I was able to complete the first draft of “The New Gods of the Lost Children.” I’m not sure how I feel about it yet. It’s a kick ass idea, but I’m worried I didn’t pull it off effectively. I’m going to sit on it a week and then reread and see if I can either expand it just a little or rewrite the ending.
I’m now working full steam on “The Apprentice of the Mask.” This is a fantasy short story set in Imperial Rome. There is a neat anthology I’m interested in getting into so I’m working on my fantasy chops. Michael should be amused as this story features a spymaster that’ s almost been turned into a legend called the Mask.
Lisa created a cyberpunk character named Hot Wh33ls, which I thought was adorable and suddenly I’m feeling the urge to use that as a character name.
I’ve realized a sad truth. I have to organize my future stories not by which one seems the coolest, but when the deadline for the anthology or magazine I was to submit it will be. I’ve missed two deadlines that I wanted to submit to because I was working on the cooler idea. I need more discipline.
After the Mask, my next story will be called “The Strange Case of the Undead Alchemist” for a zombie anthology that is coming out. Zombie humor isn’t allowed for “Lucky Stiff” doesn’t qualify. This will also be a Heller story so should be an interesting time.
The Universes of Jason Andrew 