I feel so grown up.

I just submitted a proposal for a panel at next year’s AWP (Association of Writers and Writing Programs, I know there’s a W missing) conference.

This is something that adults do. It’s not like I have Peter Pan syndrome. I have impostor syndrome. Look it up.

The conference is in Chicago again, which makes it super likely I’ll be spending some time down there, whether I’m on a panel or not.

Technically, I’d be the moderator of the panel. And the organizer—I populated the panel with people I knew from various parts of my life who write and teach writing. It was fun to plan and organize. Fingers crossed that it will be among the not-even-40% of the proposed panels submitted each year. If not? Well, I tried, and it was a learning experience.

Speaking of learning experiences: I signed up for another stint as an adjunct at Alma Mater. I have the summer to plan out the course this time, and now that I’ve done it once, I have a better idea of what to require and expect from the students.

It’s going to be another busy fall, in other words. But I should have a first draft of The Black Hour by then. I’ll have to figure out what I’ll write-a-thon with the students. Another first draft? That is getting far far ahead of myself.