Time travel is one of my favorite literary devices. Today, let’s apply it to my work in 2018.
A few rules: what happened happened. We can’t alter the flow of time. For instance, there’s no taking back my tasteless joke about A Quiet Place (check May for details). We also can’t go back any further than January 2018, and from there we must progress forward in month-by-month sequence. Lastly, laughter and link clicking are encouraged.
Okay. Time machine’s here. Hop in.
…
January
My first blog post of the year went live: “Setting Writing Resolutions for 2018.” While I did not state mine specifically, I confess I had one in mind: publishing a book. More on that one later.
Another big step in January: I launched my email mailing list. I want to keep in touch with as many readers as I could, even those who might not be on WordPress. Email seems like a great way to do it. If you’d like to join, feel free to do so here.
February
I believe my best work in February was this post: “The Question of Simplistic Morals in Epic Fantasy.” Here I compared the tone of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings with Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. The former is clear in its moral alignment: The Fellowship is good, Sauron is evil. Less so with the latter; almost every character lies somewhere between good and evil. Do these differing approaches make one series better than the other? This one was fun to write. I hope it’s fun to read.
Also in February, I began writing articles for my local hobby shop, Flipside Gaming. I did a handful of news articles, though the bulk of my work was with Magic: The Gathering content. If you’re into that kind of thing, you can find all my Flipside Articles here.
March
On March 12th, I published a post entitled, “Should You Lie to Your Fellow Writers?” This one was a little controversial. The underlying idea is this: When offering feedback on a piece, I don’t believe there’s ever a reason to tell anyone you hated their work—even if you kind of did. Here’s a snippet:
“So if a writer you know asks for feedback on a draft and you simply hate that draft, lie to them. Find something, anything you think they did right. Identify specific points where they can improve, rather than making sweeping, and ultimately unhelpful, negative statements.”
I believe it was my most commented-on post of 2018. Check it out and see what you think.
Also, I turned 26 on the 6th. My thoughts on the day:
Sometimes I wish I was Dr. Manhattan. That way, I wouldn’t have to pick an outfit every morning.
— Kyle A. Massa (@mindofkyleam) March 6, 2018
April
This month, I wrote three pieces I’m especially proud of: “The Infinity Draft: 3 Questions That Can Help End the Endless,” “Why the ‘This Meets That’ Pitch Doesn’t Work,” and “Research Tips for Writers: Lessons from Jackie Chan’s Uncle.” I think all three addressed important topics for writers in unique ways. (Also, anytime you get to reference Jackie Chan’s uncle in an article, good things happen.)
Magic fans might get a kick out of this one:
Is it socially acceptable to put a Black Lotus on a wedding registry? Leaning toward yes. #mtg
— Kyle A. Massa (@mindofkyleam) April 30, 2018
May
Did you notice the Infinity War reference from last month? I got really, really into Avengers stuff around now, as evidenced by this month’s most popular post, “Sympathy for the Titan: Thanos & How to Create a Good Bad Guy.” In this one, I broke down three reasons I think Thanos is one of the best movie villains, ever.
Also, starting in May, I began writing for another Magic site, this one called EDHREC. If you’re a planeswalker, you might dig my articles.
Oh, and here’s that tasteless Quiet Place joke I mentioned:
For the family in #AQuietPlace, everyone’s lives literally depended on not farting.
— Kyle A. Massa (@mindofkyleam) May 28, 2018
June
In honor of Father’s Day, I compiled a list of famous dads from science fiction and fantasy. My top picks: Ned Stark, Darth Vader, Thanos (the pattern continues), and Mr. Wednesday. A huge oversight: I somehow forgot to do an equivalent post for Mother’s Day. Sorry, Mom! We’ll have a 2019 edition for sure.
July
July was a quiet month for the blog. The most notable post: “Has Your Antagonist Stolen Your Story?” This one addresses the phenomenon in which a villain might overshadow the heroes of your story.
Also in July, I started writing for ProWritingAid. My first post was entitled, “Writing Fantasy? Here’s How to Build a Vivid Setting.” I’ve been writing for them (and later, working for them) ever since. Check out all my posts here.
And for some incisive commentary on writing…
All writers must ask themselves this question: “Would this character take a selfie?” #writerthoughts
— Kyle A. Massa (@mindofkyleam) July 13, 2018
August
Forget writing. My favorite event of August (and the entire year) was getting married! Here’s a photo of my beautiful wife Sara and I:
September
This month, I wrote a post about how to ignore self-criticism. I hope it’s a help to writers, especially those who are extra hard on themselves.
Also in September, I read Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell. It’s one of the best books I’ve ever read on those two subjects (plus more). I highly recommend it!
October
In October, readers got their first look at my first novel, Gerald Barkley Rocks. This excerpt was an absolute blast to write. I hope it’s just as fun to read.
No October posting would be complete without a nod to Halloween. So, this year, I wrote “The Top 5 Horror Techniques of Hereditary” for ProWritingAid. Honestly, I’m pretty sure Hereditary is the scariest movie I’ve ever seen. The post will tell you more.
November
I’ve got to thank my wife for my favorite post of November. It’s got a lengthy title, but I think it fits: “Why Don’t They Call the Cops? – Answering Your Readers’ Questions Before They Ask Them.” She was reading a book and got very annoyed that the characters took matters into their own hands rather than doing the logical (and safe thing)…call the police!
All in all, November was a pretty quiet month. That’s because I was preparing for a big event the following month…
December
I published my first book! It’s called Gerald Barkley Rocks, and it’s available on Amazon Kindle right now. Feel free to grab yourself a copy, if you feel so inclined.
Onward
That’s the end of this year’s time travel tour. Make sure to give it a nice review on Trip Advisor. See you again next year!
Kyle A. Massa is a speculative fiction author living somewhere in upstate New York with his wife and their two cats. His stories have appeared in numerous online magazines, including Allegory, Chantwood, and Dark Fire Fiction. His debut novel, Gerald Barkley Rocks, is available now on Amazon Kindle.
