2nd Article at Modern Manjack

Make sure you check this out. If you like video games, and you like supporting a freelance writer, than by all means get to clicking.

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Modern Manjack

A new article that I wrote was just posted over at my latest client. Check it out! Who doesn't love ScarJo anyway?

New Ghost Story

I saw that Emby Press is accepting submissions for a ghost-themed anthology. Never written a ghost story before...here we go!

Recent Writing

It feels good to send in some submissions again! I've been very focused on the new Skull scribbles, trying to building up a library of short stories, series issues, and strips for the eventual site launch. Plus there's all of that corporate content writing that pays the bills. Today I submitted three stories: two to Emby Press and one to Black Treacle. Cross your fingers!

The Skull Returns!

With what little free time I have, between freelance writing (got a new big client signed last week!) and audio production (lots of little clients last week!) I'm still working on The Skull. Here's new art I commissioned that will eventually be part of the Skull's upcoming website. Yes, I'm designing a new site that will feature artwork, original stories, and serve as a customer portal to the future publications. Mwha-ha-ha! This image is pretty awesome, right?

The Hook

How do you start your stories? Do you try to begin with some type of attention-grabbing element? If you can't hook your reader within the first paragraph you probably won't retain them for the entire story. This is mostly applicable to the short story artform, but I think it's just as viable for full length novels as well. I always prefer to start off with an unattributed quote from a character. Something like this: "There's no telling how many people I'm going to have to kill today." Don't attribute that little bit of dialogue and make sure it has something to pull the reader in. Identify the speaker in the next two to three paragraphs. That gets the literary ball rolling and your reader will likely stick with you longer. Just my own personal tactic, but I'm curious if my fellow writers do something similiar.

Hardcore Applications!

It's a virtual whirlwind of activity over the last few days as far as bidding for new gigs goes. On the audio front, I submitted for around 20 jobs. My quotes are fairly competitive I feel, so hopefully we'll see if I get awarded any of those jobs. On the writing front, I have very serious prospects in with Dot Com Media, ErieDrive, and a few other private groups. Lots, and I mean LOTS, of work available here, so let's hope this pans out. I've gotten a few paid sample requests from them, so huzzah! I got in with one client only to drop him right away. They wanted me to pay a third party auditor to verify the authenticity of my work. Sorry. Not how I operate, especially for the pennies on the dollar fee I was making compared to my normal rate. I don't really mind it so much, it's just the principle of the thing. I shouldn't be paying someone else so that I can get paid in the first place. It's redundant. Sent out a few more portfolios this morning. Fingers crossed!

Moving on up

I've been working off and on with http://www.jungle.com, a fantastic ite that is growing very rapidly. I was chatting with the site owner this morning and was surprised to hear that he site has arond 2,000 contributors already. They haven't been operating for very long, so this is all kinds of cool. This morning's net-meeting resulted in an offer to buy a few more stories, and also make give me an administrative position with the site. Sweet! The group there is very nice and open to working with others, so it's a wonderful atmosphere to be a part of. Can't wait to dive deeper in!

General Update

Egads! I'm still here and kicking. The lull in activity is largely due to the birth of my third child. Yes, I actually convinced a woman to procreate with me not once, not twice, but three times. She's very resilient but always faults to my charms of whimsy. The kids are great. The wife is great. 'Nuff said. NOW! Let's get back into the writing world! While I have been able to maintain some smaller clients, I am once more in the market for that elusive Big Fish. That one client that really takes up all of your free time. The particular customer that needs a little extra rub. You know the one. Lots of feelers thrown out there, so we'll see what comes about. I'm thinking of starting a Linked-In profile just for freelance work. Whelp. Stating it was all the convincing I need. I'll create one today. Working on things again for Bad Tiger Studios, as well as Jungle Age. A collection of stories, Red Planet Rising, is on the way. I was hoping to get some backing for that, but having another baby pretty much killed that prospect, so I'll most likely just self-publish the thing. Got a job with a game company, writing events. Their system is...baffling, but lucrative. Is this the Big Fish? Hmm...