I actually…did a lot this year. I really did. I didn’t do as much as I wanted to, but that’s a chorus I think you can all sing along with even if you know slightly different verses–and not just this year, every year. I don’t honestly put a lot of stock in the turning of the year, personally. I am more likely to make random day resolutions than New Year’s resolutions, and I did that this year, I did that a lot. I did “let’s try this” and “I want to be better about that.” Some of it even worked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We pause to write a poem that might get posted here later if I get a chance. One of the things I’ve learned about myself and my writing process this year is that it’s not a good sign if there are several solid weeks when I’m not writing poems. That’s a marker of a bad time. I’ve had a few of those this year, as I know everyone else has too–but since I’m this new to writing poetry, it’s a little surprising to find it moving to that place in my writing practice. Huh. Well, okay. I have no idea whether it’ll still be like this after the pandemic, but that’s okay; I’ve cycled through enough variations in writing practice to know that it’s natural for things to vary, it’s natural for something to be crucial for a time and then completely unnecessary, or vice versa. We are not who we were, and that’s all right, that’s how life goes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And speaking of things not as they were: I did a lot of revisions this year, and I avoided a lot of revisions by writing new things this year, so I expect I will do a lot of revisions next year. A lot. No, really, more than that. I like to have things at various stages of done so that I can work on something at any time, whether it’s research or planning\/outlining or drafting or so many revisions<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I appeared on podcasts this year, and I participated in panels online, and I read two of my stories myself as podcasts, one of which will appear next year I guess. I’ve already got an author copy for something that will appear next year, and it’s not even the first something. I list twenty-two acceptances on my spreadsheet, which is pretty darn good actually. I’ll mark the reprints, poems, and essays below, otherwise it’s short stories all the way down. For now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I’m really proud of the substance of these. I think it’s easy for this kind of year-end post to get caught up in quantity, but I am really proud of the things I managed to do and say with this work, and that’s the ballgame, that’s why I’m here. Thanks for still being here with me. I hope you enjoy this year’s work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Every Tiny Tooth and Claw (Or: Letters from the First Month of the New Directorate)<\/a>,” Beneath Ceaseless Skies, January 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Save Me a Seat on the Couch: Spoiler Culture, Inclusion, and Disability<\/a>,” Uncanny, January 2020. (essay)<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Finding Their Footing (Chinese translation),” SF World, March 2020 (reprint)<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Quality Control<\/a>,” Toasted Cake<\/em>, March 2020. (podcast reprint)<\/p>\n\n\n\n “The Solace of Connection<\/a>,” Reckoning Creativity and Coronavirus project, March 2020. (essay)<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Loosestrife<\/a>,” New Decameron Project, April 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “The Curse<\/a>,” Daily Science Fiction, May 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Upside the Head,” Consolation Songs: Speculative Fiction for a Time of Coronavirus<\/em>, edited by Iona Datt Sharma, June 2020. (reprint)<\/p>\n\n\n\n “The Watercolors of Elfland<\/a>,” New Decameron Project, June 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Addison and Julia Tell the Truth to Pemmaquid Beach<\/a>,” Daily Science Fiction, July 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “The Foolish Man Built His House Upon the Sand<\/a>,” Nature Futures, July 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “This Will Not Happen To You (Spanish translation podcast)<\/a>,” Las Escritoras de Urras, July 2020. (reprint)<\/p>\n\n\n\n “COVID Summer: After, Now<\/a>,” Reckoning Creativity and Coronavirus project, July 2020. (poem)<\/p>\n\n\n\n “COVID Summer: Against Dystopia<\/a>,” Reckoning Creativity and Coronavirus project, July 2020. (poem)<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Pre-Apocalyptic Meeting Minutes<\/a>,” Mobius, Summer 2020. (poem)<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Fenrir and Sigyn, After Ragnarok,” Star*Line, Summer 2020. (poem)<\/p>\n\n\n\n “After the Monster<\/a>,” Daily Science Fiction, August 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “The Past, Like a River In Flood<\/a>,” Beneath Ceaseless Skies, August 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “The Swarm of Giant Gnats I Sent After Kent, My Assistant Manager<\/a>,” Translunar Travelers Lounge, August 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Press Play<\/a>,” Nature Futures, September 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “The Roots of Hope: Toward an Optimistic Near-Future SF in a Pandemic<\/a>,” Uncanny, September 2020. (essay)<\/p>\n\n\n\n “The Thing, With Feathers,” The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy and Horror Vol. 1<\/em>, October 2020. (reprint)<\/p>\n\n\n\n “We Care,”\u00a0If There’s Anyone Left Vol. 1<\/a>, November 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Peaceweaver,” Analog, Nov\/Dec 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Grief, As Faithful As My Hound,” Asimov’s, Nov\/Dec 2020. Podcast version read by me<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n