I’ve got novels to write, but for some reason I’ve been fixated on shorter fiction lately. Novelettes and novellas, mostly.
Yesterday — yesterday, in one day — I wrote a 12 thousand+ word novelette. Start to finish. I’ve never done that before. The most words I’ve ever written in a single day. I can’t recall ever writing a full story in a day, much less one of that size. It needs a thorough rewrite and some serious polishing, but the bones are solid. It’s a good story.
Make of that what you will. Because, honestly, I’m not sure what’s going on. I’m writing more and faster than I ever have. I have a dozen pieces of short fiction in various stages of completion. I’m chalking it up to my decision to give the subscribers of this newsletter a free novelette every month. I did that to pressure myself into publishing more often. So far, it really seems to be working.
I’ve narrowed September’s FREE story down to two contenders. Both are in the rewrite/polishing stage right now. Both have a bent toward cosmic horror. One is more weird fiction and the other is my first ever science fiction story. You’ll get them both eventually — so long as you’re subscribed to this newsletter — but I’ll decide this week which one you’ll be getting in September.
And lest you think I’m neglecting my longform stuff, I have — I shit thee not — full drafts of five novels that I’m prepping for publication. My western horror Legion is first up and still inching its way toward release. I know I told you last week that I’d likely have a date for you today, but I’m still not ready to do that. Not just yet. But it’s very close.
And I haven’t mentioned this before, but I have another novel — a historical horror — that is also very close to finished and I fully plan to publish before year’s end.
Lastly, there’s a new highly-opinionated take on writing craft at The Pulpit. This time I’m tackling “Show Don’t Tell.” You can read it by clicking here, but remember … highly-opinionated.
Thanks and I’ll see you next week.
Barry Gregory
08/30/2026
7041 Grand National Dr Suite 122, Orlando, FL 32819
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