And just like that, another year is behind us.
I’ve seen the blog entries and chatting on social media that come with this time of the year, much of it being, “Where did 2018 go?”
For me, 2018 seemed like a very long year…
The Year that Was
2018 was the year a layoff at work put another technical writer’s job in my lap, on top of an already full time position. It was the year that saw a Not About Lumberjacks story selected for the HEAR Now Audio Fiction and Arts Festival. But the biggest thing to happen in 2018 was completing my novel, A Magic Life.
If you’re a regular listener, you know working on the novel often got in the way of monthly releases of the show. Thank you for bearing with my sporadic schedule. I can’t say it will never happen again, but at least into spring, I have stories lined up. And while I will soon be shopping A Magic Life around, there will be more time for short fiction in 2019.
Why I Do This
I started Not About Lumberjacks because — as my attention shifted to novels in recent years — I stopped writing short fiction.
When I decide to dedicate time to a novel, I give myself to something requiring more than I feel might be in me. I dedicate efforts toward something I hope has a balance of literary merit and commercial appeal. I write novels with the hope of publication.
With short fiction, I can do whatever I want. Most of the stories, here, are quirky in some way…even some of the more literary tales. I like intricate novels, but a short story can hinge on a single idea, or feel like a novel reduced to its essence.
Add to all that inviting friends to narrate the occasional story, and Not About Lumberjacks is a thing done simply because I love it.
I hope you love what I have in store for the coming year…
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Photo: Kiwihug
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