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Alive in 2017

As a long, strange year comes to a close, I guess the big emotion I have right now is simple gratitude. I got a bunch of stories published this year, from way back in February with "Killing the First Gods," in the A Book of Blasphemous Words anthology to "Promontory" in the fantastic A Breath in the Sky anthology, to "The Boy in the Picture" and "Implicate Order," in Grievous Angel and Lamplight Magazine respectively. I've never left a year feeling more certain of my dedication of time, emotional energy, and creativity to the act of writing than this year. I don't know what 2018 will bring in terms of my stories but I can't help but feel a degree of cautious optimism.

Bone Necklaces by Morgan Crooks (2017)
I feel optimistic perhaps because I see how much talent is out there producing the kind of fiction I love reading. It is not possible to list all of the writers active out there right now without feeling I'm slighting someone so I'll just say that if you like the kind of weird speculative fiction I do, you can't help but think there's a lot to love out there.

I went to Darwin, Australia to see my brother and his family. It was a long trip but absolutely worth it. I returned home feeling very appreciative of where I live and who is a part of my life.

I feel good about my family, my home, and my friends. I feel good about my job and my hobbies. I feel as though a great deal about my personal life is doing pretty alright, thank you very much.

In one version of this post I went onto a long diatribe about the president, his allies in the Congress and courts and generally vented about how awful other parts of this year have been.

But you know what? The New Year is nearly here and I'll spare you.

I hope 2018 is a better year for you than 2017 and no matter who you are, congratulations on surviving this year.
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