It’s a sad thing being right. Crossed Genres didn’t accept the short. As always, they were graceful in indicating they weren’t going to use it. And they took time to provide some feedback for the story, which was pretty valid feedback. Long story short, the protagonist was a little weak.

I’m trying to humor myself into believing that the story made it really far in the decision process but didn’t make the final cut. It soothes my ego some and holds back some of the trash talking gremlins in the back of my head.

I’m also trying to look at this as more of an opportunity. I didn’t have a strong idea of what I wanted to write for that month’s submission. I decided to try and work up a short story from an idea I’d had over the Thanksgiving weekend. But I didn’t have a genre in mind that I was going to cross the story with. I just had the story. I started out thinking it was going to be submitted as “Horror.” But as I thought about it I realized I had no idea how to write horror. I kind of considered “Folklore,” but that was tenuous. So I went with “Humor.” Really, none of the other 11 genres that were offered really fit.

I ended up struggling with the story because I didn’t want it to be too serious. And then I didn’t know what to do with feedback from one person because I didn’t want it to be too serious. And, all that ended up biting me in the ass.

Unlike a couple other pieces I’ve had rejected from Crossed Genres, I think this one can be easily fixed. Because I no longer have to fit this square peg into a round hole, I can really work with the squareness better. I can make it a bit more of a serious piece with a tongue-in-cheek undertone, and then try shopping it around.

I feel like Albert Rosenfield. “I’ve got a lot of cutting and pasting to do, gentlemen, so why don’t you please return to your porch rockers and resume whittling?” *vrvv-vrvv* Granted, he was talking about the autopsy of Laura Palmer. Hrm.

But, I have no time to do this soon. I’ve got at least 1.5 other short stories and a plot synopsis I need to churn out in the next couple months, not counting whatever else I need to do for my class. But I will come back to this piece, so I’ll probably come looking for feedback on the next draft.

Speaking of the class, I finally got confirmation from UCLA that I’m in. I still have no idea exactly how this will work. But I’ve got my log in to their “blackboard.” Whatever that means. (I logged in, it looks like a forum.)