Summer 2010

I sent my agent part of my short story collection. He was VERT encouraging. I hate to admit it, but I do need a few kind words to keep writing. It was like when I'd run a marathon and I'd feel like I'd hit a wall. There would be those few strangers yelling, "You can do it!" or "You're almost there!", then I'd feel energized again.

I'm still hoping to get a book to him this year. For a collection, ten stories is a good number. I have six of the ten. I'm steadfastly working on the seventh. I have the remaining three, but they're in pieces. If I'm focused, I can get my agent a completed manuscript sometime in December.

I've never tried to publish a collection of short stories, but I'm not stupid about it. A collection of shorts is one of the hardest things to get published. I know atleast three amazing writers who didn't get their collections published. And those were during better economic times.

I'm guesstimating that my agent will give me notes by early 2010, I'll do revisions, and have something ready to sell by Summer, 2010.