Now that I'm properly dealing with my brain's chemical imbalances, I've managed to get things moving in my life. Among the things I've gotten moving has been my education and job skills; I have finally learned to touch-type, after twenty years of bad habits, and a couple of months of retraining. I have also begun to learn financial accounting, on the grounds that no matter what, there will always be a need for those who can count beans and make sure the business which employs them remains worth a hill of said beans.
Meanwhile, I have also made steps towards an income stream not dependent on a day job. The size of this income is currently indeterminate, since it consists of royalty payments, and I did not get an advance. One of the online communities I participate in published an anthology of short stories last year, and I bought a copy. When submissions opened for the second volume of the intended ongoing series, I came up with an idea, pitched it, and wrote the story. It then went through a few editing passes (and while I do have the original first draft, I won't be releasing it to the public; the story that emerged from editing is much more the story I wanted to tell) and was officially accepted, at which point it was time to sign contracts. I do know that authors in the first volume have made enough from sales to reach the publisher's minimum remittance, so I can reasonably expect some money from this, but I'm much more excited simply to be becoming a published author. Strictly speaking, that happened when I signed the contract, but I won't get a t-shirt printed until I have an actual copy of the book. Rest assured that when it does emerge from the process (submissions closed today, and proofing is the next stage in which I have any involvement) I will be shouting from the rooftops.
Meanwhile, the LA and I are grappling with an ever-expanding baby (over 17lb now, and into size 3 diapers!) and muddling through, as we do. The weather's been hot, and we've been busy.
