On Submitting and Getting Work Done...

I think, by far the hardest thing right now for me, as we are expecting our first child and awaiting the choice of a justice of the peace to decide the fate of our niece either with us or not, is sitting down and simply getting  the writing done. Luckily I had Writers Anonymous, the branch of the UCLA Writing Project that enabled me to continue writing by connecting me with people who are not only educators but serious about getting published. To date our leader and mentor, the amazing and wonderful Jane Hancock has published her Jungle Jenny novel. I still remember hearing bits of the story while workshopping the story at UCLA two summers ago. They really have been my backbone in making sure I get writing done, as I will be running out of time, the dreaded commodity that no teacher or parent ever has enough of. Anywho, back to work, gotta get that story written and submitted to Magazine of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Another rejection letter should be coming my way soon after it. Another writing artifact to show my students.

Been a long time...

So, as a means of proving to my students that I do actually write when not being in "Teacher Mode" I submitted the Q1 story to Writers of the Future. I humbly await, yet again, their decision to not include me in their contest. But, I've made a resolution to submit something each quarter. Also, I have students that are now of age who will be submitting also. Kind of excited to see what they'll do. My next challenge is to write a story for Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine. Hopefully they'll send me a snazzy rejection letter hand written like last time, which I'll show off to my students. Then maybe another to Analog, as they held one of my stories for waaaaay over the expected time frame only to send me another nicely hand written notice. Getting closer. I can almost taste that first story being sold.

Nah, who am I kidding. Oh, wait, me.