That’ll do, pig. That’ll do.

Finally, after a brief hiatus, I have returned to blogging. It may not last long, but I owe it to those who have returned time and time again to find no new postings.

Last time, I mentioned that I would talk a little bit about the various writing projects I have floating around. Rather than list them all, I’ve decided to choose two and tell a bit about each.

For some time, I’ve wanted to write a funny little SF piece reminiscent of Joe Haldeman. This isn’t something I’m very committed to, and it isn’t a project I’m very passionate about, but I thought it might be fun. A few months ago, I came up with an idea. An out-of-work engineer with aspirations towards video game design mods his old, beat-up video game console and fails miserably–he thinks. The modded console doesn’t allow him to create games worthy of commercial development, but the reset button does function in a new and extraordinary way. The protagonist discovers that the video game console, and, by extension, the video game controller, allows him to reset life and try things again until he gets them right. A series of incidents follow in which the character ruins romantic evenings once, twice, three or four times, wrecks cars, loses his part-time job, etc. (He can’t move forward in time or anything, so comparisons to “Click” aren’t warranted.) While this is a humorous piece, in the end, maybe readers can learn a little something about life and the importance of making mistakes.

My second project, one that is near and dear to my heart, has been growing in girth for years. I have a children’s fantasy series. It’s titled, plotted, and almost queried. It’s four/five books–depending on appropriate page lengths for children’s fantasy novels. While I haven’t decided on titles for the individual books, the series is called The Empyreal Keys. I will fight to the death with any editors or agents that try to rename the series–if it gets that far. Randy Ingermanson, the Snowflake Guy and Advanced Fiction Writing guru, suggests that every writer devise a short, one-line, fifteen words or less summary for their novel or series. . . I can’t narrow it down to fifteen words. I’m not going to try. (Although, I really should try for query letter purposes.)

A boy is left a strange collection of keys after the death of his wealthy grandfather. Using the keys, the boy opens a door to a fantastical new world where he, a friendless no-one, is a prophesied hero, the Keybearer.

There are many twists and turns planned for the boy, named William, and his fantasy world. As with any good children’s novel or series, there are lessons to be learned, friends to be made, and adventures to be had. And, like all good children’s series, William will grow and change along with his devoted fans and readers (I’m dreaming). William and The Empyreal Keys have been my babies for years, and I’m finally developing the talent and skill needed to see them come to fruition. Maybe, in a few years, all of you can come to know William as well as me.

That’s all for now. If you’d like to hear more about either projects or about some of the others I have waiting in the wings, feel free to contact me using one of the methods listed on my Contact page.

Next time, if Pat Rothfuss gets his act together (he is having a hard time, now, though), I’ll try to cover the annual Worldbuilders fundraiser and coerce each of you into helping.