I eat lunch early. That started as a work necessity that became a habit that became a daily rule. Eat lunch early and you’re secure against or at least fed for mid-day surprises. Of course, if you eat lunch early, there might come a major afternoon fade. One such two o’clock I grabbed a needed…… Continue reading Snack and Snack Again: Behind “Vinny Two Snacks”
Category: Short Stories
Didion’s Ghost and 7 Other Tests Before Submitting a Story
Every manuscript tells two stories. One, how strong the writing is. Two, how professional the writer is. Not sure about the pro part? The story isn’t ready. If your piece isn’t even in manuscript format, or there’s your personal format but not what the market specifies, the story is very definitely not ready.…… Continue reading Didion’s Ghost and 7 Other Tests Before Submitting a Story
2022: 10 Years of Writing Stories
2022 marks ten years since I tried writing short stories. Technically, I wrote my first one–that I acknowledge–in 2010, but that was dabbling and naïve ambition. 2011 was learning, and January 2012 brought my first short story acceptance: “The Food Acquisition Breakdown,” in wonderful but fledgling Canadian lit e-journal. There was no need to convert…… Continue reading 2022: 10 Years of Writing Stories
Go With the Paragraph Flow
Depending on who you ask, only 7 core fiction stories exist in the world. Rags to Riches, Voyage and Return, so forth. Everything else written later is riffing off that universal idea handed down. 7 seems a harsh estimate, but there’s no doubt that at some point our various stories have critical Venn Diagram overlap.…… Continue reading Go With the Paragraph Flow