Dear Reader, Issue 6, Volume 1

Cough syrup on my pancakes and twenty hours of sleep per day.

Dear Reader:

Not too long after sharing that I contracted food poisoning, our entire house fell ill with COVID, a tumbling of dominoes, one by one. We are all recovering, but one thing is for sure, I’m still tired — oh so very tired. As a result, I will not be posting a new short story this upcoming Wednesday. Part of my recovery involves refocusing my efforts and more rest.

Last month’s entry to Elegant Literature left me feeling disappointed. It was a great theme, but I overextended myself, leaving little room creatively for a solid story. I will find out the result of that entry on October 1. I’m not really hopeful, but that may be the medicine talking. 

This month, especially after so much sickness, I’m feeling it could be a repeat. I have one story that needs a final review, but it is ready for submission. However, I want to provide a second submission, and I can’t do that before September ends if I’m also trying to put something out on Wednesday for Substack.

What I’ve decided for the remainder of this year, and possibly into next year, is that along with my Wednesday stories here, I will only be sending submissions to Elegant Literature until I’m published. That’s a more realistic goal for paid publication, and it’s a market that will help me to develop my skills, while keeping me to a set of guidelines that are fun and manageable. 

I don’t say all of this to solicit pity. It’s mostly to let you know that setbacks happen. To all of us. I was rolling along at a wonderful trajectory, submissions being sent consistently in conjunction with my Wednesday stories, and that all came to a screeching halt. The question is how to get back to normal, whatever that may mean.

Notes on Willpower

Regardless of the setback, getting into the groove again involves a check on willpower. I’ve studied willpower a lot in my life, and I can tell you that most people don’t understand how it works. The biggest misconception is that you either have it or you don’t. It’s a light switch that is flipped. You’re in darkness doing nothing, or the lights are on and you’re productively writing.

The reality is that the will to do (or not do) something is more like a muscle. You need to exercise it, let it repair itself, and even then, be careful not to overexert it. After time the muscle will grow, you’ll become stronger and more capable. When you get sick, you will need to rest, but the mental road to recovery will be quicker. That is, if you’ve been exercising responsibly.

In general, the following has helped me:

1. Keep to a routine. Physical exercise, eating, sleeping, showering and self-care have to be maintained. At your worst, pick one thing that you can accomplish each day when you’re not writing. It might be making the bed. It might be jotting some notes down about a character or story. Do it. Every day.

2. Run a marathon, not a sprint. Willpower is strengthened through small victories consistently over time, and not large bursts of creativity. When you are healthy and well, keep an even flow of output. That’s much easier to maintain, and you will see larger dividends in the long run. It’s also much easier to pick back up after being sick.

3. Rest. Give yourself permission to rest when things are going well, not just when things are bad. That way when you’re sick, you’ll understand how you rest best, and you won’t be afraid of it. If you feel like you’re “always on” that’s a red flag. Instead of saying, “I should be doing something”, say to yourself, “the thing I’m doing is resting and recovering”.

Guest Posts

I recently wrote a guest post for Fictionistas, titled “Short Story Tips from the Masters”. This was a lot of research and well worth the effort. Not only was I able to share something of value with other writers, but I was also able to learn a few things myself. I’m starting to put those into practice.

Short Story Tips from the Masters

In a few weeks another guest post will go live on Fictionistas, which is an interview with Neil Clarke, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Clarkesworld magazine. This was a welcome surprise, and Neil was very gracious. I didn’t realize that he was at the Hugo awards the very weekend I sent an email to ask about the interview. That goes to show that it never hurts to ask.

I’ll be foregoing any guest posts for the remainder of this year as I want to focus on short story submissions. I’m looking forward to what is in store for Future Thief and I hope you are, too!

Happy Reading,

Brian Reindel