So, this came just in the nick of time. What do I mean by that? I mean, as a writer you put yourself out there in the hopes that you will reach an audience, touch them in some small way, make them feel like they are not alone in their feelings. Or if you’re writing a scary story, make them feel creeped out when they’re alone. The point is to make someone else feel something, make them remember those particular words. But that can’t happen unless you get your work out there. After several recent rejections, I was beginning to despair. Rejection is part of the deal, not everyone will like what you do. But I don’t care how tough you are mentally, you need a few wins once and a while to tell you-you’re headed in the right direction.

There are all sorts of reasons writers write. I do it out because I have to. A writer friend and I often say that when we don’t get enough writing done, or we can’t do it for days on end, we get agitated, itchy. It’s like the words are piling up underneath your skin, and writing is like applying leeches: it’s an immediate relief to write. That’s a good visual, isn’t it. The useful leeches, full of ideas and wonder, those get saved, plucked off into a jar and reserved for future use. The bad ones get a salt bath. And sometimes it’s hard to know if your little friends, your story leeches, are masquerading as good ones to avoid their imminent demise. They fool you into thinking they are good, for a while anyway, until you ultimately come to your senses.

This story is as close to the bone for me as it gets. And I think that’s why it resonates, it goes all in. This is my heart laid bare. So…EVENT might publish it on the web. But I also encourage you to buy a copy, they have single issues to buy on their website. I believe it is the next May issue but I will let you know. After all, by supporting the small publishers, you are helping keep a writers dream alive, and that’s somthing worth investing in.

Thanks peeps, for all your support. I’ll keep going.