Unanswered Prayers
So, how did 2018 go?
Work-wise, I am very much in a rut, and that’s fine. We all remember six or seven years ago when my teaching career was smoldering and on the edge of going up in smoke, so I will take boring any day of the week.
Writing-wise, this has been a year of learning. In late November of 2017, Loose Id accepted Texas Charm. Well, we all know how that ended. Loose Id did a great job of closing down, but emotionally it really knocked me on my ass. And then, the editor I had worked with all along said, “Let me know if you’d like me to slot you in for Texas Charm.” I got through a death in the family and the blow from having my publisher close, and when I contacted the same editor about starting edits, she then didn’t have room for me and wouldn’t even give me her new email. I was crushed (and I’m still bitter). I hate sharing my work with editors, and I think it took me a lot longer to get back on the writing horse because I was nervous about working with someone new.
But as often happens, what looked like an obstacle ended up being a stepstool that raised me to a new level.
I figured out how to use Draft2Digital, and I have most of my backlist up. It’s turning out a low but steady income. I’m actually getting a more stable income from Patreon. Not only does it take the pressure off to publish, but I’ve survived a car accident that totaled my old but mechanically solid car and a leaking roof (with an illegal three layers of shingles). My savings is not where it was (or anywhere near), but I’m not drowning in credit card interest payments because I have that steady stream. More importantly, it encourages me to write, write, write. So, what are the stats?
2 Books published (Claimings 4, and Aberrant Magic 6)
1 Book complete but not yet published (Saddled, submitted over at MLR)
6 Current WIPs
Yep, you read that right. I have written almost a half million words. Loosing Loose Id and getting pushed into Patreon has been a great blessing. I may have kicked and screamed about losing my publisher, but the universe knew I would be alright. It also probably knew life was going to financially kick my ass and that I needed the extra boost. I am forever grateful to the universe, or Garth Brooks loves to sing, “Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers.”
Work-wise, I am very much in a rut, and that’s fine. We all remember six or seven years ago when my teaching career was smoldering and on the edge of going up in smoke, so I will take boring any day of the week.
Writing-wise, this has been a year of learning. In late November of 2017, Loose Id accepted Texas Charm. Well, we all know how that ended. Loose Id did a great job of closing down, but emotionally it really knocked me on my ass. And then, the editor I had worked with all along said, “Let me know if you’d like me to slot you in for Texas Charm.” I got through a death in the family and the blow from having my publisher close, and when I contacted the same editor about starting edits, she then didn’t have room for me and wouldn’t even give me her new email. I was crushed (and I’m still bitter). I hate sharing my work with editors, and I think it took me a lot longer to get back on the writing horse because I was nervous about working with someone new.
But as often happens, what looked like an obstacle ended up being a stepstool that raised me to a new level.
I figured out how to use Draft2Digital, and I have most of my backlist up. It’s turning out a low but steady income. I’m actually getting a more stable income from Patreon. Not only does it take the pressure off to publish, but I’ve survived a car accident that totaled my old but mechanically solid car and a leaking roof (with an illegal three layers of shingles). My savings is not where it was (or anywhere near), but I’m not drowning in credit card interest payments because I have that steady stream. More importantly, it encourages me to write, write, write. So, what are the stats?
2 Books published (Claimings 4, and Aberrant Magic 6)
1 Book complete but not yet published (Saddled, submitted over at MLR)
6 Current WIPs
- Hercules in Submission (dark, dark rewriting of mythology. I only update this when I want to fictionally torture someone.)
- Earth Fathers are Weird (tentacles and aliens and mpreg oh my)
- Aberrant Magic 7 (We’re getting back to Kavon and Darren and evil ifrit)
- Kensho and other short tales and tails from the Claimings universe (Claimings short stories that only occasionally feature Liam and Ondry)
- The Witness Wore a Puppy Tail: A huge reworking of my puppy!play fanfic The Witness
- Royal Indiscretion (on hiatus, but a royal black sheep meets a wealthy American)
Yep, you read that right. I have written almost a half million words. Loosing Loose Id and getting pushed into Patreon has been a great blessing. I may have kicked and screamed about losing my publisher, but the universe knew I would be alright. It also probably knew life was going to financially kick my ass and that I needed the extra boost. I am forever grateful to the universe, or Garth Brooks loves to sing, “Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers.”