Category: News & Updates
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The Look Back | Issue #3
4/6/2024 – 4/19/2024
Dear Reader,
April has been a crazy month to start. Writing a 100 word poem every day has been really tough but I’ve made it so far.
100 WORD STORIES
I will say it has not been easy but of the 19 poems I’ve written thus far, here are some of my favorites:
Buy The First 100 to read the very first stories in my journey! [click image below]
ANATOMY OF TYPEWRITERS | ANTHOLOGY
*Paid Subscribers Only
Previous Anatomy of Typewriters stories: Killer Keys (4-Parts / 9,354 words) & The Night Shift (4-Parts / 9,348 words)
This month I started writing Birthright. Part 1 is out now with Parts 2 and 3 coming before month end. When a woman discovers she was adopted and her birthmother left her her home, she must decide if she’s willing to accept that which she has inherited.
WHAT I’M READING, WATCHING, AND LISTENING
READING | The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens & The Mysterious Affairs at Styles by Agatha Christie / Finished reading in 3 days: The Mighty Onion by Mark Crilley
WATCHING | Midsomer Murders on Britbox (a streaming service) Seasons 22 – 24
LISTENING | Cowboy Carter by Beyoncé & THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT: THE ANTHOLOGY
THE OPT-IN EMAILS
Everything below requires you to actually change your subscription. You can do so here so you won’t miss out on these great opportunities for discussion. Click Here.
COMMUNITY WRITING
#Pentober52 has come to an end. Long live Free Writing Fridays! Returning to twice a month beginning in May.
THE MURDER PEN CLUB
My most secret passion is serial killers. I am fascinated by them. So it should come as no surprise to you that my idols are Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock. This club is my way to connect with them and share with you my love for all of their work through literature and film.
THE WRITERS CIRCLE
Getting to share my thoughts on my writing journey and what I hear being talked about in writing communities is something I enjoy doing but I know not everyone will want to read my thoughts and so, it’s up to you but here are some of what was on my mind recently:
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My Growing Tarot Collection
2024 Edition
Nearly 1 year ago I shared with all of you my vast collection of Tarot Decks and it turns out I’ve been pretty busy this year, backing even more decks through Kickstarter. I really need to stay away from Kickstarter because I spend way too much money whenever I browse!
Anyway, in 2024 it turns out I have quite a new collection of decks coming by way that I want to share before I even get them in-hand. Once I have them I will be sure to update my Tarot Deck Collection post and I think I might even make a dedicated page for my many Tarot Decks on my website once I unbox them all. Alas, since my move I have yet to open all of my book boxes and my decks are spread out among my 100+ book boxes! 👀
All of these collections are expected to be delivered this year and are all backed from Kickstarter. There are three decks I’m really excited about and if I can I hope to use all of them this year to help me write my 100 word stories.
All of these Kickstarters have ended but I will leave a link to their campaign page in case you want to check them out:
In order from soonest to later in the year, based on expected delivery date.
The Alleyway Oracles | March 2024 (late)
The Alleyman returns with THREE brand new decks as one-time printings: the Alleyway Tarot, Oracle of Secrets, and Oracle of Play.
I am getting all three decks.
Tarot Emblemata – Chromata | March 2024 (late)
A magical & mystical deck of Renaissance Emblems in beautiful colors, 88-cards and a Guidebook interpreting the Tarot archetypes & symbolism.
I backed their Tarot Emblemata deck last year but this deck should be different. I have yet to use these for my 100 word stories but I’m hoping to get around to them in the coming years as I have other, more interesting decks worth exploring first.
Dead Man’s Hand (deck of cards) | May 2024
The ideal pirate themed playing cards deck to pass the time while plundering the Seven Seas.
I love pirates! That’s all I have to say. So it was obvious that I would snatch this deck right away.
Rhythm & Soul Tarot | July 2024
A Must for Music Lovers: an Illustrated Tarot Deck & Playing Cards Celebrating American Music 🎶🎸.
