“A Simple Twist of Fate” is going to appear in Kestrel!
“A Simple Twist of Fate” is my latest short story, and it has just been accepted for publication by Kestrel: A Journal of Literature and Art. It will be included in Issue 43, which will be out by September 1 at the latest the editors tell me.
I love this story. It is set at the opening night fete at a modern day Renaissance festival, with the protagonist experiencing difficulties in the porta-potty. I’ll leave it at that to avoid spoilers.
Workshops Work
I need to give a shout out to Siobhan Write and her Tell Us a Story workshop. This story originated there, and I know for certain without Siobhan’s encouragement, it would never have seen the light of day. Siobhan brings some sort of intuitive magic to her online workshops, guiding and suggesting subtle improvements to make short fiction and very short fiction sing, and more importantly, find the ideal publication homes. Siobhan also helped me find a home for a 50-word story that originated in this workshop.
I’m not going to say that every workshop group works for everybody. It takes some experimentation to find the right group. Timing is important as well. I started writing with this group on the cusp of the Covid-19 pandemic, so I have had more time to write than I did before. Still, something has clicked. Having a group of fellow writers to tell you what isn’t working is an enormous help. Having a group leader who actually leads, thinking ahead with you to where the story you’ve been working on might fit is HUGE. Thank you, Siobhan!