Sometimes you noodle a story and then sleep on it for years and noodle it and submit it and fiddle until it ends up at an amazing place and you are surprised and so happy for the set of words who could. “The Fertility of Ash” is one of those, which started out as a prompted contest story (drama, forest fire, and mechanical bull – wait really, mechanical bull, yes, good gracious…) and I loved it so. Laney too. I also met some nice people while writing it and added that to the good memories.
All to say, that I am so pleased for this little story and so grateful to Necessary Fiction for making a nice little nest for it to rest in.
My odd origami micro is up today at Atlas and Alice – one of my favorite pieces. It’s an underutilized superpower, the kind of magic I would hope for, if I could hope for such things. Thank you, Atlas and Alice for publishing it.
A little urban archaeology mixed with a bad relationship is the foundation for this one. Digging digging down. Thrilled to see it with Scissors and Spackle, whose magazine just has the best stuff. This issue is pretty amazing too, grainy and deep. Like sifting through layers.
It’s good to take stock, to turn the gaze backwards to get the level of the landscape. To determine exactly how much time I’ve spent staring at the computer screen. Actually, it’s been a great writing year, regardless of the state of the time portal.
I’ve also been a little silly and collected some stats for the year, which are below. Just for funsies.
End of Year Stats – 2021
Short Stories:
Submissions – 111
Rejections – 103
Acceptances – 8
Publications – 6
Stories written – 38
Noms – 1
Other awards and near misses – 4 longlists/HMs
Novels:
Agent queries – 18
Agent rejections – 13
3 requests (including pitch contests)
Two passes and edits of IITAOFA
17K written of War Island
Other Lit Involvement:
Blog editor for LSQ
Guest reading for SLQ
lotsa beta reading
Took three workshops
Active in 3 writing/reading groups
I’m looking forward to writing in 2022, to channeling the joy that writing brings and the community that supports it. Wishing the same for everyone. Love to all and Happy New Year!
I have a new something up with the amazing folks at Cheap Pop. A little something. Actually, a very little something with snakes and knives and being whittled into not much at all.
I did have a pocket knife growing up that was my mother’s, though the rest is a different story altogether.
Miller's Minuscule Mystories 