Overhaul

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." – Confucius

Few of my story ideas ever emerge fully formed, and most go through countless revisions before they're ready for submission. So by the time I sent "Captain Quasar and the So-Called Emperor of the Universe" to Ray Gun Revival last November, I thought it was good to go.

The editors didn't agree:

EDITOR 1 – "I was already smiling before I even started reading this because I rather enjoyed the last Captain Quasar. This sequel contains some great ideas and some decent jokes, but I'm just not sure it hangs together as well."

EDITOR 2 – "I like the ending, but most of the story is just two guys talking smack to each other. If you're interested in tweaking the story a smidge, we'd love to see this again."

Always up for a rewrite, I shortened some of the dialogue and increased the tension. Two months later:

EDITOR 1 – "I liked it better before. I don't think much has changed. I remember a lot more bickering."

EDITOR 2 – "I'm left kinda flat, but there are moments in the story that are pretty good. It's still just a couple of guys talking smack. Needs more action. If you're willing to give this another go, we'd like to see it again."

Back to the drawing board, Robin! I decided to overhaul the entire story, keeping the main premise but adding a new main character, multiple cut-scenes, and some fun action sequences. Two days later:

"Thanks for being willing to revise, and for your patience during the process. We look forward to publishing Captain Quasar and hope to see more of your work in the future."

YAHOO! This makes my 20th Write1Sub1 2011 acceptance, and I can't wait to share it with you. Stay tuned...