Daily Journal 12/6/25

Been playing catch up this entire week, and am up early this morning (4am instead of 5am) to try to get a little bit more ahead. That trip to New jersey, Virginia, and West Virginia really set me back, work-wise, but couldn’t be helped. Now I find myself juggling FALLING ANGELS and the final batch of commissioned personalized LOST LEVEL stories, and looking at 2 short stories due in January, and the programming for AuthorCon VI, and going through Splatterpunk Award recs. All while still running the store, and now also ramping up the store’s online store, and doing dad stuff, husband stuff, son stuff, grandson stuff, and friend stuff.

I keep reminding myself that it will be far easier come January. Vortex’s online store doesn’t require me to be in a physical retail storefront all day, so I’ll be able to return to my old writing schedule of 7am to 2 or 3pm. That will be a major load off. But bewteen now and then, I’m white-knuckling and up extra early.

Was talking prime writing time with John Urbancik, Geoff Cooper, Mike Oliveri, and Michael T. Huyck the other day. Coop is one of those people who, like guys on watch at NORAD, gets his best writing done after midnight. David J. Schow is that way, too. Every time I’ve stayed at David’s place, he went to work after I went to sleep, and when I’d wake up in the morning, he;d be finishing up. Mary used to be that way, too, often getting the bulk of her writing in between 10pm and 3 or 4am, although that seems to be changing for her slowly over time.

Me? I need to be up early, before the rest of the world. Indeed, in between the last two paragraphs, Gemma Amor messaged me on WhatsApp to inquire about something, and then followed that up with “Why are you awake so early?” and I explained that I was up this early so I could get some work in before the rest of the world wakes up and begins messaging me.

~

Got three copies of the new DOOM PATROL omnibus yesterday, which includes issue 16, which Keith Giffen had asked me to cowrite with him. I keep hearing that things have changed editorially, at DC Comics, but no contributor copies were sent and I had to buy these copies of the omnibus myself (I keep three of everything I;ve published for my archives). I also noticed that pretty much anyone who worked on these got a bio or a credit in the back of the book, except for me. But that’s okay. Keith and I used to talk once a week on the phone, and it was stuff like this that would set him off on these lengthy and hilariously profane rants. If consciousness does indeed transcend death then he’s doing one right now.

Also received my contributor copies of THE BEST OF BRIAN KEENE and FOUR PAST MEAT NIGHT from Pandi Press, both of which are absolutely beautiful.