In the final days of 2020, I managed to secure one more publication for my writing. One writing goal I gave myself at the beginning of last year was to submit all 15 of my short pieces for publication, but that was an uber-ambitious goal. Only one of the pieces was finished at the beginning of the year, with the rest in various states from about ten percent to seventy percent done. I knew, though, that if I aimed excessively high, I would come up with a number at the end of the year that I was proud of. And so I did. I finished four pieces in 2020…and I had them all accepted for publication. The final one just came out last week…at long last! You can enjoy it by clicking here.
After I had this piece accepted, a second publisher email to accept it, even though I had written to withdraw it from consideration immediately after it was accepted by The Courtship of Winds. I feel good about that! It’s nice to find success in another format besides short story, and I plan to work on more essays in the future.
The Story Behind the Story: Since this is an essay and not a work of fiction, there is no real story behind the story. The story is the story. I went on a short vacation to Terlingua and Big Bend National Park in January 2018. I blogged about the trip a little bit at the time, but I kept most details to myself because I always planned to write an essay about it. Everything written happened as described, and when you read it, I think you’ll understand why I felt compelled to write about it. If you’re curious to learn more about the place, here are some links about the places I mentioned.
- Terlingua
- La Kiva and the Word Off Competition
- High Sierra Bar and Grill
- Big Bend National Park
- Boquillas, Mexico
- My desert home
And one bonus link for a place that didn’t make it into the essay, but is a must-visit if you go to Terlingua
Jennifer A Swallow 