What Dreams May Come... and go?

Every once in a while I wake up with a story in my head. Played out in a dream and beautifully original and fresh, it's all mapped out and ready to be written, or at the very least, the big ideas are lined up and I can make notes for writing later before I roll back over to sleep.

Samual Taylor Coleridge wrote on this concept regarding the poem "Kubla Khan." He woke from a dream *cough*opium*cough* with a gorgeous poem in his head and started writing, only to be interrupted by a neighbor asking for sugar. This neighbor stayed so long that when Coleridge returned to his writing, the remains of the poem were lost, and thus we only have 54 lines of the amazing epic.

Well, I normally keep a notepad by my bed with a pen or pencil to prevent such losses, but last night it wasn't there or I didn't think about it, or, for whatever reason, I rolled over on a dream for a short story.

It was something about a couple in a large house who had this business of selling dogs. And they were wonderful dogs, about any breed you could think of. Well, they go on vacation and this guy, Elsie (possibly Tovar was his last name?), is asked to watch the house. Turns out they make the dogs magically or something. Shrug, as I said, I lost the rest. The most notable things in my mind now are the image of the office/waiting area where they bring in the dogs to meet the buyers, and the fellow's name, Elsie Tovar(?). Yes, his name was Elsie, but I like it. I may end up using it anyway.

And if I do, you readers will be the only ones to know that Elsie didn't start as whatever he might end up being, but as a babysitter for dogs in a dream.

Redesign and Expansion of Site

Well, the past few days have been a lot of fun and energy poured into retooling the DavidJace.com website. I think it looks great, thanks to my web-designer/agent/wife! Not only is there a new look to the site overall, but we've also added a new section of literature, as well as deeper pages of information on certain writings!

The new lit section is Poetry, which currently holds just a few poems, but clicking them will take you to the poem, so there's a little more actual content on the site now, which is nice.
The more exciting part to me, however, is in the novel section! Certain titles are now links, taking you to pages with more information and even character photos/bios! (I'd like to thank the developers of HeroMachine for allowing us to use their technology to help create some of characters shots.) More changes and developments will be coming down the pipe, and I'm very excited about the future of the site.

Just to keep you updated, we've not heard from Asimov's on Derek Daniels, nor Mundania regarding On Common Ground yet.

Coming down the mountain like a fountain...

So, after my last post, we got Derek Daniels: The Nanite Chaser readied and sent off to Asimov's Writers of the Future. Yes, it's true, we sent Nixie there and she came back sad, but we are hoping Derek Daniels finds better fortune.

And, you may be asking, where is all my writing? Why am I not (hmm there isn't a contraction for am not. Interesting. Perhaps "ain't" fills that gap?) blogging on my current writing project? Well, the answer dear readers (yes, I have the vain hope that there is more than one reader to my blog.) is that I have other non-writing projects clouding my plate currently.

I am taking the last two classes to finish my degree and trying to keep all the degree and certification and licensure programs on track so that I can be teaching in the fall. I am also working with two different schools and districts during the week, limiting my "@home" time to evenings and weekends, which is when I am trying to study and do assignments, etc.

And, please, let's not forget. I also have a life! (A second one, certainly, but a life!) And so, all of these things have combined to slow my writing at the moment. However, they have not slowed my imagination, nor the projects themselves. I may not be writing, but the ideas have continued to come, and I have been secretly squirreling away the nuggets and letting them grow and develop and plan until they will eventually blossom into World Domination!! I mean, blossom into wonderful stories that will pour forth from my keyboard like a literary fountain.

back burners

So, I currently have a ridiculous number of projects on the back burners and nothing boiling on the front. And, of course, I've got two different versions of back burner, too: Finished pieces not in submission and works that need to get finished.

Among those are the novels that have been started, but not finished:
ANTHRO, a novel about a DNA-altering virus.
Wanted: A Few Good Men, a story of hand-picked and created super heroes.

And Novels that have been conceived but not begun, like:
Hero Games, a novel surrounding the Beta testers of a unique full-immersion VR computer game, a MUDD of player-designed super heroes, until they discover just how uniquely realistic the game is!
Metal Heart, the story of a robot house manager who is in love with his owner.
And an untitled Murdering Werewolf mystery where a detective is trying to find a killer among a world that has accepted and embraced the ostracized mythic and legendary races and creatures of the past, with a few limitations and requirements.

As well as some Short Stories, such as:
Full Moon Rising, a story about a werewolf born to werewolf-hunter parents.
And more from the world of Derek Daniels: The Nanite Chaser


And, of course, there are the projects completed but not currently being submitted anywhere:
Derek Daniels:The Nanite Chaser
Nixie
Childish Beliefs
As Life Goes By

So, I am confronted by the question of what to do about this. I do have my day job and my studies to consider, as well as getting certified to teach. But neither do I want my writing to subside. So, I guess the question remains, for now, unanswered.

David Jace hits the web...

Well, here I come into the digital age.

For my first blog post, I'm a little tired and mostly just getting things setup.

Nixie was submitted to Asimov's Writers of the Future contest for the fourth quarter of 2008.
~She lost.

Derek Daniels: The Nanite Chaser was submitted to Fantasy & Science Fiction.
~And got rejected.

On Common Ground was submitted to Mundania Press on Halloween '08.
~And is currently still under consideration, awaiting response.

So, cross your fingers for Gabe, Grace, & Luke!

Hopefully Nixie and Derek Daniels will also soon be once more out there looking for a home.