Well, all the leftover turkey has been devoured, the Christmas tree has been purchased, dragged home in the cold and erected in the living room, and the various home improvement projects started over the weekend are done (new grout and caulk for the tub!). Thus, it is official:  the holiday is over and it’s back to reality.

I have two weeks of classes to go, followed by a nearly two week span for final exams (tragically, I’ve got a final to administer on the very last day of the semester, Dec. 23rd). So, while there’s lots of grading ahead, course prep is winding down and I’m hoping to squeeze in more writing time. I have a couple of short stories in early draft stage and am determined to get the first draft of my urban fantasy novel (PROJECT AWESOME) wrapped up by the New Year. I’m at about 65K, so with maybe 20K to go this might not seem overly ambitious, but I’ve also been stuck for about two weeks with no forward movement. Sigh.

I think part of this is due to my feeling a little down about my writing. I’ve mentioned to many of you in recent months that I’ve been frustrated, chewing on the sense that I’ve been working hard and producing material that I think is really strong and just getting rejection after rejection. I know I should be driven on by my own need to write and my own sense of progress and enjoyment (and I am!), but honestly, I really needed some sort of external encouragement and validation. What can I say? I’m only human.

Anyway, I finally got it. I sold two stories this month, which felt — frankly — fantastic. The first of these, DISCARDED, is now available to read over on Electric Spec. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Okay – off to enjoy the Monday commute!

Hope you all have a great week 🙂