unrelated to the post: shiny professional facebook! facebook.com/alexconall.sjb

perfectworry, aldersprig, itsamellama, ysabetwordsmith, sharpeningthebones: I owe the five of you an apology. I promised you fiction in response to the prompts you gave for my October and December Fiction Fishbowls, I (explicitly, in words you saw) promised fiction to those of you who linked back to my fishbowl, and here it is April and no fiction in sight.

You may have noticed I have done no fishbowls since December. I've been feeling as though I am obligated to finish (okay, tell the truth, to start) the fiction I owe you before I attempt to collect prompts and crowdfunding money for new fiction. With your permission (especially perfectworry and ysabetwordsmith, because you two told me you linked to the fishbowls), I'd like a release from that obligation.

I'm not saying the fiction from your prompts will never appear; I don't like saying 'never'. I'm saying I'd like to do a fishbowl this weekend and my brain won't let me unless I can mark 'October Fiction Fishbowl story' and 'December Fiction Fishbowl story' x4 off my to-do list. (Funny things, brains.) I'm saying your prompts haven't inspired me—problem's on my end not yours, I don't doubt—and I'd like to try again with new prompts, new potential, new possibilities. I'm saying I'm sorry, and thank you, and please.