WHAT?
So, what have I written?
Thus far a handful of books, some short stories, and columns for a writer’s group newsletter.
Let’s go back about 25 years to when I was part of a writer’s group of probably 60-70 members, maybe more. Over the course of a few years I became the president (or whatever it was called) of the group, which was actually pretty cool. And then I moved to a different state. Oh, well. During the time I was in the group I wrote several front-page columns for our monthly publication. If you think you can phone it in for a newsletter, especially content consumed by other writers, well…
Also during that time I wrote several short stories, mostly SF, and had a few picked up by a very, very small-press publication. Even though they didn’t get much exposure, it was still gratifying to see my stories in print.
I wrote several books, I think 2 1/2 out of a series I was working on, but those have never seen the light of day. I think to myself occasionally that I should go back and see if they’re publishable. I suspect they need a lot of editing and I’m too busy with new stuff right now.
I grew up in southern New Mexico in the U.S. and always thought the scenery would make a perfect backdrop to a story, almost like becoming a character of its own. And then along came Breaking Bad, which did exactly that to perfection. The desert and mountains as well as the city of Albuquerque itself all became integral to the show. I can’t claim the same level of award-winning goodness, but I was still determined to tell a story in and around my hometown. Hence, the three-book series (let’s not call them a trilogy) of Sunset, Sundown, and Sunburst.
As of this writing, I’ve finished writing three books in the past 18 months. First, which is ready to publish; Assignment Day, which needs quite a bit of editing before it’s ready; and Next Time, which I finished less than a week ago and is sitting in a virtual drawer for a couple of months before I go back and do a first editing pass.
The next one I write, unless I get a different idea, will be First Step, the sequel to First. 2023 is going to be a busy year.