Well, not in the sense that we're ignoring everything that's come before and I'm being played by a new actor. But I am kind of starting over here.

For some years I was a part of the whole SF writing and journaling community. I was never central to it, but people knew who I was. Then I just drifted off. That's a chronic thing with me. If I'm not really careful, I'll just wash off into my own little world, not poke my head out for months, or years.

So I can't assume anyone's looking for an update to this old thing. Any accumulated "brand awareness" must be considered lost. So I'm starting from scratch. Hence, the reboot.

So for background, I've been writing SF and fantasy and other things for some time. I went to Clarion in 1999 along with a crowd of people who have built reputations for themselves since then. Toby Buckell, Jenn Reese, Karen Meisner, and our rising superstar Tim Pratt among others. I worked hard and I published a handful of forgettable short stories in minor markets.

But the truth of the matter is that I really pretty much suck as a short story writer. The short form just never clicked into place for me, and God knows I gave it plenty of opportunity. Even when I did manage to write a short, the standard comment was "this story wants to be longer."

A couple years after Clarion I discovered film writing and really took to it. My wife Elisa and I moved to Vancouver in 2004 and I went to film school, and I've been nibbling away at the edges of the industry since then. I've gotten paid for a few things - enough that I can get away with calling myself a professional, sort of the way people used to go after SFWA qualifications for the same reason.

And the truth is, while I may be a lousy short story writer, as a screenwriter I'm actually pretty good. I'm vastly more prolific than I ever was before, and I'm moving up the long, slow, horizontal leg of that hockey stick career trajectory. I'm starting to open the outer doors if you will.

But I haven't given up on prose by any means. I'm just going to let the short story go and pursue the novel.

And I want to get back into the community. I've missed it. So I'm back here to get my toe in the water. It's winter and I live in Canada now. The water is cold. But that's life, right?