You Never Know. A Dollar and a Dream

At the last LCRW meeting we discussed the ins and outs of bringing back the Winers' Challenge, why and when. As Deb explained to new members or visitors what the Challenge entails, she reminded me I once took my challenge and turned it into a fully-developed story and submitted it to The Wild Rose Press for its Class of '85 series. It is titled Embraceable You.
That discussion prompted me to go back into a computer file which is filled with half-written stories, some story ideas less than 5 pages long. I love the concept: short stories, 6-7K, involving baby boomer heroes and heroines, all of whom are connected to the criminal justice system of a fictional city and county in Western New York State, of course it over looks Lake Ontario. Who [meaning publishers] wants stories like this? No one, I thought, so they continued to grow mold in this rarely visited file.
While sitting out a flash rainstorm during the Hilton Fireman's Carnival parade this past Wednesday night, I read through this month's edition of Romantic Times Book Club. What do you know, there is a publisher out there who is open for submissions for baby boomers. Call out the brass band and hand me a kazoo.
It did not take much to dust off and fumigate one of the stories. I submitted on Thursday; was offered a contract on Friday; resubmitted the lengthened story on Sunday.
You never know.