Stories are different from novels

I'm six days back into working on short stories after my novel, and it has been interesting.  The material is much shorter and easier to see the whole picture at once, but after having the space to delve into greater detail and take more time, it's weird to be back into the fast-paced, everything-should-pack-the-greatest-punch style of the short story.  Although really it's not THAT different, it just feels alien to be working on a different plot now.

I'm not all that sure how long I'm going to be able to maintain working on short stories.  I have a handful that need editing so I can get them submitted and trying to work for me, but in the midst of it all, the next novel just won't leave my brain alone!!!  If you know me, and notice me staring off into space or altering my facial expressions while doing a task alone (like making dinner,) it's most likely because I'm working out plots and scenes in my head.  These characters and this situation really has taken over my brain, and probably won't let go until I write it down.  But I DO want to get these stories taken care of, and preferably write a few fresh ones that can simmer while I work on the next novel and will be ready for rewrites whenever I need a break from the next one.

In other news, I'm finally getting my stories resubmitted.  I've been aiming for one per night starting this week, so by mid-next week I ought to be caught up.  And then the rejections can start piling up again, and the process goes on.  This is the longest stretch I've let things go in the last few years.  Life happens, I guess.  But I don't like sitting on my stories, because they aren't doing me any good if they're not under review.

I've also got one that's been out for almost a year, is long overdue, and has not responded to my query from nearly a month ago.  It's a major market, though, and seems a good fit for this particular story, so I'm not sure what to do.  Do I resubmit, in case they never got it?  (It was a snail mail submission, one of the rare few these days.)  Decisions, decisions.  There's always something.