Now it can be told

[Russell Letson]

Or published, actually.

C. says this story was accepted a couple days ago--three days after she submitted it to New World Writing. That's lightning-fast for both acceptance and appearance. (One of the virtues of on-line magazines.) On the other hand, it took several dozen rejections before it found this (very respectable) home. (Remember, Dune got something like 23 rejection slips.)

It's one of her series of stories about the intertwined lives of three childhood friends, a bit longer than the flash pieces that make up most of the cycle. C's sister thinks it's very dark--but it still has a cat.

newworldwriting.net/cezarija-abartis-the-next-day/

[Cosmic Wonder]

Wow. Russell, some people can really write.

I like to think of myself as a decent writer but then, once in a great while, I read something like this, by someone who is really good...

Mike

[coachdoc]

Oct 28, 2020 8:56:58 GMT -5 coachdoc said:

"At the end of The Burns and Allen Show, George Burns would turn to Gracie Allen with his cigar in his hand and, smiling knowingly, deliver the same sentence every week. “Say ‘Good-night,’ Gracie.”

She replied every week, “Good night, Gracie.” Her grandmother loved the show, repeated the line to her grandfather."

My favorite TV moment.

[Village Idiot]

Caroline drank her morning coffee, its darkness filling her mouth, coating her teeth, tongue, palate, filling for an instant, burning, closing off for an instant, closing everything off.

What a start to a story. That first cup of coffee is a habit for all of us, but that sentence described why. Now that is the first cup of coffee.

The television blared about forest fires in California. She pointed the remote control and shut it off.

I like that.

What I appreciate about C's writing is her brevity. I don't think that's the right word. She can explain ten things in one sentence, and that's what I like. That's what C does, and it's great.

[Russell Letson]

I call it "compression." When she teaches writing, she calls it "conciseness"--she's always after her students to be concise. In either case, it's about getting the most out of the least.

[John B]

Je n’ai fait celle-ci plus longue que parce que je n’ai pas eu le loisir de la faire plus courte.

[Russell Letson]

I don't have the time to take anybody to court.