My Secret Life

Writing is my secret life, the one most people I see on a daily basis know nothing about, hence the title of my blog.

This post was inspired by Barry Napier's article about working as a freelance writer over at Freelance Writerville. I read the article, or at least the first 1/2 (the rest will be posted later), and thought about my secret life.

In the "real" world, I teach high school English. I try to explain the importance of revising to a room full of slobbering teenagers whose minds are more worried about ditching class, zits, where their next beer is coming from, and...other things.

In my other life, I'm milking this writing thing as much as I can. I know the importance of revising. I understand the value of syntax, grammar, and weaving a good story; if I don't do those things, rejection, rejection, rejection.

I'm worried about my "real" life and my "secret" life colliding. Part of this is a sense of humility; anyone who has had anything published by a legit source knows the struggle involved, and a sense of that struggle really tempers my ego. Part of this worry stems from an understanding that most people in my "real" life don't know how cool it is that "A Plague from the Mud" is reprinted in this month's edition of Apex Magazine. (this was a contractual hook-up with Permuted Press, part of the "Permuted Press Presents" series--a sort of ad for the anthology) Most people in my "real" life would say, "huh? Oh, yeah. Cool," and shuffle away.

I haven't figured out the balancing act. If anybody has, please let me know. Even if you haven't, please let me know.

(And thanks to Jamie Eyberg for pointing out the Apex pub. I didn't know it would be in there this month.)