This is quite a first. I was invited earlier this evening to write a horror story on a specific theme for e-publication in an anthology by Renaissance Books. The person who IMed me to extend the invitation is herself a member of HWA and an editor. All it takes for me to become an affiliate member of the HWA is to sell a short story for $25 or more in the horror or supernatural genre. This is not a cattle call, but a personal invitation, no doubt as a result of my third place finish in her poetry contest--itself a bit of an in-joke among those of us who entered, given the topic for that one.

The beauty of it is that she's willing to be my editor to whip whatever I may write into enough shape to actually be publishable without being an embarrassment. A couple of names in the genre she knows have agreed to lend a story; the rest of us would be complete newbies. It's not even a contest. The deal is "Write me a story, and I'll work with you as an editor. I know you'll take editorial direction." Of course I'll take editorial direction. I have no idea what I'm doing!

I'm about to have a new adventure of my own--a scary one at that--if all goes well. Math nerd meets fiction?