There comes a time, some indeterminate length of time, after my last contracted story appears in print, when I start to feel like a fraud if I say “I’m a writer.” It’s a cross between guilt over not having written more, and envy of those who do write and sell regularly (though I know I’m working hard as an editor and publisher; can’t do everything at the same time).

I don’t imagine many of my writer friends can relate to this, because they all seem to be writing far more frequently, with far greater productivity, than I. (A lot of what would be my writing time is spent editing and publishing the works of others. Nevertheless…)

However, I don’t have that feeling today! I signed and returned a contract to Analog for my newest appearance in that magazine. If my count is correct, it will be my 12th story and 15th paid appearance in that venerable bastion of science fiction. It’s another of my short-shorts—titled “Bulkheads Make the Best Neighbors”—so nothing deep or involved (so I’m not going to tell you about it, because that would take longer than just reading the whole thing when it appears).

Don’t yet know which issue it will be in, but until it does, I’m once again an active, professional writer… and it feels good!

#analogsf #shortfiction #amwriting