I Contain Multitudes, Etc.
Hello readers!
In my last newsletter I said to anticipate that this one would be short, as it'd be for a drabble (100-word story). The drabble part is correct!
The short part is less correct, because I actually have a second publication to share. They're quite different in tone, one serious and about death and the other funny and about aliens trying to handle a human daycare. Hence this newsletter's title. (If I had time I would totally do Barbenheimer and most likely enjoy both. Likewise, my short fiction oeuvre is rather varied. I'm not sure I truly have an "Amanda Helms short story" vibe/signal. I should perhaps rethink that because branding, but also, blargh, branding.)
Anyway! On to the publications.
"The Grasping Trees"
My first published (and perhaps publishable) drabble is up at Martian Magazine! If you're down for a tiny taste of a darker side of generation ships, read "The Grasping Trees" here: https://themartianmagazine.com/2023/07/10/the-grasping-trees-by-amanda-helms/
Behind the Story Chat
Surprising no one, I am not naturally succinct. Writing a drabble, or a story of exactly 100 words, is hard (just ask my college creative writing instructor, who actually told me that my effort at a descriptive paragraph was better before trying to cut it to 100 words to fit the assignment). As with poetry, which is another form I tend not to write, every word and image matters. For myself, drabbles leave me with impressions or, hmm, tendencies toward a feeling, let's say. My take is that their brevity invites the reader to fill in the missing spaces, as it were, and so good drabbles are one that rely on the evocation of the reader's preexisting feelings. Longer pieces, however, can more directly invoke feelings, through more extended narration and whatnot. That's my not-very-studied opinion, at least!
Anyway! "The Grasping Trees" started out from a title prompt. Aside from that, I knew in advance I wanted to try a drabble, and I wanted it to be SF for the very mercenary reason that I knew Martian Magazine existed and accepted SF drabbles exclusively. I'm extremely pleased Eric Fomley decided to pick it up!
Reprint: "Sunnyside Daycare Employees' Chat Log, Post Alien Takeover"
It's true, I am ostensibly funny at times! The reprint of my story "Sunnyside Daycare Employees' Chat Log, Post Alien Takeover" is now up at Small Wonders. Readers of my newsletter may recall from last year that "Sunnyside" was originally published in the Unidentified Funny Objects 9 anthology, so I'm pleased for it to find a wider audience. You, yes you, can now become part of that wider audience! Find the story here: https://smallwondersmag.com/pieces/sunnyside-daycare-employees-chat-log-post-alien-takeover/
If you want "Sunnyside's" behind-the-story notes, please do check out the previous newsletter where I discussed it. My memory was fresher then. If I attempted a recap now I'd probably just write something about how toddlers are funny and aliens can be funny so why not mix them together. Then I'd have to backpedal and be all, "I don't mean in a blender" and— Well. Just check out the previous newsletter, please.
Till next time!
Amanda