Not Sure How I Missed This.

Some time back, I entered the Dark Regions Press short story contest for a chance to get my story into the Black Labyrinth Anthology. I didn't win but I did apparently receive an Honorable Mention. I'm not sure how I missed this information -- maybe Dark Regions didn't send it to me in the rejection email -- but I was immediately transported back to childhood when we were herded into pits known as "classrooms" and forced to compete with each other for such luminary gains as the aforementioned Honorable Mention.

Broken, bloodied and drained of all sense of individuality, we stumbled forward for our cheaply made prizes so we could take them home and hand them to our parents and watch as they eventually faded into the confines of some forgotten box of crap that summed up our meager existences.

So, you're damn right I'm glad to see it. You can see it, too, by clicking here.












* In case my satire has gone unrecognized, I am actually pleased to have been mentioned at all considering I lost.
See, Mommy and Da-Da? Your little boy matters. He matters, damn you!

Oops, I done it again!

Clearly the rumors of my semi-retirement from fiction writing were greatly exaggerated. At least for the moment. The apparently controversial Dark Regions Press has a contest and the concept grabbed hold of me like a lecherous wino at an outdoor cover band concert. The maximum length of 1000 words seemed a good starting point, although short lengths can often be rather intimidating for a writer like me.

I went through three basic ideas for my deserted island story before I was satisfied. Interestingly, each rejected idea strengthened the overall finished product because there were elements of each I really liked. Just not enough for the conclusion and overall raison de'tere.

The result was a short story that clocked in at just under 1000 words titled "Day 38." Having taken a lesson from "Lost," the concept of someone remaining on a desert island for months and years seemed a tad difficult to believe.

I'm not a newbie. I don't automatically expect that because I wrote it somebody should publish it but I'd be lying if I denied this got my creative juices flowing again. I'm pretty sure my sub-conscious knew that would happen.

Bastard~