Or: How I went and tracked down everything thing I’ve ever written
So I figured that I would write about my writing for once. I wanted to regularly and public update on the progress of the pieces I am working on, to hold me accountable, and also show that, yes, I do something else other than write for this blog, even though at the moment it does take up a lot of my writing time: curses and amazement.
Note about the Title: “Mike” is the military/NATO phonetic alphabet for “M”, and is often used to refer to meters, minutes, and less often, miles. I wanted an alliteration on my name, much like the State of Sanderson reports. And it seemed to fit, since I am measuring my progress in all my pieces. And because my name is Mike. In case you didn’t know
The following are all the fiction pieces I have written and all the pertinent information. Also, if the status states “looking for [Alpha/Beta/Copy] readers” and you are interested, comment, call, email, or whatever you need to do to get in contact with me, and request one! I’m always looking for readers! You can comment below, email me at mjmbacera@gmail.com, or tweet me @MichaelBacera
Progress
Reign of Fire: Book 1 of the Noble Affinity Cycle
Type: Novel
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Word Count: 34,138
Progress 15%
Status: Part 1 is in Alpha Reader copy, Part 2 in progress, parts 3 – 5 not written, looking for Alpha/Beta readers
Synopsis: In the World of Afin, every person, at birth, is given God’s love in the form of Affinity, an elemental magic that determines their place in society, their propose in life, and their spiritual devotion. It also determines how they will serve their respective countries in their long standing conflicts to control the Gates of Afin, relics left behind from the age of antiquity. Since war is an institution of both the state and the church, immense academies of war teach Young boys and girls how to fight according to these traditions from a very young age. One boy is born without this Affinity. An outcast, heretic, and iconoclast, Noble TrueMatch is destined to change the way Wars are fought, and he will start when he enters the Academia des Affinetes.
Memoria
Type: Novella
Genre: Urban/YA Fantasy
Word Count: 16,165
Progress: 100%
Status: Ready to Shop, or ReWrite for Market. Looking for Beta/Copy readers Submitted and rejected by several venues
Synopsis: Most people are born one way, and die another. But not for me. My end was the same as my beginning: I fell asleep on the floor. Or you could say I died on the floor. My Name is Harper Reed, and in high school, I discovered a Djinni, and this is that story
I Am Stripling
Type: Short Story
Genre: Historical/YA Fiction
Word Count: 5,574
Progress: 100%
Status: 2nd Draft, Editing and Shopping for submission. Looking for Beta Readers, or to expand to Novel or Novella.
Synopsis: “I have seen God’s walk upon the earth, among men. This God was a golden God of metal, holding a red flapping flame that called me and my brothers to war against the Lamanites. We will do it, for our prophet, for our country, for our mothers. I am Lamonri, an Ammonite. And I am Stripling.”
Collision
Type: Short Story
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Word Count: 4,480
Progress: 100%
Status: 2nd Place Winner, Fiction for the BYU-Hawaii Literary Journal, Shopping for Submissions, looking for Beta readers
Synopsis: Twelve people in a coffee shop, sharing small windows of their life, before they are doomed to collide.
Ensemble: A Chance Encounter in the Woods
Type: Short Story
Genre: Fantasy
Word Count: 3,067
Progress: 100%
Status: Shopping to Submissions: Last submitted to the KickStarter project Blackguard: Tales of Assassins, Mercenaries, and Rogues [rejected] Looking for Beta readers
Synopsis: A day in the life of a Rogue, a Warrior, a Mage, and an Archer, and a chance encounter they have in the woods.
Wait
Type: Short Story
Genre: Contemporary and Literary Fiction
Word Count: 4,003
Progress: 75%
Status: First Draft, Alpha Readers. Prepping for shopping, looking for Alpha readers. Waiting for Paul Bacera to film it
Synopsis: The typical story: Boy meets Girl, they fall in love, Boy proposes, and Girl tells him to wait while she serves her mission. A Mormon anti-romance love story.
Gravity
Type: Short Story
Genre:Contemporary Fiction
Word Count: 3,958
Progress: 100%
Status: 2nd Draft, Editing for Submissions, looking for Beta and Copy readers. Slight Hiatus
Synopsis: “High school is tough. And choosing a college makes it even tougher. It’s like I can feel the weight of it, all pressing down on me. Parents, girlfriend, recruiters, college applications, soccer, and SATs. All of it, pressing down on me, and something’s gotta give.”
For Those Left Behind
Type: Novel (NaNoWriMo)
Genre: Science Fiction/Mystery
Word Count: 12,839
Progress: 25%
Status: A NaNoWriMo novel that is on Hiatus
Synopsis: A man wakes up from cryogenic sleep with his memory erased. At the same time, a murderer has been let loose in the colony ship Determination, one of mankind’s last hopes of escaping a dying Earth and continuing the human race. Can the Selected of mankind work together to stop this murderer and also learn the mystery of their own past so they can continue towards their future. Presenting “For Those Left Behind”, a Space Opera Murder Mystery.
There Must have been thousands standing in the rain that day
Type: Short Story
Genre: Science Fiction
Word Count: 4,922
Progress: 20%
Status: This was written for a “First Line” story contest that, for the life of me, I can no longer find. But it is way past the deadline anyway. On Hiatus
Synopsis: A reporter interviews the scientist in charge of creating the cult that worships ESO, an extra solar object that entered Earths atmosphere, and changed the world. Tomorrow, the Earth will destroy ESO.
Cybopathy
Type: Short Story
Genre: Science/Urban Fiction
Word Count: 1,038
Progress: 10%
Status: On Hiatus
Synopsis: Dabir Asan is just a regular high school teacher: He deals with late homework, faked tardy slips, and pubescent teenagers. Well, almost normal, except for the fact that he has a psychic connection with every piece of paper he touches.
Edit: I just read my Scrivener notes for this, and I forgot how much I love my idea for this piece. If anything, it was worth it to write this blog just for that moment
Epic Road Trip (or Does it Feel like Sunshine After All?)
Type: Novel/Novella
Genre: Literary/YA Fiction
Word Count:700
Progress: 3%
Status: Outline/ Experimental project using outline from: http://www.betternovelproject.com/blog/master-outline/
Synopsis: A group of three friends will go on an epic road trip that will define their High School life, The soundtrack of your life, provided by Jimmy Eat World. Collaboration with Paul Bacera
The Morning of the Fall
Type: Short Story to Novel
Genre: Science Fiction
Word Count: 532
Progress: 5%
Status: Research, Outline, test sections, On Hiatus
Synopsis: 8 Archangels versus the legion of the Dragon. In space.
Shadow of the Valley
Type: Novel
Genre: YA/Urban Fantasy
Word Count: ???
Progress: ???
Status: This was the dream book I wanted to write back when I was still in community college. I know I have notes… somewhere, in a folder that I think I’ve lost. I might start it up again from scratch, since my writing was pretty embarrassing then.
Synopsis: A group of teenagers must survive high school, finals, social life, oh yeah, and the Zombie Apocalypse. How can you stay alive when you barely feel human? And will we ever get out from underneath the Shadow of the Valley. Simi Valley, that is.
Infographic and Mailing list ::might:: come. Also I am going to try to squeeze a Comic Con for Writers post today. And expect an Interview from Justin Boyd from Invisible Bread tomorrow!
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