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I’m finally free to get back to being an author again, but I have even bigger plans, which I’ve already started.  These include:

Updating the synopsis on Cindy’s Story, and updating it on the back cover of the print version as well. – Done!  I just uploaded everything today, so it’ll take a couple of days to propagate.

Re-editing each book of the series in order, and then formatting them for print versions. – Will be starting that in the next day or two.

Getting back to writing Retribution. – I will be mixing this in with the editing and formatting of the series, so I won’t be pounding away on it, but I will be making more steady progress on it.

It had gotten to the point where I didn’t even feel like an author anymore because I’d gotten so out of touch with my own work, so being able to rededicate myself to it once again is an incredible feeling.

Anyway, I just wanted to make a little update since it’s been a long time since I made one. 🙂

Yeah, I know.  It’s been ages since I posted an update.  The fact is, I’ve been busy with work and had to set my writing aside for a while.  I got three chapters into Retribution and stalled out because of work.  I’ve come to a decision though.  I am still going to write Retribution at some point, but I think the first thing I’m going to do is to go back and re-edit about the first 3/4 of the books in the series, and I’m going to get them all ready for print, releasing print versions one by one as I do them.  I was looking back at the first book today and while the story is still what I wanted it to be, the writing isn’t up to my current level of writing experience and expertise.

The first book in the series was the first one that I’d ever written, and while it’s had re-edits and what not, style-wise it’s different from the later books, because my writing style developed drastically throughout the course of the series, and I want the whole series to measure up to the later books.  So, that’s going to be my next project.  Once I get through with all that, then I’ll go back to Retribution and work on it.  I have a good start on it, but the series is honestly more important to me, and always will be.

So that’s what’s happening.  I’ve been trying to find a way to balance work and my own writing, but the stuff I’ve been doing for work hasn’t left me with the mental energy to work on my own stuff, so I need to get past what I’m currently working on before I’ll be able to focus on writing again.  However, I will be able to dedicate at least a couple of hours per day toward the editing work on the series, so I’m fulling planning on getting started with that soon.  I want print versions of them all to be available, so that’s a priority for me.

I just added two more short pieces that I wrote from writing prompts in my writers group to the Bonus Scenes & Short Stories section here on the website.

A Prison Without Walls – Literally what it says.  It’s a prison without any locks, bars, or outer walls, and yet the prisoners can’t leave.  Anyone who’s ever tried has met a tragic end.

The Stars Have Aligned – The stars aligned and people all over reacted to it in a variety of ways.  A man who works in a coroner’s office relates what happened on that not-so-fateful day.

I just added three more short stories to the Bonus Scenes & Short Stories section here on the site.  All three were written for the writing prompts I do with my writers group that I meet with every week.

The newly posted stories are:

The Great Q-tip Phobia – A man is deathly afraid of Q-tips, and for a very good reason.

God is an Elected Position – The position of God is an elected position, and the elections are coming up soon.

Scare Your Reader in One or Two Sentences – Exactly what the title states.

Hope you enjoy them. 🙂

I will be interviewed today once again by Wayne Clingman on the Milwaukee Mob podcast.  If you’d like to listen live, I’ll be interviewed at 11am MST, after which I’ll add a link in the press section here to the archived show.  We’ll be talking about the Unseen Things series, Cindy’s Story, my next book Retribution, and about writing in general.

Here’s the link if you’d like to listen in: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/themilwaukeemob/2017/01/26/duane-l-martin-a-writers-story

So…this is how my last month and a half has gone.  I was sick as hell for a month while trying to keep up with the work I had to do for my day job, and then the skies opened up a great big can of winter whoop ass on us and dumped more snow than we’ve had since the 80s.  Oh, and did I mention that my ISP is ending their DSL service?  I had to switch to CenturyLink, and that’s been a great big ol’ pain in the ass too.

The long and the short of it is, I haven’t had my head in writing at all lately.  A big part of it is all the work I have to do for my job, which leaves me pretty much drained mentally.  Another part is that I was sick for so long that I lost the feeling for what I was writing.  I managed to finish three chapters, but I just can’t find the motivation to work on it.  That said, I’m super happy with how the story’s gone so far, so when I finally do bury myself in it again and get it finished, I’m sure it’ll have been worth the wait.  There’s already some pretty nasty stuff going on in it, and there’s a lot more to come.

I just wanted to post a little update.  I’ve just been beaten down and tired, so right now I’m trying to get caught up on both work and sleep so I can get my head back into my writing.  Hopefully that’ll happen soon.