Hello everyone. As I continue to increase the content available on my website I ask that you suscribe in order to ensure you are current. Over the next couple of weeks I will be adding some new poetry and short stories as well as a new section. This new section will contain a very small portion of my music which spans many genres.
Regarding Catalyst, I have made the initial order for books and the full order will be toward the end of the month. It’s never too late to pre-order. I will not take payment until the day of release. I have solved my method of payment problem and it will be through Paypal, Apple Pay or money order. The price has changed a little to reflect publishing costs and now is $5 plus $2 shipping and handling. Don’t forget, if you do not have the money the PDF is free but I will accept donations, any amount is welcome and appreciated.
As we approach the release of Catalyst I am shifting gears to focus on my next release, the novella “Worms Sprout Wings”. The book is still being materialized so to give much information is hard at the moment as is a release date. I am setting myself a deadline of March 1st, 2020 but it is important to know that this is not set in stone and the book may be released before or after the date. It all just depends on my process. I take an organic approach to writing as not to rush anything so although I will set aside time to grind through the pages its important to know that I do not force my writing. I’ve done this in the past (Era One) and the results are lackluster.
What I can say about the novella is that I am aiming between 80-120 pages and that it is essentially a collection of individual tales which are connected to one another and following the themes of rural noir and deep south magical realism. It is a dark, depraved and unsettling journey into the lives of those living in the downtrodden mountain town of Banner Creek. As for the content I assure you that the stories are deeply disturbing however there is purpose and direction to the tales. I will be including an Afterword essay regarding my writing style, rural noir fiction and my vision for Era Two.
I am hoping to post a story from that novella real soon but like I said I am not rushing things. Its vital to get Era Two right so I am sticking to my organic process in the meantime. As I continue to grow, develop and instill a creative process and environment I hope to expedite the process so that I am able to deliver content faster and by deadlines. That is not here or now, but should the opportunity arise (I’m certain a publishing deal would create the financial cushion needed to limit my personal life from interfering with my work) I will devote all my free time to my writing.
Its important to understand that although I do take my work very seriously I am a full-time student with a family that I need to financially provide for. Also its important to know that I have schizophrenia and manic bipolar disorder. Fortunately these mental illnesses are being controlled by medication which allows for my thoughts to organize but the drawback is that it limits my creativity and energy levels. When I can (and if time allows) I do use marijuana as well as various psychedelic drugs for various reasons which include but not limited to developing my creative process. I do find that these help a lot however the anti psychotics that I am on are strong. Despite the creative barrier they force me to overcome the medications do help bring my mind to a healthier place where I can actually complete and organize my tasks. Its a trade off I suppose. I do plan on releasing an essay which tells my story of struggling with these mental illnesses in hopes to help others who are just as lost or apprehensive about treatment as I once was.
Enough rambling. Subscribe and visit often.
UPDATE: I have added the short stories “Evie” and “Beater”
John Putignano 