It’s been… a year. 2020’s still kicking, and I sure hope it doesn’t bring any more surprises with it. In such a difficult time, I’ve been trying to celebrate successes when they come, and in terms of my writing and career, there have been several.

After a bit of a dry spell, I had two stories published this year. In March, “The Pokémon Game,” a story I drafted during my MFA days, found a home in the inaugural issue of Revolute. More recently, “A World to Be Ourselves” was published at Voyage YA Journal.

I also made my editorial debut (in fiction) with Issue 1 of V O I D J U N K, an “erotic speculative occasional.” This zine is a fun project of Neon Hemlock Press, and if you like your stories sensual and dark, consider purchasing a copy! V O I D J U N K is offered with a limited print run, so when it’s out, it’s out!

One of my stories will also be featured in the press’s Baffling Magazine, a project edited by Craig L. Gidney and dave ring. It’s scheduled for the April 2021 issue, but you can get a sneak peek January 1 by becoming a supporter of their Patreon.

One of the disappointments of this year was not being able to go to the Wayward retreat I was accepted to. I was so looking forward to spending a week on an island with no service with a group of fellow creatives! But, Wayward developed an amazing, community-rich weekend retreat called Homeward, which I was able to attend instead. I hope someday to be able to experience the in-person retreat, but I am so grateful for the experience I had, both for the work I got out of it and the connections I made.

Last but not least, this year I became Workshop Coordinator for Clarion West, extending my job responsibilities to oversight of the six-week workshop. While the pandemic led to postponement of that workshop, in the meantime I’ve been helping pull together a series of online workshops with some truly fantastic writers and editors. If you could use a boost in some area of your writing, check out the spring workshops. Free classes and scholarships are available, with a preference for BIPOC students and those from other marginalized backgrounds.

That’s it for now, though I want to send kudos to the writing group I joined this year. Having a regular meeting time to look forward to has helped keep me accountable, and I have a lot more finished work to show for it. It feels really good to be writing despite everything going on.

Take care, everyone, and wear a mask <3.