SFWA and Other Writing Updates

So, another milestone this month: recently I joined the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA)!

I’ve considered joining SFWA a number of times over the years, but have always balked, mostly because my love-hate relationship with writing has often left me feeling on the verge of quitting the business. But if the past couple of years of ups and downs and peaks and lulls has shown me anything, it’s that I’m in it for the duration. Joining SFWA, the professional organization of SF and fantasy writers, is kind of a symbolic move for me, a message I’m sending to myself that I’m taking this writing thing seriously. It’s also a challenge: now that I’ve committed, it’s time to keep earning it.

So far, 2014 has been full of surprises for me on the writing front. First, the Asimov’s sale, now SFWA. Most surprisingly, I’ve developed a rekindled enthusiasm for short fiction. Over the past couple of months I’ve been working on three different projects: a near-future PI novelette, an experimental short about digital memory-scaping, and a novella (possibly?) about a Cold War on another planet. I haven’t been this productive since the mid-1990s…and I’d like to think I’ve improved my toolset a little since then. At any rate, I’m riding the wave of enthusiasm while it lasts. I know how quickly it can go away!