It’s me this time, Lance, writing as myself. About a quote that has long kept me afloat in this writing journey. Particularly one line of the full sentiment by the middling and largely forgotten 30th President, Calvin Coolidge:
“Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”
In his full thought, he also spoke of unrewarded genius, educated failure, and how common unsuccessful people with talent are.
This idea that “nothing in this world can take the place of persistence” has sustained me from the wilderness of Columbus, Ohio, to the tall buildings of Chicago, and the subway-fed boroughs of NYC and all the places I’ve lived between.
Over time, it has allowed me to meet many writers who exemplify the truth of Coolidge spoke of. Which in turn keeps the torch of hope alive that I will find an audience and people will want my words and worlds. Some well enough to give me a few dollars to read them.
Words that Sooth like Whisky
While my writer friends and their journeys inspire, I do worry, from time to time, that I’m using this quote and their stories like shots of whisky. A way of excusing the sluggish way I complete new works and for keeping on keeping on. For the past several years, I’ve only been able to report that I’m working on my second novel. The fantasy duology, or trilogy, or maybe series depending on how soon I can finish the first installment, Walking the Darkmaker’s Way.
Once that’s complete, an actuary will be better able to predict how many other volumes I’ll be able to write in the years I might have left to live. On average, of course. Fewer than I’d like given the way I rewrite and rewrite and rewrite until I think I cannot, possibly, make it better, only different. Still, there is persistence and determination…
Promises Not Made
About those other possible books and assorted other things, I’ll make no promises. I don’t wish to publicly feel bad about not finishing yet one more project. I’m even trying to keep those ideas hidden from myself. Mostly. To help avoid more distractions. But I do write them down, lest I forget. A long list of wishes I keep tucked away and collecting dust. Perhaps I’ll lose that list, so won’t check, yet again, on how much I’m not getting done. Bad habit, I know.
So, for now, it’s all in on the first book, Walking the Darkmaker’s Way.
Literary Folks Kicking Butt
In the meantime, a bunch of folks I know are kicking literary (and maybe cinematic) ass. They are proof to me that persistence and determination dowork. And it’s all the more inspiring as I know them, personally.
Am I a fool? Perhaps. But I know not one of them skipped the time walking through the wilderness of doubt everyone must walk in order to finally discover those who love your words.
From the boroughs of NYC
Sofi Stambo, a nom de plume of one of my oldest NYC friends, landed a book deal. She’s from Bulgaria. I proofread a few of her grad school papers at CCNY, including her thesis, and now, she has leapfrogged me in the publishing world. After racking up an enviable record of short story publications and awards for a slew of individual pieces, she goes out and wins “the Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing 2024” for a collection of short stories, A Bunch of Savages. It comes out in 2026. (See. It even takes TIME for award-winning literature to fully bloom. She was determined and persisted.) In a complete reversal of university days, it’s my writing that wants to be like hers. And I’m doing my damnedest to beat her book’s publication date with a completed rough draft of Walking the Darkmaker’s Way.
Cameron Roberson/ Rob Cameron. I know him as Cam. So which name? Well, his book Daydreamer came out under ROB CAMERON. We know him as Cam in the Brooklyn Speculative Fiction Writers. So, I imagine one can choose whichever name comes easier to mind. Penguin Random House published his middle-grade book in August of last year, and they sent him on a book tour, including to Edinburgh, Scotland. And, in March, it was nominated for the Andre Norton Award for Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction in 2024at the Nebulas. Fingers crossed! Now, this book started as a short story TEN years ago: Persistence and Determination.
His current project, Burn It All Down, is a fantasy-alternate history take on the late 19th century. It’s fun, riotously violent, and decidedly not for the middle-grade readers. It’s headed to his agent as I write. I was privileged to give it a gamma read—the final read before going out to an agent or publisher.
More folks from the Brooklyn Speculative Fiction Writers
Ted Rabinowitz came out with The Wrong Sword, a fun Arthurian-era romp (think Excalibur in the hands of a good-hearted thief), which I read an Advanced Reader Copy of. This came out in July 2024.
Fred Stesney an author and artist, has several projects in the works. His book, Saint Destiny, was published by Stag Beetle Books in November of 2024. I got to read an advanced reader copy. It’s a solid YA coming-of-age story, wrapped in a science fiction, fantasy confection of a story. Mixes heart with hard truths.
S. A. Chakraborty—her debut novel, The City of Brass, landed her here. I don’t recall meeting her, but I’d bought her book long before I knew she was a member of the BSFW.
Zin E. Rocklyn—I met her at ReaderCon, but under her RL name. And months later, I realized I’d read her multiple award-winning novella, Flowers for the Sea. Which awards, you ask? Well, it won the Shirley Jackson and the Pulver, ended up as a finalist for an Ignyte Award, and was chosen as a Library Journal Editor’s Pick! and A Den of Geeks Best Books of 2021! Cool book, and chill person to talk to.
A.T. Sayre, who I’ve roomed with twice at the ReaderCon, has a slew of short stories out there, and his debut novel, The Last Days of Good People, is available now for pre-order. For more, check here.
Randee Dawn—a journalist and the person behind Brooklyn Books and Booze, at Barrow’s Intense Ginger Tasting Room, where I have read and continue to head to for fellowship and good stories. I’ve read her nonfiction in Tor’s newsletter and have her novel, Tune in Tomorrow, on my short list of read-next titles.
Liam Burke— a member of the Horror Writers Association (HWA), whose novel Remnants of Death, I’ve alpha and beta read. Yeah, it’s dark. And darkly funny at times. He’s also written a children’s book called Tom’s Adventure. Not really scary, it reminded me of the Phantom Tollbooth, for those you would remember that. In addition to publishing various shorter pieces, he is also the acting head of the workshop my books are being put through the paces in. All good.
