That’s in case you haven’t noticed. I’ve decided to tell people that I’m a writer, and it’s part of my identity. I may not write well; I may repeat myself sometimes, but I’m still a writer.
It doesn’t matter to me if I’m published. I made a resolution last year to self-publish. With Kindle, I did. The first Grimaulkin YA novel is out in ebook format, and I’m working on the second one, with the first draft in this blog (in case you haven’t noticed).
I’ll probably never be published by a big house, because my stories are not overly complicated. I try to make them simple and easy to read, with lots of dialogue and small paragraphs. My problem is exposition, description, and making assumptions of the reader. I know what the room looks like – why don’t you?
This year’s resolution is that I want to learn the art of the short story. I write scenes and novels, nothing in between. I don’t want to write a novella. I want to write 7,500 words as required by SFFWA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America). In order to apply to be a member of theirs, you need to be published.
Does this mean I’m selling out, after all this time saying it doesn’t matter if I’m published or not?
No, I don’t think so. I’m not making it my life’s dream to be a member of SFFWA, nor am I trying to be an out there, sellable author. This year I need to learn how to prune, as well as plan. Next year maybe I’ll start shopping it around. Start with the big magazines (Fantasy and Science Fiction, Asimov’s) and go down to smaller ones.
I’m reclusive by nature, so the idea of actually going out there and selling myself via a media blitz makes me fearful. Blogs, twitter, other such stuff, possibly. Anything else? Live interviews? Oh, hell, no. Too scary.
So hopefully I will write some self-contained short stories here, along with their rewrites. Ignore as you see fit. 🙂