-7:30pm Eastern
• Rapid and Real Character Creation - Thursday September 7, 8:00pm-9:00pm Eastern
• "Star Trek" Episode Structure for Authors - Saturday September 9, 6pm-7:30pm Eastern
• Rapid and Real Setting Creation - Thursday September 14, 8:00pm-9:00pm Eastern
• "Twilight Zone" Episode Formula for Authors - Saturday September 16, 2pm-3:30pm Eastern
• "Don't Polish off the Snags" - [most likely] Saturday September 23, 2pm-3pm
• Braving the Short Story Submission Gauntlet - [most likely] Saturday September 30 6pm-7:30pm
• Short Story Structure Crash Course - [October]
• The Road to WriMo - [October]
• The Quick and Dirty Novel Plan - [October]

By popular vote, the first workshop in the Autumn series will be the “Short Story Structure” crash course. In 90 minutes, we’ll take a look at how plot outline templates for full-length novels and films relate to short stories and walk through four simple approaches for planning short stories (hopefully without going over the word count). 

If you’re interested in attending this Saturday’s workshop, you can register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYvfuGvqDgiHdZco64OPwg9-wqTBQPuj6np

That’s going to be it for me today. Between the new puppy, new school year, and growing publishing business, I’m trying not to bite off more than I can chew with any new task—including the newsletters and workshops. Even so, Ty sends his regards:

I’ll be in touch in the coming weeks with a new science fiction anthology, the upcoming murder mystery in space novella, and the launch of the Murderbugs Kickstarter.

As always, happy reading!

Mike Jack Stoumbos