I just sent off my 20th fiction submission since I started writing again last year! Those 20 submissions are of six stories, four of them mysteries. I only have one complete story I’ve never submitted, and I have one story that I submitted seven times. (“Till Hell won’t have it” indeed…) All submissions were rejected, two of them with very nice personal notes, and an additional two with encouraging form rejections.

In the time since I started sending stories out for real, I’ve learned a hell of a lot about the submissions process. I’ve also learned to (try to) focus only on those things that I can control. I admit that I still have daydreams that the story I just sent out will win all kinds of awards… but I’m hedging my bets by writing new ones, critiquing other peoples’ work and otherwise trying to hone my craft a bit.

Well! Enough time spent dwelling on what’s been done. Thanks, everyone who’s been following along at home. Here’s to the next 20!