I am just getting the Tarot Deck and this one I am most excited for. I’m only sharing the image of the box it will come in because I don’t want to give away the amazing illustrations of the cards just yet. I will definitely be taking time this year to use this deck as inspiration for my 100 word stories. If you can’t wait for me to share what the cards will look like, by all means click the link for yourself and be amazed.
Steamboat Arcana 1928 | November 2024
Embark on a journey with Steamboat Arcana, two 78-card tarot decks celebrating the timeless magic of the world’s favorite mouse.
The moment Steamboat Willie entered the public domain there have been many iterations of his likeness everywhere. But I have found none quite as exciting to get my hands on as this deck. There are two options but I’m getting the classic. And yes, I am wicked excited for this deck! I wish I didn’t have to wait till November to get it!
Bard’s Arcana | December 2024
The Tarot of Shakespeare.
The simplest of explanations for what it is and yet of all my Kickstarters it is the one that is taking nearly two years to get sent to me. I backed this last year and I’m on pins and needles waiting for it. I know it’s going to be something to behold and I have slots in January 2025 waiting for me to write these 100 word stories for the entire deck!
DO YOU COLLECT TAROT DECKS?
My fascination (and appreciation) for the Tarot comes from my mom who read Tarot and practiced witchcraft for much of her adult life. She wasn’t like as deeply practicing it as others but I have fond memories of watching her read cards for close friends and taking trips to people’s homes when I was little just so she could read their cards.
Now I look upon them as inspiration for storytelling. Each deck is so unique and different. All waiting for a story to be told through them.
Altogether I have 15 decks. I’m including my mothers deck which is the normal Tarot deck, not pictured anywhere.
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The Look Back | Issue #2
3/16/2024 – 4/5/2024
Dear Reader,
Another Saturday, another opportunity for me to share all that I’ve been working on the past couple of weeks. As I try to find my “sea legs” with all the various projects I have going in 2024 I appreciate this time I’m giving myself to remember that there is actual writing progress happening. Sometimes it can be easy to forget that things are actually getting done when you’re in the weeds of it all. If you ever have a chance to look back, I recommend it, even if it’s just for yourself.
100 WORD STORIES
You can pretty much guarantee that every newsletter will have at least 13 of these ready to read! But, instead of sharing the stories I’m going a different route and sharing the link to The First 100 because I published a book. The first in a series that may never end. So, if you missed where this journey started and want to have a copy on your bookshelf here’s your chance! I’m releasing these in PRINT form only.
ANATOMY OF TYPEWRITERS | ANTHOLOGY
*Paid Subscribers Only
I’ve completed yet another short story and it comes in at just under 10,000 words. If you haven’t read Killer Keys, you may want to give it a try, so long as you don’t believe that typewriters have a mind of their own.
The latest completed story is The Night Shift. If dolls that move and talk give you nightmares or the creeps, this story might not be for you.
COMMUNITY WRITING EXERCISES
If you’re looking for a place to flex your writing muscles (whether professionally or just as a hobby) look no further:
WHAT I’M READING, WATCHING, AND LISTENING
READING | The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens & The Mysterious Affairs at Styles by Agatha Christie
WATCHING | Midsomer Murders on Britbox (a streaming service)
LISTENING | Cowboy Carter by Beyoncé
THE OPT-IN EMAILS
Everything below requires you to actually change your subscription. You can do so here so you won’t miss out on these great opportunities for discussion. Click Here.
THE MURDER PEN CLUB
My most secret passion is serial killers. I am fascinated by them. So it should come as no surprise to you that my idols are Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock. This club is my way to connect with them and share with you my love for all of their work through literature and film.
THE WRITERS CIRCLE
Getting to share my thoughts on my writing journey and what I hear being talked about in writing communities is something I enjoy doing but I know not everyone will want to read my thoughts and so, it’s up to you but here are some of what was on my mind recently:
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April Sneak Peeks 👀
Spring Cleaning starts…NOW!
