Are the stories ever coming back?

jason555 · Brand New Joined: Oct 03, 2007 Posts: 1

I am little new here, but I am just curious if the stories are ever coming back. What is up with the new book deal? Did it fall through? Did "real life" just get in the way? Is Joe backed up against some insane deadline to get a manuscript done in six months?

Joe's made a couple of aside comments in his "Dumb Journal" to the effect of no one really cares or is reading the stories anyway. I can't really tell if he is being modest, sarcastic, or serious but self-deprecating. Just in case he is serious, I wanted to just come on and say that I was reading (gone through the back articles here, bought the 1st book recently) and am anxiously awaiting more.

More stories PLEASE!!

…and you rule.

sexcpotatoes · Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 2:35 am Post subject:

The buzz in the chatroom, from Joe himself is that there's a new story going up any day now. It'll be multi-part, but should be sooner rather than later:

<JtP> ok, so everyone, get ready for yet another multi-part story
<JtP> but i think this one is going to be good
<JtP> it explains why we're only now renovating the house
<JtP> but maybe i'll do single-parters first and save this for chapter 3
<Arq> YAY!
<JtP> i dunno
<JtP> this has to be a long one
<JtP> and it's on my mind
<SexCpotatoes> cool cool
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I want to see people like me, rising up with hate-filled eyes and smoking genetalia--posessed by ancient volcano gods, waving vast breasts and improbable penises at the secret masters of the world-- brown-trousering the naughty twenty-four hours a day"SJ

***Joe the Peacock*** · Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 7:05 am Post subject:

Hey Jason, and thanks for joining up!

The book deal is a done deal - at this point, either I give them a book or I spend a few months in a courtroom getting yelled at by a judge for breech of contract, and I don't wanna do that.

I haven't really talked about why I haven't been writing, save that one story I took nearly 3 months to tell (Total Prosers). I guess this is as good a place as any to explain myself.

You see, last year, I got involved in a project that - to make a very very very long story that I can never tell much shorter - completely drained me financially and emotionally. It was a big mistake. I shouldn't have ever involved myself.

I began it in July of 06 and left it the end of February this year, and during the time that I worked on it, I was literally - and I say 'literally' with no hyperbole - working 20 hours a day trying to make things work from a business and creative end. It was difficult. When I left the project, I left with a massive debt I had to figure out how to pay off and a massive emotional hole that... Well, I hate that I sound like a total moron artist emo boy for saying this, but it essentially destroyed me creatively.

In July of 07, I decided that I needed to get back on the horse (that, and I was gently nudged by the editor I signed the deal with Penguin with). So I started on a story I thought I could tell in one part. I guess it got the better of me, and more about that time in my life decided to manifest itself within me, so I drew it out and talked about some stuff I forgot all about.

Some of the people involved in that story contacted me and we talked about not only my writing it, but the events that took place. At first, it wasn't a very pleasant experience - they were NOT happy that I told the story without contacting them (but the truth is that I tried - more on this in a second). So, my first attempt back in the saddle after what was arguably the most creative and financially-damning project I'd ever undertaken, I got shot back out of it. Falling once, that hurts. Falling again the same way... That's WAY worse, because you know exactly what's coming.

However, very recently, I was able to have a civil conversation with the people from Total Prosers and explained my case. I showed them how I tried to contact them (I ALWAYS attempt to contact people that are going to be in a story of mine... After all, it's their life too). We talked it all out and all is well, and we've established a great line of communication.

Furthermore, VERY recently, I've finally recovered from the failure that was "the project I shall not name." I was able to work enough this year to pay the debt off, and through that, I received a type of validation from a very awesome source which solved some of the issues I was having.

Then finally, last week, my editor at Penguin let me know that play time was over and it's time to get serious.

So, mix all this in a pot like gumbo and you get the motivation I've been CRAVING for, god... Since MI 1 ended. I'm actually energized when I think about this site, the book, the writing... I've hired Jeremy to take over the coding and admin of MI so I can focus exclusively on the creative side (and he's doing a GREAT job - check out the story archive in the top menu - no longer are we abusing the pathetic search system to get a story archive

).

There's a very real challenge in front of me - with the exception of the incredibly awesome folks who hang out here in the forums and in the chat room, I've lost a LOT of my regular readership, and it's my fault. When I posted Total Prosers stories and sent out newsletters, the majority of members would come and read it... But they didn't hang around. That's not THEIR fault - it's mine, and I know that.

At the end of MI1, my readership was consistantly 5x higher than the membercount ( and when linked from Fark or Digg, 10x higher). Now, when I post a story, I get about 1.5x the membership numbers coming and reading on a regular basis. So yeah, there's a lot of work to do. But I feel up to the job

VictoriaE77 · Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 5:01 pm Post subject:

Hay, Joe, I haven't been in the archives for a while, so I went to check. Jeremy did a frigging awesome job. It looks great!
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There will come a time when you believe everything is finished, but that will be the beginning. - Louis L'Amour

Arquinsiel · Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 10:18 pm Post subject:

WOOOOO! I'm awesome! Apparently!
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bubbanitro · Ginger Lynn Video Smuggler Joined: Jul 12, 2005 Posts: 56

woo! Joe shall entertain us again! (and not breech that contract)

SNG · Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 7:21 am Post subject:

Still Lurkin..... Waiting Patiently

fruitbat · Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 9:09 am Post subject:

Celestia · Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 6:20 pm Post subject:

Great to have you back Joe! We're all looking forward to the hilarity to come!!!!

The site does look great!!
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Bide the Wiccan law yet must
In perfect love and perfect trust.
Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill:
An ye harm none, do as ye will.
And ever mind the rule of three:
What ye send out, comes back to thee.
Follow this with mind and heart,
And merry ye meet, and merry ye part.
Blessed Be!

lestat · Very Nearly Brand New Joined: Jun 01, 2004 Posts: 2

Yeah glad to see you are still at it I have been away from the site for a while and look forward ot your new stuff to brighten up my day at Work

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Magic: online - Lestat
EQ2 : Lastat (Runnyeye(sony and stupid naming policy bleh))

[deleted user] · Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 4:52 am Post subject:

I have locked myself in the cellar with no food or water and I refuse to emerge until Joe posts a new story.

Shrek · Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 5:18 am Post subject:

just tell us how you would like to be buried.

or perhaps you want cremation or set atop a burning pyre aboard a viking longship?
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soapyNinja · Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 10:50 am Post subject:

I think we should encase him in a capsule and shoot him into the sun....that would be way cooler than any viking funeral...or we could mix both and shoot him into the sun in a flaming capsule
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WWHRD?

What Would Henry Rollins Do?

Arquinsiel · Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 6:43 pm Post subject:

Can I be shot into the sun in a burning longhship that was launched via nuclear explosion.
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DarkAngela · Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2007 2:16 am Post subject:

The archive does look great. I like the way the winning story is in bold. . .until ch. 9 where they're all bold. . .

Whoopsie?

Also, I haven't been coming around as much since I've pretty much read all the stories and much of the forum is postwhoring (and IT blocky my chatty). But I promise to come around more if there's new stories sometimes!

Please more stories!
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"A government big enough to give you everything you want is strong enough to take everything you have." -Pres. Ford