As 2019 began, I received exciting news: Wiseblood Books, a wonderful small press, will be publishing my first short-story collection, Measuring Time & Other Stories. The publication of this collection in the fall is something I’ve been looking forward to for years. The writing life is a long, slow journey, and this book is proof of that fact.
Over the next several months, I’m going through the entire 15-story manuscript again, working to tighten the stories, to pour over them again with close attention. The collection is more aptly a short-story cycle with recurring characters, settings, conflicts, and themes. I’m excited to reconsider each story, to reread it and to read it aloud, to revise as needed (adding, deleting, clarifying, reorganizing).
In the months leading up to the release, here on my website I’ll be revisiting the development, the history of the stories. I’ve lived a long time with these characters and their struggles and triumphs. For instance, some of the stories in the collection go back more than ten years. The initial version of one story began in 2003!
I’ll also be sharing information about the process of publication as it proceeds. Right now, the cover is being designed, and it should be ready in about one month. I can’t wait to share the cover image with you when it’s ready.
If you’re a writer, I’d encourage you to take the long view of your poem, your story, your essay, your book. It might take years to work on your creation, but when it finally finds a home, it’ll be worth it. Be patient. Stay the course. Keep writing.
Plainswriter 