Dear Reader,
NOTE: This email may get cut off due to its length. If so, just click HERE to read it online.
You will notice a few major changes in the emails that you receive from this moment forward. I wanted to do a bit of Spring cleaning to make things easier to digest on a month-to-month basis:
NEWS & UPDATES
Monthly News are now Sneak Peeks. This email will now be focused on future plans. Sharing any pre-order news, especially.
Twice Monthly Updates [new email]. Every 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month I’m going to share what you may have missed from the previous 2 weeks.
COMMUNITY WRITING
#pentober52 & Free Writing Friday are now OPT-IN to participate. If you have never opted-in to received the Wednesday #pentober52 then chances are you will NOT receive the 1st of the month Free Writing Friday emails. So, make sure you OPT-IN to “COMMUNITY WRITING” so you won’t miss these great emails and ways to collaborate and participate in writing activities within the community.
APRIL 2024 CALENDAR
Dates and emails are subject to change.
THE FIRST 100 RELEASE PARTY!
As of tomorrow, April 2nd, The First 100 is no longer in Pre-Order or just an idea on my computer but you can hold it in your hands. I did the “math” and if all of you, my most loyal of subscribers, were to purchase just one copy of my book it would more than cover purchasing all the remaining 13 bookcases I need to possibly unbox all of my books for the first time in nearly a decade! Wow! Not that I’m in a rush to put together 13 bookcases all at once! But it would truly mean a lot and you could own the very first 100 stories I wrote when this crazy journey started back on May 1st, 2023!
Click the button below to order on Amazon US (but you can certainly find it on other online booksellers as well):
100 WORD STORIES IN APRIL
This month in certain writing circles is “Poetry Month” and so I’m preparing to write 30 days worth of poems. Till now I’ve only written a few poems that were exactly 100 words so this will definitely be a challenge.
REMINDER: All previous 100 Word Stories are now in ARCHIVE for Paid Subscribers only.
SLEIGHT OF HAND
As this is an email where I’m only allowed to look forward I will say that April will include two very special stories that I’m excited to share with you:
The first is a short story for paid subscribers only, The Private Lives of Hannah and Amelia. I give you a closer look at the two old biddies who travel to and from work in the carriage with Charisma and Flossie. I hope you enjoyed their brief appearance in Sleight of Hand because this is your chance to learn an important secret about them. [April 8th]
The second is a part of the “A History” portion of Wondermere and is free for everyone. I love writing these really short stories because it gives me a chance to share a bit of history with you that will hopefully convince you (if you aren’t already) to become a paid subscriber and get unfettered access. In this third installment I’m going to tell you the history of The Caretakers of the colosseum. Who are the Pomroy women and how exactly did they come to have such an important job as managing the colosseum? [April 22nd]
ANATOMY OF TYPEWRITERS
With two stories down (I realize I neglected to release Part III and the Epilogue of Night Shift, but fret not, both are coming this week to catch-up). I seem to be getting more and more excited with each story I come up with to tell. As you know, each story will feature a typewriter in some way, hence the name of the anthology. In April I’m going to delve deeper into a scenario I’ve always been fascinated by; heredity.
A woman has just buried her father. If that wasn’t difficult enough, in his will he left her a letter explaining that she was adopted when she was just three months old and her birthmother left her a house. But it comes with conditions; she can never sell it, she can only leave it to her child (should she choose to have one). Why? What she uncovers in this home about the mother she never knew will shock her and make her question the rest of her life.
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The Look Back | Issue #1
3/3/2024 – 3/15/2024
Dear Reader,
Welcome to a brand new series of emails. On the 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month I’m going to take an opportunity to look back at the previous two weeks and all that I’ve written. Think of this as a great way for you to catch-up on what you may have missed. So, let’s get into it…
THE 100 WORD STORIES
You can pretty much guarantee that every newsletter will have at least 13 of these ready to read! Feel free to CLICK HERE if you want to jump down to the next portion of the email to see what else I’ve been up to the past two weeks.
