Although I did intend my next blog post to be the 14 of 14 post, but this happened first. Another published story.
I had the idea for the story while driving home from work one day and looking at the beautiful clouds in the late summer of 2016. I remember writing it fast too, I think just in a weekend, though I didn’t keep records like that back then. After it was written I knew this story was made of different stuff than most of my others (at the time and still today). Then it was submitted to nine different publishers, lost twice, one publication close (more on that later), and rejected five more times before it was picked up by New Pop Lit.
The story was heavily inspired by “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, one of the most important stories in the genre of Magic Realism. The stories start in a similar way but at a different time and location, then diverges heavily later in the story. Regardless I still consider this very much in the realm of “Magical Realism” and in the Realms Beyond Midnight World.
Interestingly, perhaps sadly, this is the last story that I sent to the Ginger Collect, and the only one I sent to them not to be published. They closed shortly after I sent it to them. I have yet to come across a publisher that I worked more closely with than the Ginger Collect… nothing against New Pop Lit of course or any other publisher of my work.
The editors at New Pop Lit described this story as a “Tall Tale” which was not at all what I had in mind, but I can see their argument. They also mention the Magical Realism element to it as well, which is good. But perhaps the best thing they said in the plug was that I am “… one of the more talented and imaginative writers around.” high praise indeed, higher than I would give myself.
Whether you agree with them or me, I hope you enjoy the story.
“Cloud Dreams” | New Pop Lit | September 29th, 2021