I finished my latest short story, the first for 2020, and sent it in to Dean. A time travel story called “Double Exposure” it follows a Time Rescue Service team trapped in the Arctic. It’s a good yarn.

I think it conveys that doomed Arctic tone that so many of the stories of exploration have. In most of these stories, explorers lose members of their group to madness, predation, mishap, or starvation. However my story does not mire itself excessively in the horrors. I am pleased with the new fiction vistas it opens up. It is on my list of short stories that could become interesting novels.

I woke up this morning after finishing that tale last night to read Dean’s latest blog post titled, “Lost Five Challenge Writers.” Perhaps those were the new challengers, I thought.  The Great Challenge is hardest at the beginning. After I had a number of stories under my belt, it became easier to do the next, even during difficult times.

No, reading further that isn’t the case. All of my fellow challengers who dropped out this week had been going for more than six months. They were all veterans. The toughest of the tough.

Mentally I’m back in the Arctic. My compatriots are falling. The white ice stretches on to Mid-May. I’m praying for them to finish their stories, for them to endure this endless winter so that we can all arrive at summer when the ice thaws and cracks and new energy returns to the land.

I am not competitive. I want all of us to win, which is possible in this game.

To my remaining compatriots: bundle up and pack extra provisions for the hard days ahead, then pick up your sledge and let’s move forward to an Arctic summer together. We can do this!

If you are mired in winter doldrums, I hope you will also provision yourself for your own challenges. I’m rooting for you to succeed. Remember, spring comes after winter. If we focus on taking one step at a time, we will get there.

Be well, friends!