AN ANATOMY OF TYPEWRITERS ANTHOLOGY
*Paid Subscribers Only
THE COMMUNITY WRITING EXERCISES
If you’re looking for a place to flex your writing muscles (whether professionally or just as a hobby) look no further:
WHAT I’M READING, WATCHING, AND LISTENING
READING [The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens]
WATCHING [Vera on Britbox (a streaming service)]
LISTENING [WQXR Classical Radio Station in NYC on iHeartRadio]
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The Second 100! Pre-Order My Book Today!
Special reward for all pre-orders inside
Dear Reader,
I’m just getting started! Yes, one month ago I sent you a similar email sharing the news about The First 100 pre-order. It’s hard to believe but that is just a few weeks away. CLICK HERE for that one and get it from Amazon. It can also be found on Barnes & Noble, too.
HOW IT STARTED
Immediately after The First 100 pre-order was available I got right to work on The Second 100. From this point forward it truly is a copy/paste job of taking the story from Scrivener and plopping it into the template I’ve created for each book. They will all look and feel the same so they will, hopefully, look great on any shelf.
HOW IT’S GOING
As of today, I am all caught up with myself. This means I’ve already got the files ready to go for The Third 100 and in the coming weeks I should have my hands on the proof copy as well as that pre-order link and I hope to have that one for you by April 15th. Now, some might say I’m moving too fast. I’m not giving each book their time to shine because I’m throwing these pre-order links at you BOOM BOOM BOOM. And that might be true. Perhaps I should lift my foot off the gas pedal a bit and go hard promoting The First 100 for a while, especially since The Second 100 isn’t out till the end of June and The Third 100 is scheduled for August!
This is my first time really doing something like this so you could say I’m making all the obvious mistakes and maybe next year I’ll get it right. Next year I’ll be patient and give each book their time to be in the spotlight. But for now, I’m just really excited with the way it’s going. I can’t help myself. All my hard work is being expressed in book form and on my shelf and I’m just so freaking proud of myself!
JUST THE STATS (ABOUT THE BOOK)
Printer used Ingram Spark
Binding Paperback – Perfect Bound
Trim Size 6.5” x 6.5” (165mm x 165mm)
Paper White 70
Interior Black & White
Page Count 232 pages
Spine 0.63043 in (16.01 mm)
Weight 0.548 lb (248.57 g)
Cover Finish Gloss
On Sale Date June 25, 2024
WHERE IT’S HEADED
So far so good? Honestly, my next HUGE hurdle is less to do with putting these books together or even writing the story. The next big thing is my plan for January 2025. You will play the most pivotal role at that time so, no pressure! I’ve mentioned this a few times and the closer it gets to the end of this year (I know, I know, it’s only March!) the more nervous I become that it might not go according to plan.
So, Kickstarter, a place I frequent but never as the creator of a campaign, will either make or break me come January 2025. My intention is to create a behemoth of a book that will encapsulate 500 of my 100 word stories all in one massive volume! The catch? This will be a limited run. There will only ever be 100 of these books printed and the only way to get them will be through my Kickstarter. Now, I’ve never done a campaign of any kind before. My wife has, and she’s graciously offered to assist me. I also have a few friends I know in the fiction writing world who’ve also offered to help. Thank God for them!
So, to answer the question of where this is all headed? Well, it’s headed towards this book, The First 500: A Collection of 100 Word Stories. And if you help me make it a success, then I will continue the tradition every other year on Kickstarter. Of course 2027 is far into the future (who knows where we’ll be then), will I even still be writing these 100 word stories then, but The Second 500 will definitely be a thing. Will you help me make it a thing?
ONE MORE THING…
Not to distract from my pre-order, but I wanted to give a brief mention to my further fiction work that you may not be aware of: Wondermere.
