at a loss

After writing close to 2000 words yesterday, I finally finished The Deep! I wrapped up shortly after midnight, falling just shy of 47K words. I thought I might work on revisions today but find I’m at a loss for words. Even this post will be short because I am TIRED. Went for a walk/run with a friend this morning followed by brunch, and then caught up with another friend on Skype. And then CRASHED. Will try to get some grading done tonight and then I have to prep for my two school visits tomorrow morning. Spring break is two weeks away and I definitely feel ready for a few days off, though I have another writing project waiting in the wings. I filed my taxes this weekend and got a reality check—my writing income was only $20K, which clearly isn’t enough to live on. I need to start thinking about how to shift the balance so that I don’t rely on teaching to cover most of my expenses. January marked the tenth anniversary of my graduation from NYU, and I don’t ever regret getting my PhD but wonder what my degree will be worth in another ten years. The publishing industry is in crisis and one could argue that the academy is, too…for now the goal is simply to keep writing!