Aurealis shortlist

Congratulations to everyone on the shorlist for Aurealis awards this year, particularly my Clarion buddies Peter M. Ball and Christopher Green.

I had two stories in the running this year, and not having either of them shortlisted has spurred me on to a specific goal for 2010: I will write one NEW story a month during the year. I've actually done a pretty good job during 2009 of keeping my existing stories on the hop — rejection, resend, on and on. That's necessary and proper, and it gets results: occasionally, one of my stories gets accepted and must leave the nest pretty much forever. What I have not been doing is topping up the shelf stock as that's been happening. So now I have a very, very limited supply of stories I can send out. There are lots of reasons 2009 wasn't a big year in terms of wordcount, but most of those reasons are resolving themselves. Therefore 2010 will be a year of renewed energy and determination. I have spoken.

Mind you, I don't begrudge my friends their nominations — far from it. I'm thrilled for them. I have tremendous admiration for them as writers and as human beings. But next year I want to be sitting next to them, giggling in nervous anticipation, at the awards ceremony.