It’s a world of my own creation that is currently releasing in serial form with episodes (sometimes) every week. I have major plans for this project in the future and if you’re able, you can help make those come true by becoming a monthly (or annual) subscriber to read what else I’m working on:
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March Update Issue
A writing routine can make all the difference
Dear Reader,
NOTE: This email may get cut off due to its length. If so, just click HERE to read it online.
I did a lot of writing (and talking) in February. If you don’t want to be bothered with the deets here’s the TL;DR version:
The First 100 Pre-Order is OUT! Buy it OR Learn more. The Second 100 Pre-Order is OUT! Buy it now and look for the official email March 15th!
The Serial Hour Podcast, Episode 1 with co-host
Community Writing Activities
MARCH 2024 CALENDAR
Dates and emails are subject to change.
THE FIRST 100 AND THE SECOND 100 PRE-ORDERS ARE HERE
I give all the details about the book here. But I wanted to share some interior “spreads” with you straight from the book.
With literally 20min to spare before this email is sent out to you I decided to check Amazon to see if it was there yet and BOOM! Now, I know, I know, there is an OBVIOUS typo in the title that I am kicking myself now for not noticing. I have fixed it but it will take a day or two for Amazon servers to acknowledge the title correction. In the meantime, I am off to get The Third 100 pre-order read for you by April 15th!
100 WORD STORIES UPDATE
February theme revolved around Creatures of the Night tarot cards. A deck I obtained via Kickstarter years ago that can now be purchased on their #78Tarot Etsy storefront.
From Etsy: 55 Creatures of shadow and light and everything in between provide guidance and foresight through their distinct emotions and personalities.
In March, I asked my fellow travelers of the fiction community to provide me with a first sentence. I will, in turn, take that first sentence and expand upon it to create a story. Each contributor will be mentioned in the story.
SLEIGHT OF HAND UPDATE
The story took a bit of a tumble for me. But, like anyone with a vision and a story to tell, I did not let it hold me back. I took the necessary steps needed to retrace my steps. I needed to spend quality time with my main characters. You can too by reading some questions I asked myself about each one here. And after some much needed time away I discovered what was missing. March is when I implement my plans and be they best laid or not, I have a feeling the story is unfolding as it was always meant to.
CURIO FICTION UPDATE
It’s been a rather long time since I’ve brought up my idea for writing a collection of short stories in the genre of “curio fiction” but I have not forgotten it. In fact, towards the end of January an idea came to mind and in a matter of days I managed to write over 10k words for the first story. It was so long I split it into four parts and sent them on their merry way in February to all my paid subscribers. Now, I’m hard at work on the next installment for my collection and with any luck paid subscribers will be receiving the next story the month.
I love a good theme. It helps make the story and characters more clear in my mind. So, keeping that in mind here is the tentative cover for my collection. It is one I hope to release by Spring 2025:
Coming this month, a night security guard at a mall thinks some items in an antique shop are out to get him!
THE SERIAL HOUR PODCAST
Trust me, this is not me trying to bury the lead but, and I’m wicked glad to announce this…
The very first episode dropped last week! and I have come together to discuss our respective podcasts with all of you. Our hope is that through sharing our different journeys we’ll learn from each other and you will, in turn, learn from us.
Who is this podcast for?
If you’re reading either of our serials and want to learn more about them.
You are on a serial writing journey and looking for a great community to share what it’s like.
If you’re reading any serial either on Substack or elsewhere and you’re curious to get a behind-the-scenes perspective.
COMMUNITY WRITING UPDATES
#PENTOBER52 REMINDER
Just in case you forgot, if you are a subscriber (I suppose you must be if you’re receiving this email in your inbox) and you want to participate in this year’s weekly Pentober52 then you need to OPT-IN. Click the button below and make sure to turn on receiving emails for #PENTOBER52.
