Some Writer Life Stuff

Last Friday I visited a third grade classroom. The kids there had just finished reading My Life Among the Aliens, so I had a very good time.

Then on Saturday I spoke at an American Association of University Women luncheon. This is the speaking engagement I had a meltdown over when I found out that a former medical correspondent for NBC was going to be one of the other speakers. Well, he was a no show!!! And I did just fine, as did the other speaker/writer, Kathleen O'Connor, who has short story experience missing from my professional life.

I have been sending out stories, by the way, as well as two essays, and a book manuscript these past three and a half months, with absolutely no response. Now, one of the essays was sent to a well known e-zine. I sent it to the book editor. I think they've just changed book editors. Meaning, I sent it to one person but another person, just three weeks later, is now editor. So now I have to decide--should I resubmit? Was my submission lost in the shuffle, and sending it again would be a legitimate professional thing to do? Or would it be a lame, desperate thing to do?

Look, this is what a writer's life is like. The time you're not spending writing, you're spending trying not to look lame and desperate.