Dear Reader, Issue 10, Volume 1
Dreams of publication, crazy ideas and another audio narration!
Dear Reader:
The year is winding down, but I feel like I’m just getting warmed up with my writing endeavors. I will have two submissions to Elegant Literature this month, one submitted and the other is currently in a half-finished state. The last few stories submitted are some of my best and I can’t wait for you to read them in the magazine, here on Substack or in my upcoming short story collection.
I also had another submission to Clarkesworld! It was unceremoniously declined, although I’m not sure it was ever the right fit. While not my longest story, it stretched to almost 3,000 words and proved to be difficult to write. It baked over the course of a month, with several ingredients added on the fly for flavor. Rarely do I go into a story with a theme in mind. For this one I focused intently on loneliness and that required a bit more reflection. Another thanks to
for helping me noodle through it.My last Dear Reader of 2022 will be sent on December 4. It will be a year in review and an impromptu holiday party where we get to meet one another in the comments. Come ready with your recent projects, good reads and virtual eggnog. My last short story of 2022 will be sent on December 7, and the next newsletter you’ll get from me in 2023 will announce the release of the short story collection. How exciting!
The Book Comes to Life
Speaking of the short story collection — I’m thrilled at how well it’s coming together. The manuscript formatting is done and I’m adding in new stories as they get published on Substack, or are declined for publication elsewhere. Although I haven’t counted exactly, I think there will be approximately eight to ten stories that you’ve never read, and around 250 pages of science fiction and fantasy adventures! After it’s compiled, I will begin editing earlier stories and improving how they read.
It sounds premature to think about and yet here I am considering what’s next after publication. There’s this little voice inside that’s telling me to be more ambitious and write a novella or tell a few longer stories in a shared universe that can be put together in another collection. I want to do more world building and get to the point where I can develop intellectual property. These are all wild and crazy ideas floating around in my nutty brain.
That raises another series of questions. Do I post every other week instead of once a week? How much do I focus on submitting for publication elsewhere? Should I just continue with Elegant Literature? Will Universal Studios one day have an entire section of their theme park dedicated to the universe I’ve created in one of my stories? You get the point. It’s lots to dream about as I’m pushing ones and zeros in my day job.
Another Podcast to Tickle Your Ears
My most popular story continues to be The Huntsman and the Fox, only recently tossed from the top spot by Trevor and the Goo. It was a bloody brawl and I’m sure another contender will overthrow the both of them. It’s a story that begs for audio narration. The time has finally arrived, courtesy of my nephew, Jake Ruwe.
Jake is a recent college graduate with a film degree, newly married, serves in the Marine Corps Reserve and landed his first job as an audio engineer. He’s going places, and dare I say I’m most probably, likely, presumably with a high level of probability, his favorite uncle. But this isn’t about me, it’s about Jake, and his audio narration of my short story. His skills as a voice over artist already surpass my own because he commits. I have problems with commitment, but that’s another subject altogether.
If you click the story highlight below, you’ll find I’ve included the audio now. For inquiries about audio and video production work, voiceover work, or to find out how awesome of an uncle I am, you can email Jake at ruwe486@gmail.com.
Happy Reading,
Brian Reindel
I'm proud of you Brian keep up the good work. Fantastic stories. Look forward to all that you write.
Good stuff Brian. My two cents on frequency of writing: as often as you can crank out stuff you’re proud of and like. In Substack land, I want to hear clear, authentic writing, and the moment people start ginning up posts to meet an arbitrary schedule, I can feel it. You don’t owe your audience anything other than your authentic, committed voice.