FREE-WRITING-FRIDAYS
Alas, February was the final month for weekly Free-Writing-Friday posts. From now on this will be a once a month affair. The first Friday of each month you can expect a Free-Writing email complete with the usual image prompt and the start of a story (50-words) for you to finish with your own 50 words. It was not an easy decision to make but with all the time I want to spend on my own fiction I had to let something go. I hope to see you the first Friday of every month starting this month!
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The First 100! Pre-Order My Book Today!
Special reward for all pre-orders inside
Dear Reader,
This moment was a long time coming. Long before I started writing 100 word stories every single day I had a dream of publishing my own work. To be honest, that dream came true a while ago but it didn’t feel right at that time. So I took a step back and “reinvented” myself. Actually, I went from writing under E.L. Drayton to now writing under Erica L. Drayton and it is in that change I am officially releasing this series of books.
If you’re totally not interested in the nuances, behind-the-scenes stuff, and that reward I promised all pre-order folks I’m about to share and just want to pre-order the damn book, click the image cover below to get it on Amazon. It is also available on Barnes & Noble (and possibly other global retailers if you search my name).
HOW IT STARTED
Writing a 100 word story daily is truly how it began. I couldn’t tell you why. Just that I woke up on May 1st last year and said, “I’m gonna write a 100 word story every day” and that’s exactly what I did. Have I gotten to the point where it’s become a compulsive thing I must do every night? I’d say so, yes. A habit has formed and I don’t see it ever ending. At least not till I reach 1,000 stories written, then we’ll see how I feel… So, ask me again on January 26, 2026. Deal? 😏
HOW IT’S GOING
Choosing to just print them in the order that they were originally written was not as easy a decision as you might think. It took my wife pointing out to me that a collection of 100 stories, each of which are 100 words, is perfect. And as always, she was right. I knew I would be creating this book as “print only” and that it would be a square. Something about the shortness of each story just made it feel like a standard shaped book wouldn’t cut it here. And after going through three rounds of proofs I can confidently say I was right to go with a square design.
JUST THE STATS (ABOUT THE BOOK)
Printer used Ingram Spark
Binding Paperback – Perfect Bound
Trim Size 6.5” x 6.5” (165mm x 165mm)
Paper White 70
Interior Black & White
Page Count 232 pages
Spine 0.63043 in (16.01 mm)
Weight 0.548 lb (248.57 g)
Cover Finish Gloss
On Sale Date April 2, 2024
WHERE IT’S HEADED
By the end of 2024 I will have released 5 books in my series! And I’m not Lucy exaggerating when I tell you, this has my stomach in knots. But here we are and there is truly no turning back now. I put in all the hard work and continue to do so to get these all out to you.
The naming convention will remain the same. For example, coming in May is The Second 100, followed by The Third 100, and so on. The next pre-order email will come mid-April (if not sooner) when I have it to share. Till then, it would really mean the most if you pre-order my book.
YOU GET A REWARD! AND YOU GET A REWARD!
But only if you pre-order!
Okay, so here’s my amazing reward to anyone who pre-orders the book: I will write one additional 100 word story that will forever remain FREE-to-READ and you will get credit for making that story happen. It will not be a part of any book as it will not count towards my current tracker of stories. It will be totally unique and all because you made it happen! But don’t worry, I’m not about to send dozens of emails per day to keep up with the hundreds of you that I know will pre-order my book! I’ll limit it to just sending two 100 word emails a day till I’ve honored all of your pre-orders.
HOW TO GET YOUR REWARD
aka make me write another story for you and for everyone…
Email me a copy of your Amazon receipt to [email protected] with the Subject The First 100 and I’ll get cracking on writing a story. If you’re a writer on Substack, tell me your Substack URL and name so I can mention you properly. I will mention all pre-order participants as First Name Last Initial (ex. Erica D.). Feel free to black out your address on the receipt.
Till then, thank you for buying my book and I hope you enjoy having this growing collection on your shelf!
PS I realize I may have overindulged on gifs this email. I can’t help it! I’m excited!
