Before I took up writing again, I was told that an old friend of mine had commented that I'd gone about my career backward: having my first three novels accepted, and then...nothing. 

I took a bit of offense at that. I mean, as far as I was concerned I wasn't done yet. And indeed, I've written a ton of books since I came back.

But there is a bit of truth to it. 

I have another example. 

Most of the other writers who are my peers, more or less, started their careers--or at the least, spent a fair amount of time early on and continuing--writing short stories for magazines and anthologies. As I mentioned yesterday, the last time I'd investigated short stories it looked as difficult--if not more so--than writing novels.

But things have changed with the internet. There are plenty of venues for short stories now. They may not pay all that well in most cases, but that isn't the point. The point is to get your name out there, to associate you name with other writers, who in many cases are better known than you.

I just had a short story accepted for an anthology and the editor commented that I'd taken criticism like a pro and that I had a great future. Well, these short stories are a way to continue my writing, but I hadn't thought of them as a new beginning.

I have another short story being considered for an anthology. I've made the first cut, so to speak. My expectation is that I'll be asked to rewrite, though I suppose I could still be rejected. This particular anthology is the source for a Netflix short story animated show, so that's at least a possibility.  

What I'm trying to say here is--I wonder if I shouldn't have started this way and worked my way to novels.

But no, the novels were there to be written, and now the short stories appear to be there. It happens the way it happens.