Brief Author Bio:
2002: Them Ninja Blues
A young man learns the art of ninjistu to take on the mafia.
This was my first year doing NaNo. I hit the 50k mark and the story died.
2003: UTT Mashals
A science fiction story about members of an intragalactic police force and their struggle to enforce the law on a planet that had none. This was a great idea with a lot of planning and brainstorming. The plot, however, was strongly lacking and the thing read like a bad episode of COPS. After 50k, I was happy to put it down. I return to Port Caume from time to time and check in on the marshals.
2004: Scourge of the Seas
In a pirate fantasy Lieutenant Mason Grimm of the Argyn Marines pursues Elisabeth Carmichael across the sea, eventually becoming a pirate to rescure here. This was too long of a story to fit into a 50k word competition. The story itself was okay, but had to be broken into parts. Some day I intend to take up the second part. For now, the Argyn Marines need to be happy with their victory at Fort Ontar, as Mason dreams that he will one day find Elisabeth again.
2005: Siege
This year proved that you actually can get something out of NaNo. I took the 50k word draft and selected the best 7k works - mostly in order and put together a decent short story. While I didn't make a sale to Black Gate, the editor gave it a pleasant review and it eventually found publication in Sword's Edge Ezine. Unfortunately the magazine folded shortly thereafter.
2006: The Well
I planned to do a sequal of Siege. I was all ready to go and I started out typing first thing in the morning. The problem was that I left my memory stick at home that day and when I sat down to write again, another idea bucked its way to the front of the line. I ended up with a haunting thriller about a set of children with psychic powers whos parents were killed and the social worker who got stuck with them. I have to get back to that one at some point.
2007: Devil's Pass
In this fantasy western, Joe Hollinger lead a witch through Devil's Pass. Of course, she had a bounty on her head. And of course, she double-crossed and betrayed him in the end. I actually ended this one. The middle needs some polish, but it got there and it wasn't half bad. There needs to be a bigger market for fantasy westerns.
2008: Cry of the Wolf
An ex mafia enforcer escapes 1930's Chicago to live as a dogseld musher in the Yukon. Can you guess where I went on vacation last summer? (No, it wasn't Chicago.) This story fizzled out, I think. While I was attached to the characters, there needed to be something more than just the story of the main character's life.
2009:
I'm thinking spies this year - a good old espionage thriller. The problem is making it NOT James Bond.