Focus.

Side projects happen. Sometimes you will be moving right along and something comes up that needs your attention. Perhaps it's a short-story publishing opportunity, sometimes a writing contest. Whatever it is, it is bound to happen and it throws the train off the tracks. My novel is not forgotten, only maturing in my head. Yeah. That's it.

An excerpt of my Gulf War memoir-in-progress is being printed in 'F-Magazine,' my first short for an anthology is being printed, my second short for an anthology is being polished, and I'm still waiting on news of when my international student anthology short story hits book form. The novel I have been working on for the last few months has been put on hold but is far from forgotten.

I need to let myself know that, sometimes, this is okay. The break from the book will help me see something new. At the very least, I will start to see the story as a reader. It has been long enough away from my eyes to allow me to forget parts, and seeing it again will help me find the gaps in continuity that are probably obvious to those reading it and not to the fella writing it.

I miss it, actually. I worry that it gets lonely without attention and hope it's staying out of trouble while I'm away. I didn't actually tell it I was leaving, but I'm sure it knows I'm coming back. Some time. I just need to focus.

Short Absence

Whew! Guess it's been a while since I made a post. No worries, I'm still kicking.

My anthology submission has been revised, edited, scrutinized and accepted. Printing to commence shortly. It was quite the adventure going through all the steps, but it feels good that it's done. Now for the next submission!

Writing, as a job, is a never-ending cascade of ups and downs. Acceptances and rejections, rejections, rejections. No sense letting the rejections get to you. It's a matter of perserverance. Just because one manuscript (or so many you can't count them all) hasn't been accepted doesn't mean the work has failed. It only means the time/editor/reviewer/publication/mood wasn't right at the moment it crossed someone's desk. Fifteen minutes later it may have been perfect.

I'm not giving up. This is what I love to do.