I started a new story last week that’s about a monster. Well, it’s not really about a monster, it’s about a guy who discovers his family is a bit unusual. I haven’t gotten to the monster part yet, but it clearly is going to involve tentacles and water. This seems like a bad idea given that I don’t even like getting my face wet in the ocean, but the story appears to be determined to be written regardless.

This title is “The Late Bloomer,” which is not only the perfect title for this tale, it also means that I won’t have to try to figure out the title after the manuscript is written. 🙂 This story begins in the early 1970s, with the narrator recounting how he and his siblings would sit in the way back of the family’s station wagon – with no seat belts, of course. Just like my youth…

I’m trying to write a Lovecraftian story, which is an interesting challenge because this isn’t what I would normally write – but it’s awfully fun so far. I think the hardest part is going to be keeping it short. I used to have a hard time writing short stories that made it to 5,000 words, but the last one was around 9,000 words, and I can see how this one could easily grow.

Next up on the list is another ghost story, I’m just going back and forth between a few ideas so I’m not yet sure what I’m going to write. Whichever idea I settle on, it’s clear that there will be a cat involved.

And speaking of ghosts, I just realized that the Haunted bundle launches next Wednesday!

This is both exciting and alarming – alarming only in that I keep thinking I have a few weeks to finish getting ready, and I’m down to a matter of days. I was out of town for work last week, and that appears to have messed with my concept of time in spite of all the factual evidence that time did indeed pass while I was gone.

And, of course, Rosie and Jasper were what I missed most while I was out of town. 🙂