Shorts

It’s really hot here in Indiana, but I’m not talking about clothing.

I’m in that waiting mode. Making the transition from sending my novels to small publishers to medium and large ones means waiting a long time…for them to say... no. Hopefully at some point one will say yes, but in the meantime I wait, send it out again, and wait some more. It’s depressing.

I’m working on a new novel but this one is going slower, in part because it’s a traditional fantasy, but I know the other reason is because at the end I’ll have yet another manuscript to go out there…and wait some more.

When I was working in corporate America I was almost always in school. I was lucky that my employer paid for a good portion of it, even a PhD. Did I need a doctorate for my work? Not really. After all, I was doing the job. I did learn a lot and I do think my schooling improved my skills, but I didn’t need it.

For work, that is. I did need it for me. Corporate America is many things both good and bad, but one thing it is generally not is affirming. Was I doing a good job? Sometimes clients told me so. My bosses hardly ever. I always got a raise. I was never in danger of job loss. But did that mean I was good? I never really knew. But school…ahhh. Now that was another story. Every semester came a solid confirmation of Kelly Goodness.

And that’s what short stories do for me now. They are quick. They are fun to write. Easier to find markets. You don’t have to make a commitment to a character or setting. And I get that nice satisfying we want this more often.

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve knocked off a couple and already had one accepted to an Indiana Horror Anthology. (How cool is that…an anthology for Indiana writers and/or stories set in Indiana. About time. We’re a spooky state. :-) )

Unless you are famous, you’re never going to make a bunch of money on shorts. But that’s OK. I didn’t get any cash for good grades either.

Being published…it just never gets old.