Quick NaNoWriMo update: I made zero progress yesterday. My trip to the hairdresser turned into an all day ordeal because Nick was triple-booked. Today, nothing but hoop!

Writers are pathetic little recluses who live wonderful adventures in their own minds. Occasionally, we surface to meet with other like-minded people or for trips to the roller-derby for inspiration for a new story. But for the most part, we are parked in front of the computer, toiling endlessly to create stories we hope someone wants to read. (Feel sorry for me yet?)

Once in a while we get a little pat of the back. A note from a reader dying for a certain character’s story to be told. Or a compliment from an editor out of the blue. This is the one I received from an editor a couple of days ago, and I’ve been walking on air ever since.

“A very artful invention, partly taking off on Beauty and the Beast—it’s beautifully written, has all the fairy tale elements, has very smutty sex, and both a clever twist ending and a deeper moral.”

I think this editor is a very good writer herself/himself for managing to put “very smutty sex” and “a deeper moral” into the same sentence! This was in response to a short story I submitted to Cleis Press for their Fairtale Lust anthology. The payday is only $50.00, but that compliment made all the toil worthwhile.

Simple, needy little creatures are we writers.

Here’s a snippet from the opening of my “artful invention” called The Obedient Wife…

Once there was a miller who had no sons to work his mill or assure him comfort in his old age. His wife had died long ago giving him only a puny baby girl, whose worth didn’t become apparent until she blossomed into a woman.

To keep safe his only treasure, the miller locked her away inside their cottage while he considered how best to reap the rewards of his good fortune…

Ha! You hardly thought I’d give you more. It’s a SHORT story.