There’s a great trick for blocked writers; if new words don’t come, edit some old ones. I took that advice recently and dusted off an old story which I wanted to set free. I’d sent it off in the past, always awkwardly tweaking it to meet the criteria for one anthology or another, but it never quite fit. So, I edited out all the stilted rubbish and left it standing on its own feet, exactly as I had imagined it.
Fate then pointed me in the direction of an anthology which seemed like it was set up specifically for this story. Cautious, I changed only one word to make the fit perfect, and that word could easily have made it in anyway. I sent it off and prepped myself for the rejection.
They liked it.
I had to read the email twice to be sure I’d understood them correctly. That alone shows me how badly my writing ego has taken a hit recently. I’ve been published in most of Australia’s eminent horror and science fiction magazines, one of my stories got an honourable mention for Ellen Datlow’s 2017 year’s best horror anthology (a global publication) and I’ve had honourable mentions in the Australasian Horror Writers competition… twice. I wish I would remember that more often.
So, I think I should get back to writing some new words, because I really like my new short story, even if it is a bit dark. I want to set it free as well, if for no other reason than to get it out of my head!
I’ll share more when this most recent acceptance is published.