Jon Hakes. Writer. Official Online Outpost.

I was mostly a stay-at-home dad this summer, which is why I surprised myself by being (relatively) super-productive on the fiction writing front.  I should be thanking my wife and parents for their share of the childcare (Thanks!), and local coffee shops for use of their facilities.  Also managed a lot of reading this summer, which was a nice change from the way things had been going during several previous summers.

If you weren’t already aware, I’m currently posting a monthly digest of fiction on my crowdfunding page (www.patreon.com/JonHakes).  Each issue is available as a subscriber exclusive for a period of one month, after which I either release the issue publicly on Patreon, or hold it back while I submit the work to a traditional market.  Come on over and be part of the experiment.  If you dare…  Bum-bum-BUMMMMMM!!!  …  Okay, inappropriate overtones of suspense…

I’m going to be releasing each of the nanofiction pieces from my Digest issues (starting with Issue #5).  I will put them out on my Facebook page and Twitter account, and will also start archiving them on this site.  If you see one drifting around in the Internet-sphere, feel free to share it with people.

I’ve also been making a lot of progress on other short stories, outside of the digest.  I have a few out in submission now, and a few more that will hopefully be ready in the ever-popular not-too-distant future.  More as it develops.

I promise to be back in less months than last time.  Circumstances permitting.

I was standing around with a group of creative people recently when someone asked some iteration of “What drives you creatively?”  I followed the lead of others who interpreted the question as “What do you need for a successful session of creative work?” and gave a semi-truthful, but somewhat inaccurate answer.

I said something like:  I need a quiet environment (like a library or a quiet coffee shop), and my headphones, playing my music.

What I should have said is something like:  I need a loud library or a loud coffee shop and my headphones, playing my music.

I find that a loud exterior environment helps me by giving me something to wall out with my music.  If it’s too quiet outside the headphones, I think it’s easier for me to get lulled into being drowsy.  This is also why I prefer not to write at home, if given an option.

There.  I apologize to anyone I might have misled in that recent conversation, and I hope that this statement will stand as the ultimate authoritative statement on how I prefer to write.  Until such time as I change my mind.

The first issue of my monthly digest is available to patrons at: www.patreon.com/JonHakes

Check it out if you have interest-feelings in your brain.

Have you ever wished you could subscribe directly to Jon Hakes for a monthly dose of short fiction? Well, we’re about to make your dream come true with a little experiment.
Jon will be producing a monthly digest of fiction (and, eventually, other stuff) here:  http://www.patreon.com/JonHakes

The first issue will be available to subscribers on May 1. You can pledge as little as a dollar a month to receive exclusive access to each monthly issue. As each new issue comes out, the story(-ies) in the previous issue will migrate into other reaches of Jon’s writing life, either appearing online for free, or possibly flying out into the marketplace to seek professional publication.

Your support helps ensure that Jon can sustain the direct-to-consumer monthly digest at Patreon, and also continue to write and submit other stories to professional markets.

I am now available in the form of a Writer page on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/JonHakestheWriter

Feel free to like the page if you are into such things.

I have also launched a page at the crowdfunding site Patreon:  http://www.patreon.com/JonHakes  If you like my writing, please consider a minimal ongoing financial contribution to support me (you might call it a subscription).  Follow the link for much more information.

I’m trying to be brief here as I should probably be sleeping by now.  I may come back with more information later.