Coming in the Fall

I was out in Edmonton for my niece's wedding, just got back a few minutes ago. An email had arrived from an editor with comments on "Heading Home": "This story is excellent.  I read it once as an editor and once for fun." and then appended at the end of the attached story, "This story is amazing.  A real page-turner.  The tone is very earthy and natural.  Other than a couple of tweaks, this one's a no-brainer for the next issue." Which was all very nice, but seeing as how I didn't have my notebook, with its record of which story was submitted to what contest, or magazine, I didn't have any idea who it was from. Turns out it was from the folks a Lake Winnipeg Writers' Group again. So it looks like there's a really good chance that Heading Home will be coming out in "Voices" in the fall, and posted on this blog the day after.


You may recall that "Heading Home" made it to the semi-finals in the 2010 Galbraith Award. Actually it was an abbreviated version of the original, which is what will be getting published. I'm quite happy about that. The one major change between the two versions is the curtailed ending that I sent to the Galbraith. I always preferred the original ending, but the word restrictions for the competition didn't allow it. Now it'll finally have its day in the sun.


As accolades go, I find it difficult to imagine them getting any better than what this editor sent, especially the part about reading it a second time for fun. When you consider that he spends most of his free time reading other people's work, with, I'm sure, varying amounts of enthusiasm, that comment really struck home. That he would go to the trouble of mentioning it is quite humbling.