No Reply Needed_Take This 1 and (Shove) Love It_Dewey Decimal Disasters_Like Roses in the Desert
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No Reply Needed
I thought I put this baby to bed already. A writer, he had wanted a manuscript assessment of his 70k word novel. We sent him an offer. A week later he wrote again, noncommittal, asking for our qualifications, our 'fields of literary interest' and a wordcount of the manuscript assessment we would provide. A time-waster, we thought, who'd twww.onedoor.ccake forever making up his mind and ask a ton of questions in the meantime. We aren't stuck for clients at the moment; everyone and her granny has written a novel in Corona times, and all in need of improvement, so we sent him a kindly-worded PFO.His email repl...
Take This 1 and (Shove) Love It
I read the review. My chin left a bruise on my sternum.I joined this online critique group, the name lost somewhere in the aging folds of my memory, only a week prior to this literary catastrophe. I don’t know why I chose this site out of the plethora out there, but I did, and this was my first story since joining. It was a good story. I knew it was good—like the second-coming-of-John-Steinbeck good.I reread the review.My pride hissed through the hole in my ego. An empty hologram, I heard the chuckles and catcalls of “You thought?” and “You suck!” echo from the deepest gatherings of my doubts....
Dewey Decimal Disasters
TO: reports@macroshift.com FROM: smreed@metropol.lib.gov RE: Archivobot Initial Performance Report DATE: January 15, 2029To Whom It May Concern:Per your company’s request and as required by the terms of our contract in exchange for the preferential, discounted financial terms extended to our library as a governmental entity, I am hereby submitting my first periodic report regarding Archivobot’s performance. I must report that, despite being in only the late experimental phases of its development, Archivobot performed above expectations today, its first full day of operation.For its initial t...
Like Roses in the Desert
Red tail lights whizzed by, their glow leaving sparkling trails on the side glass in the back seat of a domestic sedan with an interior the color of ash. Tristan craned his head, looking for the street sign.The stiff collar on his shirt rubbed his neck like sandpaper. Mom had settled on the cotton poplin dress shirt and tie, they couldn't afford the Ralph Lauren Polo. 'It makes you look mature,' she said.“When you pull up to the gym, just let me out O.K.” Tristan leaned up to catch his mom's eyes in the rear-view mirror and scowled as a warning.“Embarrassed of your mother, dear?” Her eyes twin...