I wrote a story about two years ago and sent it off to a contest. My mood at that time was a bit dark, my thinking not very clear, and something I was trying to articulate came out in the form of a story.

I completely forgot about it (out of sight is out of mind for me and my stories), until I received a mail asking if it was still available for publication. That way, I’m a little weird in the sense I dislike sending out simultaneous or even consecutive submissions. If my story does not get accepted by the party I sent it out to, I kind of let it languish instead of looking out for other markets. So, yes, the story was indeed available for publication, and I was quite surprised actually, by the selection.

The editing of this story was a wonderful learning for me. Such small changes by the very patient editor resulted in such impact. It made me ask myself what I exactly I meant when I wrote this or that. My stories have been subject to editing before, but for some reason, this specific experience was much more of a revelation to me than the ones before it. A good editor can make such a huge difference!

Now that the story is published, I read it and I can see how much more improved it could be. The exceptionally good writers make the good writing seem like a breeze. I guess, just like all the other arts, where a good singer makes you feel you can sing too, or a great artist makes painting look like child’s play.

So much further to go down the road, but for now, let me celebrate the little successes in my life.