Sholm Pearly

Just discovered that one of the anthologies I was published in, is now out of print. I don’t expect it to come back. The cover was far from pro looking, and the publishing editor was very independent. But in it was one of the first stories of mine that was picked up, and I feel something for this anthology.

When you begin the first none-rejections are so precious. It’s not that I’m shy with my writing, but I never quite know what to do with it once it’s done. It just feels like such an overwhelming amount of steps during which I can’t write. I’m not unhappy learning new skills, I just feel like they get in the way of me doing my real writing work. It’s not a rational thought about writing, because in the long run, I do need these skills to be independent and more successful – meaning I get to write more… but I already have so little time to put words on paper that it is frustrating to have to sell my work, interact with people, write messages that will get thrown back at me too many times without a single word of critique or encouragement.

Basically I don’t want to promote myself. Even though though I know that if I don’t no one will know about my stories. And that would just be silly, wouldn’t it?

The story in that anthology is called “Worlds Fall Apart” and talks about disenchantment and realisation that perhaps monsters are not the obvious ones with sharp teeth and slimy skins… the whole anthology was obviously about horrible things hidden behind door.

I had been inspired to write it by a very vivid nightmare in which I was a child locked in a bathroom with an oozing creature bubbling up from the bath drain, while just on the other side of the door was a party full of laughing adults so loud they didn’t hear me.

I’m going to look into the rights of the story, whether they reverted back to me and perhaps start collecting all those little bits and pieces of mine into an anthology. Would anyone be interested?