July 31, 2009
I did it! Wrote and submitted a new short story to the Esquire fiction contest, that is. I’ve been working on it all week, and now it’s done! What a great feeling…especially because I hadn’t written many short stories for a while. De-emphasizing short stories was a conscious choice, because I really wanted to focus on novels, but I now realize I don’t want to cut them out of my writing regimen completely. I enjoy writing them, and the occasional publication isn’t bad, either. At the recent workshops I attended in Oregon, I took the first steps to getting my story writing back on track…and now that I’ve finished my piece for the Esquire contest, I’ve taken another critical step. Writing this story reminded me of the full scope of my story-writing process. It also helped me unleash the creative craziness I so enjoy exploring in shorter works. I can’t wait to write another one! With any luck, I’ll squeeze in one or two more before I really get rolling on my new novel, a mystery…though I’m not sure. After all, I’m planning to plow into the novel in August, and August does start tomorrow. We’ll see.
Meanwhile, here’s a little blast from the past: a travel photo! Haven’t seen one of those in a while, have you? This one’s a shot of me on a whale watching boat in Frenchman Bay at Bar Harbor, Maine, from all the way back in 1991! Interestingly enough, this photo was shot exactly 18 years ago on this date, July 31. Enjoy, and see you soon!
Bar Harbor, Maine, July 31, 1991
