My sister who lives in Champaign, Illinois has invited me to visit. She's an equestrian and I'll attend a few horse-back riding events. Monday she and her husband and son and I are driving to Chicago where we'll see my other sister, her husband, and my niece. Of course, my parents will be there and will no doubt take us all to a fancy restaurant. Meanwhile, Manny's visiting his parents, also in Chicago. We may see each other in passing, but probably not.
While I'm away, I will yet again post a few super-shorties, originally written for Mike French's literary zine, The View from Here. The
U.K. based print and on-line literary magazine has grown amazingly its
first year. It continues to offer author interviews, book reviews,
Exclusively Independent News, cartoons, articles and behind the scenes
features. My mini-stories are now accompanied by full-fledged fiction
thanks to TVFH merging with Hiss Quarterly, bringing editor Sydney Nash
on board. Click on the tab labeled “the front view.” This and more is
available in a fat, glossy print version, which you might want to order
here.
Count on three "fewer-than-500-word" stories during my six days away. My productivity fell off for a month or so. But I'm back to dreaming them up and cutting them down to the word count. Bit of a trick trying to get a semblance of a story, characters I care for, some revealing dialogue, and a little flow to the prose.
It'll take you no time to see if I managed this, or almost. And if I did not, you will be able to tell at a glance. Unlike me. My judgment, after I've finished a story, is so dim, I can barely see the words. And I can never hear them.
As I've said before, I'm grateful to anyone who reads my fiction. And sometimes a comment sends me on a path I might never have noticed otherwise. Every comment turns on a light or two so I can figure out (more or less) where I am.
