However, I do feel more of an urge now than perhaps I ever have to get some of my fictional characters “out there.” They’ll suffocate if they stay in my head much longer. I think the breaking point was several weeks ago, when I made a mix CD that featured all the songs I’ve associated with my characters and their storylines over the years. I realized that my history with some of the songs goes back to 1992. I’ll be driving to work listening to these songs and remembering when I first incorporated them into my stories. I was several years away from getting a driver’s license back then. I was in middle school and was struggling with stringy hair and algebra. And now, here I am, four years out of college, married, supervising a huge project and several employees… and still fighting with myself to write a story about my much-loved (by me) characters that I want to present to the world.

My novel featuring said characters is in an okay state. I did, actually, read several chapters of it out loud to Adam earlier ths summer. A huge step for me. I can’t remember the last time I had read my fiction out loud to someone other than myself. I worry, though, because it’s a satirical, absurdist novel about characters who, to this point, I have always written about in literal situations. Something doesn’t feel quite right about the book, and I don’t know if merely changing the characters’ names and identifying details will solve whatever the problem is. I’ve sort of stalled out on it because I don’t want to invest a lot of time into a project I don’t completely believe in.

Otherwise, I’m working on two short stories that I like a whole lot, but I can’t imagine sharing them with anyone else in the state that they’re in. After a revision or two, I’ll see if I feel like showing them to anyone.