This has been a busy, busy year for my writing, even if very little of it has been published. I’ve taken my first forays into teaching, sold piles of my self-published books, and attended conventions. In all, it’s been a fantastic time.
One piece find publication this year. This one took its time finding a home, partially because it’s so difficult to classify.
- The Girl Who Always Looked Up – Asymmetry Fiction
I don’t know if this thing is eligible for awards of any sort (not the big ones, since this isn’t a pro market), but this was the story that won a Silver Honorable Mention for me from the Writers of the Future Contest. I’m extremely pleased that this thing finally found a place out there in the publishing world. There are more short stories coming next year. Since I spent a good portion of this year writing short stories, I’ll hopefully start seeing some more successes in addition to what’s already scheduled.
Teaching has been a big deal for me this year. My workshop at the Rochester Public Library Artists and Writers Series on characterization taught me that all-day workshops are loads of fun to run. Preparation for it sunk a large percentage of my writing time, but it was worth it. In the process of putting together the material, I found ways to improve my own writing. I went on to teach a Community Education class called Writing the Strange, which will repeat in April of the new year. I also have something coming this spring at The Loft Literary Center, which is going to be super cool. Stay tuned for that announcement.
Spent a lot of time writing novels. Novels are such a big, slow thing that they don’t come out for years, even when they do get picked up by a publisher. I haven’t had any deals fall into place in that space, so apart from writing a couple hundred thousand words, I don’t have a lot to show for that.
2017 was a busy, chaotic year. Writing was both a refuge for me and a way to express myself in this strange, strange world. I expect 2018 to be much of the same, and I hope you’re here with me for it.