I'm on a roll.
It seems channeling my nesting instinct into professional pursuits was an excellent choice. Since I began this path, I was able to edit several older short stories and submit them to two more literary magazines.
My plan, should they be rejected is to revisit the stories and then resubmit them to whatever short story competitions are most relevant to their contents and styles.
I think the thing that interests me most is that of the three I have submitted, not one of them feels similar. They all have very different moods and very different purposes. One is funny and pithy. Another is frankly shocking and very difficult to read (because of the topic discussed). The third is something bittersweet that reminds me of an alternative (and much compressed) Persuasion.
Should all three get published, I wonder at the agent or publisher, or even reader, who finds them. The name is the same...but the voice? Hardly. Of course, in a manner of speaking (grin), this is the goal.
Strangely enough I feel my novels are more similar in voice and manner than these shorts. Perhaps this is another lesson I needed to learn from writing short stories (the first being editorial boot camp). I am surprised at how many hidden benefits there are to this exercise, and so glad I'm finding them (even if they might be a little later than what would have provided maximum benefit).
The moral of the story (badum cha!): don't underestimate shorts! They may be of limited length, but they can sure pack a punch.
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