The Path Ahead
Writing goals are difficult for me to make. I tend to have multiple projects moving about in my head (and on my computer) at once and I don’t like pinning myself down to anything too specific or rigid. Last year, my only goal was to submit short stories 100 times (In other words, among the 15 or so stories I had ready for submission, I wanted to submit them, in total, 100 times). And I got close. In the end, those subs resulted in four acceptances. Two of those were published last year and two will be published this year. I’m very excited about the two coming up. And just last week I received my first short story acceptance of 2026. Hooray!
So, do I have a goal for this year? Yeah. The same one. I want to hit 100 short story submissions. Some I may only submit five or six times. Others I may submit twenty times. It all depends on the markets that fit the stories, how long they take to respond, whether they accept simultaneous submissions (i.e. sending to more than one publication at a time), how many are acceptances, how many stories I can get into shape, etc. Many variables here. But I got super close last year so I think I can do it this year.
I’d also like to finally pull together a short story collection. And I’d like to get a second draft going of the novel I wrote last year. And I want to get the final draft of the novella I workshopped with my critique group last year. And…yeah. It’s always a lot.
In the meantime, here are details on one of the forthcoming publications: Dim Shores will be releasing Suffering the Other, an anthology that will benefit the Transgender Law Center and National Immigration Project. My story, “An Abomination,” is one of my more philosophical yet grim tales. I’ll be sure to post the link to the anthology when it’s available for purchase.
On a final note, I had a lovely surprise about a month ago. Ellen Datlow, who is one of the great editors of horror fiction, compiles the annual anthology, The Best Horror of the Year. She also publishes a recommended reading list after the final selections for the anthology have been made. I did not make the final anthology, but I did make the recommended list and wow, what a huge honor! It was my 2024 story in Not One of Us Magazine, “Did You Pay for This Room?” I’m proud of that little story. It will definitely show up in my short story collection, once I manage to get it finished (and published).