V. H. King's Ink

What a wild ride it’s been so far!

I started this blog in mid-March, having made the decision to commit seriously to sharing my writing. I published my first collection of short stories in April, and mailed out print copies in May. I dove back into my art, remembering all the reasons why I love working with lines and colors and lighting in my own unique ways.

This past month, I’ve been glued to my keyboard, grateful hostage to a story that demands to be told. I rarely work exclusively on a single project at a time, but this month has been dedicated to my Camp Nano project and little else.

Throughout it all, I’ve been posting short stories every other week, along with announcements and blurbs here and there. That’s four straight months of content! As much as I have enjoyed this process, I recognize that it’s time for me to adjust. May through August–Memorial Day to Labor Day, if you want to frame it that way–marks the busiest time of the year for the office I work in. Of course, this summer season is–what’s the word everyone is using these days? Oh, right–unprecedented.

More importantly, there are a few things I want to do. In 2018, I challenged myself to write a short story a week–and, to my surprise, I accomplished that goal! In 2019, I scaled it back to a short story a month. It should seem easy in comparison, right? Well, I met slightly over half my goal. August came and, well, you can guess the rest. I want to complete that challenge, even if it’s a year later.

August through December of this year will feature one new short story a month.

The second goal I have between now and the end of the year is to determine how to best share my work. My Camp Nano project screams not only to be written, but shouts to be shared–sooner rather than later, in some shape or form. Even if it’s an early version of a later, longer project, this story wants out! I have some research to do, but I suspect that subscriber-only content will be something I offer in the future–and my current project will be part of that content.

It’s “only July”–okay, it’s almost August–but I am already thinking ahead to what I want to accomplish next year. A mini-anthology of short stories and essays is already in the works, and I would love to dedicate additional energy toward my painting. Using my time and resources effectively while balancing my health is a practiced thing, so as part of that practice, I may take a brief hiatus at the beginning of next year.

I don’t have all the details figured out. From the beginning, I told myself that not knowing all the answers was okay. This is a journey–one that has been a long time in the making, and still offers many adventures to come. I’m so grateful for everything I’ve learned so far, and I’m excited to see what’s next!