Hi, I’m Max and I write fantasy, science fiction, and all sorts of genre stories as well as essays on the craft. If you enjoy what I write below, I’d appreciate you sharing the piece or subscribing to my newsletter more than you know! I’ve got a ko-fi here as well!
Each of my stories is stand-alone. However, many are in a shared universe. If you want to check out a specific world…
You can click here to dive into the fantasy world of Breiar
or click here for some science fiction
or check out my whole catalogue to see what fits the mood of the day here
Thanks again for checking out my work. Enjoy!
What can I say other than thank you! This year has been the busiest of my writing career and feels like the first where saying "my writing career" doesn't feel entirely wrong, or exaggerated. I've got a lot going on and dammit it feels good to be a writer!
Starting with the big news:
My first fantasy novel will be coming out this upcoming February!
Much more news to come on that soon, but for now: It’s a cozy fantasy novel, set in the fantasy world of my short stories. If you've read those, you've even met one of the characters already! I've started getting some reader feedback in and have a round or two of edits remaining to finalize the text before proceeding to all the other piddly items that are required to publish, but it is moving along well. If you've got any interest in reading an advanced copy, please reach out!
With the big news out of the way - and man that feels good - let’s look at this newsletter over these past 6 months and the rest of the year.
For those out of the loop, I took a note from Austin Kleon , and based my year of work around a February new year. My birthday is in February, and it always felt more fresh to me than forcing a start in January immediately after the holidays. This February I made a commitment to a schedule to push myself in writing this year. A refresher:
1st and 3rd Thursday each month: An essay or writing or thoughts on a book.
2nd Thursday each month: A fantasy short story (and these have been trending long in the wordcount)
4th Thursday: a science fiction or other genre short story.
5th Thursday: a bonus flash fiction piece.
With that schedule, it’s been a busy year to say the least. A look back now at the productivity forced upon myself with the arbitrary schedule and I've published:
Ten pieces of genre fiction, 22,821 words total.
Five fantasy short stories, totaling 20,635 words - told you these got longer.
Eleven essays, at 11,083 words.
And that's just what's been published thus far!
I’m going to take a second and revel in a look back in the work done. It feels good.
So, what have I learned over these intense six months?
- A schedule elicits work. I know for a fact I would not have been this productive without the internal push to not let "the schedule" down. I’m really looking forward to how this applies to the plans I’m working up for next year…
- Life happens, even with work. I had to return to my own essay about work a few times, but even with the pressure on myself, I still lived life. I went backpacking for 10 days (writing a little in a notebook), I went on vacation with my wife, and I still gamed and read and chored about as usual.
-It’s ok to ebb and flow between genres. I tend to write a handful of sci fi stories in a burst, then at another time it may be horror or fantasy or essays, but it’s always in bursts through whatever genre is thrilling me most at the time. I don't need to write a fantasy story the week a fantasy story is "due" per my schedule.
-Ideas beget ideas. The truth I come back to always. Get your ass in the chair and get to work, and the ideas will come. It may be hard at first, but as one thought comes, two follow, then four. Working makes the work easier. And a deadline each week sure helps.
So, what's next? The schedule remains. I've written a few of the essays and stories that are coming out over the next few weeks. There are outlines on my desk for a December story, and rough plans for a fun October - 5 weeks that month means three stories! I've got a lot of work on the book, and will be commandeering the months of January and December away from the schedule to allow for some time for the cover reveal and essays and behind the scenes stuff to build the hype train for a February release.
It’s been a crazy year, but it’s been good. Life is good. Living is good. Thank you for hangin’ around and reading my stuff. My subscriber count here has been steadily growing, and every time I get an email notifying me of a new reader, it feels so great. Your comments make me so excited to keep writing and keep posting. The feedback and knowing at least some of my words are striking a chord with readers is a feeling I didn't know I’d ever experience. It’s amazing.
There's a lot of fun stuff coming out of this newsletter in the next six months. Some of it, I don't even know about yet - gotta leave some room for spontaneity. I'm so excited you're all along for the ride.
I'm going to be making an effort to grow this newsletter over the next few months, especially as I ramp up marketing for the novel. If it’s not too gauche to ask a few favors:
-Please share any of my work that speaks to you, or that you think a friend may like. It helps so much.
-Don't hesitate to let me know what pieces of mine you like (or dislike)! I write for me, but I also write for you, and I want to write what you want to read. Even seeing that little heart light up when someone hits like on a story makes my day. It’s amazing how much a little recognition does.
-Let me know what you think I can do to help spread the word and grow my audience!
- Check out the ko-fi I’ve set up if you really want to support my work. Paying humans for editing and cover art is expensive, and I’m happy to pay for it, but any way my writing can help pay for my writing is good. It’s a one-time donation setup so no pressure to subscribe for anything recurring. And if you don’t want to or have the ability to leave a tip in the dip jar, no problem at all! Like I said, just seeing that reader count go up and the little likes pop in is encouragement enough!
Thanks again for reading my stuff. I can’t wait for the next six months of stories and essays to come out. Next year is going to be a little different, but I’ve got some fun things planned.
I can’t wait to share them with you!
Thanks for giving that a read! If you like my art and want to drop a buck in my hat, I’d appreciate it more than you know. If you like it, and want to just keep reading for free, please do! Check out my latest (and maybe best) short story here!
Anyway, here’s the Tip Jar:
And if you’d just like to hang out here: check out my other stories, leave a comment, and share with whoever you want to!
Love ya!
Max