Perfectionism And The Fear Of Rejection

Posted on October 3, 2017August 18, 2018 by michaelcsahd

I’ve heard the first step to recovery is admitting that there is a problem.

For many years, I’ve aspired to join the ranks of the multitude of writers whose works are sitting on the shelves of local book stores and libraries. Unfortunately, I am one of those who has difficulties writing continuously, I constantly find myself fixing spelling and grammatical errors as I write. Worse than that, I sometimes revise what I write while I’m still in the process of creation.

“Assassin Marked,” sadly, took me over a year to get to the stage it’s in now, and all I needed was a cover.

Still, I find myself nervous. What if it doesn’t do well? What if nobody is interested?

Well, this week, I am going to take the plunge and publish on Amazon. If it doesn’t do well, then at least I’ll have my name out there.

Artwork: A Writer’s Obstacle

Posted on October 3, 2017October 17, 2019 by michaelcsahd

In the past, I always felt that writer’s block was my biggest problem. After finally finishing a piece and readying it for publication, I find that finding an artist poses a much more harrowing task, especially when low on funds.

At least with writer’s block, my issues stem from self-induced obstacles, but finding an artist is beyond my control.

Over on Goblin Savant, I had my friend Ian illustrate Gerald der Zeichner, the Goblin Savant. However, finding suitable art to portray my protagonist in Assassin Marked proved nearly impossible, and after months of searching, waiting on the good graces of others, I decided to dust up my own Photoshop skills. I created a very plain cover in art noir that I am extremely pleased with.

Assassin Marked Book Cover — New Assassin Marked book cover

Please feel free to let me know what you think, either as a comment here or as a submission via my contact form. While you’re there, don’t forget to sign up for my monthly newsletter for your chance to win a prize.

~ Michael C. Sahd

Musings

Posted on September 7, 2017August 18, 2018 by michaelcsahd

A vapid work week has created a holy grail of the weekends. Time seems to be tied up in the trappings of a working-class American’s struggle to survive, and trivial pursuits in entertainment. Not a bad life when my marvelous family is stirred into the mixture.

Just this morning, while listening to the radio, I zipped through traffic, driving the same route I drive every Monday through Friday. Of course, I could ramble on about the depressing state of affairs I heard on the radio, plaguing our country at the moment, but if you don’t already know, then I wouldn’t be so cruel as to burst your bubble. Rather, congratulations on successfully isolating yourself from these affairs.

I must admit that I find it difficult not to complain about all the banal trappings of my professional existence, but that is not why I am here. The true purpose of this blog is to escape the mundane reality of work. To keep my imagination flowing through my fingers like Harold with his purple crayon.

Using Amazon, I will start publishing my stories, and I will be advertising and discussing them here. The first one will be called Assassin Marked, set into a fictional not-too-distant future.

As time passes, my goal is to fill this blog with many published stories and ideas. The blog will not have a definitive goal, but rather, I plan on letting it morph with my ideas as I come to them.

~ Michael C. Sahd