OK, the idea of updating a couple of other old stories to try to get back into the writing groove has certainly paid off.
In more ways than one: Not only did two of my best-liked stories get some long-overdue TLC; I also received a lot a positive feed-back along the “good to hear you’re active again” line.
And amongst those letters was a Sicilian Mafia Offer from one of the very best editors around: Pixel the Cat. Despite being very busy with the other authors’ stories for the Valentine's contest, he offered to extend his editing services to my almost mythical story "Someone Your Own Size" that has lingered in development hell for 11 (eleven) years.
It was truly an offer I couldn’t refuse, so three intense writing sessions later (aided by the outline I sketched out years ago to link the copious fragments), the story is finally ready to be published – after going under Pixel the Cat’s microscope.
Pixel the Cat is an editor after my own heart: He does not try to change my story, but he is merciless toward homonyms, bad grammar, and dubious word-use. He also fixed instances where my British English was sneaking in on an American story.
The only place where we didn’t see eye-to-eye was on “comma before, too” – but that was it! Otherwise, it was a joyful “Accept-Next” click storm. The story reads much better now, so I’m happy to let it loose!
Is it ground-breaking? Not really. Amongst Pixel the Cat’s comment were: “it has some predictable elements – if the reader's at all savvy, he'll see a fair bit of what George will encounter before George does”. True words. I think I warned you about that in the Blog a few years ago.
But as Pixel the Cat also said: “in a story such as this it's hard to blindside the reader.” You won’t be.
I hope you will enjoy it. I hope you will comment – by message, or below the story. Oh, and it’s OK to vote too – even though your actual votes and the stated rating have very little connecting them…