Writing Forum

Because I am in need I will impose. I thought I'd missed a deadline for submitting to a WdC Anthology, but they've moved back the date. I need to cut my short story down by only 66 words now, but I wonder how great the violence I have wrought on my poor story having lopped off nearly 500 words already.

I need 1) To know if you think it worth ME submitting it. (I know your reticence to commit anything less than Tolkiensian perfection to the public, but I want something in print.) 2) A better title or perhaps reassurance... ...no, a new title for sure or ideas for a different title. 3) Back to the violence, I can't imagine what terrible messes I have left as I cut. 4) Also I suspect there may have been a time when I told the story in past tense with present tense thoughts. All I have been focused on is reduction and I can't imagine what vestiges of multiple rewrites remain to mar my already suspect prose.

I would be happy with anything, even just your impression of it. Does it make any sense? I got several positive reviews and then one with concerns about its understandability. My reader didn't get it and I undertook to make the story less a confused nightmare (which may have been its charm) and more overtly descriptive. And now I'm cutting it back down to nightmare, perhaps in effect, having lost what was good to the sympathetic readers.

Because I admire your writing in forums, I have often gone by your portal to see if I might review something of yours. This I can not do as I see nothing there to review. I would be interested in your world and character building efforts as that is similar to what I am trying to do with tales of Tir na Nua that do not directly touch on the "important" novel ideas that I have long treasured.

So there it is, OH. No, HERE it is:

Tain: Of Cattle and Love  (13+) At the first bursting of manhood, a coming of age with friends leads to moral choice. #2032008 by L. Stephen O'Neill