Edmund Schubert at IGMS passed on And Zeppelins.  He had some nice words for it, but complained about the pace.  Normally I wouldn’t revise based on one editor’s feedback, but hey, he’s Edmund Schubert, so I took another look at the piece.

I actually think that his worries about the pace were really about how slowly the story began, rather than the pace overall (although I’m guessing here; he didn’t give me pages of feedback, just a few sentences).  Not getting into the story quickly enough is a crime that I often commit when writing short fiction.  I’m not sure why I can’t absorb that particular writing lesson, but there you have it.  At least I can tell myself that it’s a common crime in the writing world.

Regardless, I axed about 800 words of exposition from the piece and started on what was page four, and is now page one.  I think it’s much better for it.  After a bit of reflection, I’m sending it off to Writers of the Future.  I know people are of mixed mind about that particular contest, but I respect the judges, and I even know a couple people who have placed, and I respect their writing.  So off it goes.  May the ghost of L. Ron Hubbard guide it to victory.