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I’m Getting Published!

Heeeellllllloooooooooo!  (I hope you heard that in Mrs. Doubtfire’s voice.)

On this inaugural post for my blog, I think it only fitting that I announce

I’M GETTING PUBLISHED! 

Technically It should probably be I’M GETTING PUBLISHED AGAIN, but the previous cases are online literary e-zines and all creative non-fiction.  This time is an actual, honest-to-God paperback book you can buy and hold in your hands.

In September of 2018 a writer’s group on Facebook that I have been part of for a few years now, issued a short story challenge.  The guidelines for the challenge were that your main character had to be female, humanoid, and had to exhibit some dragon characteristics.  Thankfully they went on to describe some dragon characteristics because initially, I couldn’t think of a single dragon characteristic.

I did what I almost always do when faced with something new.

Make a face.

Make a noise that can only be written as “Pshshhhh”

Say “I don’t do dragons.”

The bulk of my work to date can best be described as fiction from the real world.  It’s fictional people and situations, but it all happens in our current, actual world.  No magical pieces, no fantasy elements, nothing but regular people trying to get through life.

But my husband wouldn’t let it go.  He knows what a good writer I am and he loves this type of story.  I think he really wanted to know what I could come up with. 

So, I posted a call out on my personal Facebook page asking :

“Does anyone like dragon stories? Anyone have a favorite?  Anything I need to read?  Better yet, what kind of dragon story would you want to read?  What dragon story would you like to see me write?”

A friend from college posted a brief video she took of her elementary-aged son’s idea for me. I remember it included an evil well.  His video got my creativity thinking and so I started writing.  First I wrote 3000 words of this world with this well and the dragons that inhabited it. Then I did some research on what I would want her home planet to be and came up with a planet name and location and started writing fresh.

In December the group announced they were accepting submissions of these dragon stories for publication in an anthology they were putting out.  I revised and edited my story down to the maximum word count and hit send. Honestly not thinking I had much chance at getting accepted.

This spring I received an email advising my story had been accepted!! 

In a few days you can read my story, “Branka’s Shells”. 

I can’t wait to hear what you think of Branka, or Liz as she is known here on Earth.

Keep following me here, I am sure this is just the beginning!