I'm an Author

[jficke13]

Hey scoop, it just so happens that I dabble in telling stories. I've been published a few times, and one of my stories is in an anthology that is free on Kindle right now. I wrote a quick review of the other stories in the anthology here: https://jonficke.com/2018/05/08/review-tales-of-ruma/ . It's speculative fiction, so broadly speaking "fantasy" is the genre, but my story is more like alternate history ancient Greece.

If anyone out there is rocking a Kindle, give it a look maybe? My story's pretty short, so if you hate it you're not out that much time.

[JWags85]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GqCHdG1dLQ

But truthfully, congrats, will give it a look.

[jficke13]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GqCHdG1dLQ

But truthfully, congrats, will give it a look.

Bahaha, fair. I figured I wouldn't bury the lede. I've got no delusions that it's winning a Nobel or anything, but it's still kinda fun.

[Jockey]

Congrats.

[theBabyDavid]

Congrats. I will, indeed, give it a read.

[MU82]

Nice, Jon. Congrats! (But I don't own a Kindle.)

[drewm88]

Nice, Jon. Congrats! (But I don't own a Kindle.)

There's a "Kindle Web Reader." Basically you can read any Kindle book on your browser. I think it's the default when you purchase a Kindle book without having a connected device.

Congrats, Jon.

[Benny B]

There's a "Kindle Web Reader." Basically you can read any Kindle book on your browser. I think it's the default when you purchase a Kindle book without having a connected device.

Congrats, Jon.

82 with a Kindle is little like the mule with a spinning wheel.  No one knows how he got it and danged if he knows how to use it. 

[MU82]

82 with a Kindle is little like the mule with a spinning wheel.  No one knows how he got it and danged if he knows how to use it.

Oh yeah? They call me Mr. Spinning Wheel, pal!

[jficke13]

Thanks all.

82, I checked but wasn't able to get a version on parchment for you. <sad trombone>

This publishing gig is pretty wild. I've had two short stories published "professionally" and have been rejected more times than Jerel McNeal during that ill-fated game against Cincy in '06. Somehow along the way I've signed a book for Brandon Sanderson and now get horse-racing tips from Mike Resnick. The paths lead strange places my friends.

Oh, and you know MU features prominently in my bio.

[Jay Bee]

Thanks all.

82, I checked but wasn't able to get a version on parchment for you. <sad trombone>

This publishing gig is pretty wild. I've had two short stories published "professionally" and have been rejected more times than Jerel McNeal during that ill-fated game against Cincy in '06. Somehow along the way I've signed a book for Brandon Sanderson and now get horse-racing tips from Mike Resnick. The paths lead strange places my friends.

Oh, and you know MU features prominently in my bio.

I see you know Leif B... you must be a Waukesha guy through and through, @ina? He's a good dude. Good luck with the writing...

[jficke13]

I see you know Leif B... you must be a Waukesha guy through and through, @ina? He's a good dude. Good luck with the writing...

Yup, Leif and I went to the same high school. Small world.

Thanks man. I'll pester the board when I publish again (confidence, right?)

[rocket surgeon]

pretty cool jf-good luck with all this-i dabbled with some screen writing of a sitcom i was creating-interesting people, but ya got to be in their club.  i have a few episodes written of, "pulling teeth" you guessed it-a sitcom about some goofy chit that really goes on in dental offices-maybe i'll hit it a little more after i'm actually done pulling teeth
   -being from waukesha and all, me thinks it would be kinda hard to do a real-life fiction type with your creations, eyn'a?  what high school did you attend?

[jficke13]

pretty cool jf-good luck with all this-i dabbled with some screen writing of a sitcom i was creating-interesting people, but ya got to be in their club.  i have a few episodes written of, "pulling teeth" you guessed it-a sitcom about some goofy chit that really goes on in dental offices-maybe i'll hit it a little more after i'm actually done pulling teeth
   -being from waukesha and all, me thinks it would be kinda hard to do a real-life fiction type with your creations, eyn'a?  what high school did you attend?

I went to Waukesha West.

Fiction writing is kind of geographically indifferent. Pat Rothfuss lives in Steven's Point, Brandon Sanderson in suburban Utah, George R.R. Martin in Santa Fe... so being tied to LA or NYC isn't necessary (although I've heard being close to LA is helpful for screen writing... but that's not what I'm working on).

Setting things in rinky-dink places off the beaten path isn't out of the question either. That 70s Show comes to mind, as does pretty much the entire Folk Horror genre, most of Steven King, etc. Never underestimate the ability to make strange the familiar and set a hook.

And the whole "write what you know" thing is catchy, but I think a little short-sighted. The story I linked to on this thread was alternate Greek history about the assassination of Philip of Macedon. My other "big" sale is about a literal monster stuck in a crappy office job and going through sensitivity training. Sometimes familiarity = <shrug>.

[rocket surgeon]

I went to Waukesha West.

Fiction writing is kind of geographically indifferent. Pat Rothfuss lives in Steven's Point, Brandon Sanderson in suburban Utah, George R.R. Martin in Santa Fe... so being tied to LA or NYC isn't necessary (although I've heard being close to LA is helpful for screen writing... but that's not what I'm working on).

Setting things in rinky-dink places off the beaten path isn't out of the question either. That 70s Show comes to mind, as does pretty much the entire Folk Horror genre, most of Steven King, etc. Never underestimate the ability to make strange the familiar and set a hook.

And the whole "write what you know" thing is catchy, but I think a little short-sighted. The story I linked to on this thread was alternate Greek history about the assassination of Philip of Macedon. My other "big" sale is about a literal monster stuck in a crappy office job and going through sensitivity training. Sometimes familiarity = <shrug>.

i live about a mile from waukesha west-great soccer rivalry with my kids(cmh) know a number of people who have coached and taught there

     i would love to see you continue to do well-you know-local dude hits it! then i can bug you for some of your connections in L.A. and NYC   good luck and break an arm, eyn'a?