2023 Writing Wrap-up and 2024 Aspirations
And let's throw in some 2023 award eligibility because I got some, yo!
Welcome to 2024.
A lot has happened in 2023.
A lot.
Obviously, the biggest highlight was getting laid off from InterVarsity after 15 years of service. Out of the thirteen of us who were affected, I think I was the only one who grinned throughout the entire ordeal because it meant I now have more time to write yayyy!!!
Then reality hit me and I felt awful, etc., etc.
Only now has the tension I carried from working a dayjob finally started to ease. I’ve been treating the past few months as a sabbatical—resting, doing things around the house that have been woefully neglected, reading, and writing.
So much writing.
I am now truly working from home. I have my own schedule, my own routine. I still feel like I'm unraveling from the day job mentality and I still sometimes feel aimless, but I'm finally getting good sleep again (thanks to the CPAP machine I got in April--another highlight), and while I still feel overwhelmed sometimes, it's not as strong as it was before.
The second highlight of 2023 was the grand opening of Meow Wolf’s “The Real Unreal” permanent exhibit in Grapevine, Texas. It’s the culmination of my work over three years, and it’s wild to know that there is now a tourist art attraction that I wrote and people visit. I wrote about my thoughts in my July 2023 newsletter if you want to know my thoughts. I’ve had friends contact me to say they’ve been to the exhibit and absolutely love it, and occasionally, I get delightful shoutouts on social media.
The third highlight was taking over as the owner of GigaNotoSaurus Magazine, which has had its triumphs and challenges. Right now, with such a huge backlog of slush, we are keeping submissions closed for the time being.
Award Eligibility
In February 2023, my short story “By the Works of Her Hands” was published in the Never Too Old to Save the World anthology by Outland Entertainment. A lot of people got to hear me read the story at various venues and online. I’ve called it my take on Narnia. Next month, the story will be available for reprints, which makes me happy because I’m very proud of that story and would love to see more eyes on it.
December 2023 saw another short story of mine “Deconstruction in the Form of a Cat God” published by Sunday Morning Transport. I go into the logistics writing in my previous newsletter, so if you haven’t read that, check that out now!
Both stories are eligible for the Hugo and Nebula Short Story categories. And if you’re nominating, also consider GigaNotoSaurus for the Best Semi-pro category as well as myself for the Editor Short Form category. Also, heck, it would be really cool if my work at Meow Wolf would be considered for the Hugo Best Related Work category. I mean, come one, wouldn’t it be neat if a Meow Wolf House won a Hugo?
Looking into 2024
As to what 2024 will bring, I honestly don’t know. I have a couple of projects in the works — yes, one of those projects would be getting back to the AfroFae novel I put on hiatus earlier in 2023. As always, stay tuned to this newsletter for updates. Also, feel free to share this newsletter.
I can’t wait to see what this next year will hold for me and I’m excited that all of you get to accompany me into the next leg of my writing journey.