Yesterday Jelly Bucket magazine posted photos from the release party for their new issue which includes my story, “Thank You For Your Sacrifice.” I wish I could have enjoyed a slice of the cake featuring the cover.

Publishing is a waiting game, and while publishing a short story might not be as exciting as a novel release, it provides more immediate gratification. Of course, immediacy is relative. It’s like watching a season of your favorite series, but you have to wait a year to see the final episode. I sometimes have difficulty remembering what happened during the season.

The same goes for a short story. I remember all the work that went into it, the deliberating over every word and sentence, but if you asked me to describe the story in detail, I probably couldn’t do it.

On the other hand, when I hurry down to the newsstand to buy the issue (if I can’t wait for my free copy to arrive in the mail) I can read the story again and rediscover it almost like I’m a new reader.

I’ll still zero in on the little things I wish I had written differently, but that’s the agony of being a writer.