Double-Digits

From the Speakers: HIGH OF '75 by Relient K

Yesterday's big news carries over to today. My tenth story was accepted for publication at Ray Gun Revival Magazine. Here's the link: http://www.raygunrevival.com/good-business-with-guns-devin-miller/

Leave a comment! You can even rate it if you want. And you should read the rest of the mag too, it's all good stuff.

Moving into double-digits is eye-opening. I published my first story when I was 17, a senior in high school. It's called Dusk, inspired by a song I played by Steven Bryant: http://planetmagazine.wordpress.com/2006/05/29/dusk-by-devin-miller/

That's an all-encompassing spread, as far as my writing goes. Seeing my tenth story in print does signify an ending in some ways, even though I'm really just beginning my career. I could be wrong about this, but I feel like when you hit ten published stories, you're more than just a guy who sits down and knocks out a story that's pretty good. It's like this--when you turn the key in your ignition and hear it rev and sputter for a few seconds before going quiet, that's a writer with some talent but not all the rest of the stuff if takes. He'll publish a story, maybe a few, and move on with his life as a gourmet chef . . . or whatever. But if you get ten under your belt, you can hear that ignition catch and come to life, and then you're off and rolling. There's no stopping now; hit the gas with as leaden a foot as your heart desires.

My life seems to be keeping this theme lately. Today was FDOC (First Day of Class) at UNC. I live in Chapel Hill; I room with two students; this is my first FDOC I'm not attending. As of last week, I'm not 21 anymore.

It's the end of something great. That stings. It's the beginning of something greater. That's awesome.