Penty more folks who I’ve met but haven’t read, so they go into the “until then” quiver. It’ll be fun when I find out what they’re written.
Critters.org
Before I was accepted by this crew, I’d needed folks to read my early drafts and give feedback, which I satisfied with Critters.org online. It’s a simple, mostly automated platform where you sign up to review other people’s work, and once you’ve done enough reviews yourself, you get to submit your own stuff. And as long as you keep reviewing, you can keep getting comments. I did this for a while and met a couple of really good writers, two of whom I’ve stayed in contact with.
Laura Englehart is one. I’ve read not just one of her novels but several over the years, mostly of her Fifth Mage War series, which deals with modern-day fey, including sirens and other mythological creatures, as well as a magic system all her own. That she published a collection of twisted-up fairy tales called Tumbled Tales, by collected authors. They were fun and often rather clever.
Jude Matulich-Hall is another. She writes The Eversteam Chronicles, a dark fantasy horror series, which leans towards steampunk in flavor. She runs a group of writers and visual artists called JMH Storytellers, which meets on Sundays via Zoom, a blessing in COVID days. And, she’s also a violinist and concert master, among other things.
JMH Storytellers
Through Jude’s JMH Storytellers, which was especially important during COVID, I’ve met a few other folks who have been able to fashion writing careers. I might never meet them face to face, but we *know* each other.
From Europe:
Bonsart Bokel, a gent from the Netherlands, who started off writing original stories for an audio drama, Radio Retrofuture, set in the world of Fallout. He has been writing Steampunk-inspired fiction ever since, including The Association of Ishtar series, both novels and comic books, which will soon have an RPG based in this world out soon. He’s very active on Kickstarter, where you can snag some nifty figurines in addition to literature if you are so inclined. Like I did.
Martyn Adams, an Englishman from a small town about 60 clicks from London. The author of The Gunnersbury Gang and The Furricious Gang of Gadalming: A Children’s Book for Grownups, as well as other works in process. He’s also a musician like Jude.
From the USA:
Andrew Johnston, who lives in Southwest PA, was recently picked up by Iorn Frost Books and has just released the first of a Gaslamp Fantasy series, The Discarded Knight. Looking forward to grabbing a look at that.
Bill McSci-Fi. Yeah, a nom de plume and someone I’m pretty sure I met in my years living in Chicago—he was a bouncer at several clubs I used to go to, including Neo, which featured in a couple of scenes of A Perfect Blindness. He has, it seems, come dangerously close to landing a movie deal. I’ve been watching the journey of the Brittle Riders for a number of years now, even beta reading an early treatment for a screen version. Several times, the excitement of the producer or director petered out. After doing a pitch deck, it looked sure that was going to lead to papers with signatures, only to have someone back out again. The story is full of chimera, genetic hybrids, including human badger hybrids, succubae with bat wings, and twisted centaurs, making it costly to produce. Then, someone came up with a way to shoot the story for a whole lot less money—by using some CG magic and real actors. This way, it might just end up on a screen near you. (Check out the tone real here.) First published in 2016, with its ups and downs, including a Critter.org Favorite Award and getting so close to a movie deal several times, it has taken Bill on one hell of a ride for close to a decade, showing there is more to persistence and determination than just slugging along. Roller-coaster rides like these do come with emotional costs.
Still, with the backing of Azoth Kem, Bill has only that series out, but second called Goptri of the Mists, plus magazines and comics both in racks now and in the works. With new “socially acceptable t-shirts” and other merch. Phew.
Chicago Days
Greg Beaubien, the other writer I know from Chicago, was the best man at my wedding. He is also the person who did more to help my writing than anyone else. Period. After years of writing non-fiction (journalism and the non-fiction book, the Empathy Effect) he published a dark, sexy crime thriller, set in Tangiers, Morocco, Shadows the Sizes of Cities. He also plays guitar and is at work on another book.
Other NYC folks
Back in NYC, I’ve a second crew. Older in some ways than the BSFW. It started when I published A Perfect Blindness, and got interviewed on the Truth to Power Show on Radio Free Brooklyn by Vijay RxNathan.
Vijay RxNathan—in addition to hosting this radio show, he performs live, compiles video performances, and has published two collections of poetry, including Escape from Samsara, in which I found his deep affection for the city he was born and raised in, NYC. Currently, he has invited me to co-host that same show from time to time. Do check it out. Back in 2017, Vijay introduced me to…
Tejas Desai, author and the main driving force behind The New Wei, an Author & Artist Collective. He is also the Amazon best-selling author of The Brotherhood Chronicle and the Human Tragedy, a two-part collection of short stories and novellas split into the Good Americans and the Bad Americans. As well as traveling the world.
The New Wei Author & Artist Collective
I’ve been kicking around with this group for a while. There are a number of authors, many of them poets. I know most of them far less well than Tejas or Vijay, and haven’t read anything by them, so they too go into the “until then” quiver. Still, it’s cool to have a gang to hang with.
Evincing a Maxim
This list isn’t a brag, humble or not, nor is it merely tooting the horn of a bunch of folks that have been with me on my literary journey. Rather, it’s offering proof of the fact that Persistence and Determination in fact do make books happen. And that’s not just to make writers feel better. It’s a maxim needed for keeping one’s wits while creating lives and worlds out of nothing.
This has been a long one, so I’ll leave off here, with promises I will keep working on Walking the Darkmaker’s Way, and you’ll be the first to hear.
Thanks for being here,
Lance