Okay, I have some things to tell you. It's been an interesting few days, to say the least. I wanted to get some things taken care of first before I go into any sort of detail here.

But first! First I must make an announcement. My horror story, "Goddamn Redneck Surfer Zombies," has been accepted at The Book of More Flesh antho!!! This is especially pleasing to me for a couple reasons. First, it gives me three pro horror sales, which makes me an "Active" member of the Horror Writers Association. Second, it's the first time I've written a story specificially for an anthology, and the story has been accepted there. And third, this story did it on the first try! It's also nice that this is the first story I wrote since the Oregon workshop, so I must've learned some good stuff there!

And I must say, this news comes at a very good time...

All right, enough beating around the bush. Here we go. I no longer have a job. Last Friday was my last day. Ever since I made up my mind to leave and finalized everything, I felt like a huge weight had been lifted at last from my shoulders. Technical writing just wasn't working for me, and combined with the 9-to-5 corporate lifestyle I'd been living for the past 5 years had finally caught up to me. I felt like every day was just blending into the next, and I was no longer enjoying anything I was doing. It all felt like work. Yeah, my wife is convinced I'm crazy. But she's slowly coming around to seeing my side of this, and not worrying about money, which is no small feat. She's the best for supporting me through all this.

Now what have I done so far in my new freelance writing career? Well, I've written over 4,000 words in the past two days on my "Space Mercs" story (which needs a new title now, by the way) in hopes of finishing it today, but will probably be tomorrow. And I desperately need to finish part 2 of my SF novel before WorldCon. We shall see. (I'm writing fiction in the mornings, from 5 a.m. to about 11 a.m., then I go work out, and come back and do work-related stuff and job-hunt -- it's a nice system, at least 'til the bills start piling up!)

I've also worked some more on my Writing Short Speculative Fiction syllabus for a possible teaching position, and picked up an Intro to Fiction Writing course at the local community college (Wake Tech). I may also be teaching two night courses in American Lit and Composition at an area prison, which would be quite the experience, and teaching computer usage for three hours a week to 4-year-olds at a local preschool! I talked to the book editor of the newspaper and told him I was available for reviews, and he may have me take a look at a collection of Philip K. Dick stories. Fun stuff!

This afternoon I checked out some more jobs, including an early-early morning paper delivery route (I can deliver the papers from 3-5 a.m., then come home and jump right into writing!) and a delivery job that's full-time (boo!). Right now I'm sort of focusing on atypical, part-time type jobs, so long as I make enough each week to cover our bills.

It's scary as crap, working without a net like this, but I'm keeping myself too busy to worry about money right now. And I haven't been happier in a long, long time. Later!

Now Playing:
"Midnight Radio," Big Head Todd and the Monsters

Today's Words:
2,200 (so far)

Today's Quote:
Alone on the rocky ground a kilometer from the Great Indian Lake, in the shadow of the Mediterranean Mountains, Jaret Lazarus hit the release button on his belt. He took it off so he could punch in the discharge combination on the tiny pad on the inside of it. He imagined collars popping off inside the Pantheron like old scabs covering long-healed wounds, falling to the floor of the hold with metallic clanks. They could tear each other apart now for all I care, he thought, but he doubted that would happen, now.

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