“Basic Black” (Preface)

Tomorrow’s post is part one of the piece that won fifth place in the Writer’s Digest short story contest in 2005. It actually won fifth place in its genre, which put it in the top twenty-five winners, period. And that’s all the horn blowing I’m going to do, because I wrote it first for love, then to see how it would do. The notice that it did better than I’d imagined was a pleasant surprise.

Okay, in truth it registered 8.5 on the writer’s Richter, but again, that’s all I’m saying.

Though it was written after “Black and Blonde”, in Black’s timeline, it predates his meeting with Tess. I had to condense it to less than 3500 words, so it’s lean, mean, and a fairly accurate thumbnail of Black’s character. I don’t know if the judges liked it or him or what; all I received was the letter saying that I’d placed, a year’s subscription to WD magazine, and a cheque for $50 that I never cashed. Pretty exciting stuff considering I’d expected more from the other story I’d submitted. That’s my Ariel—full of surprises.

I’m posting it here with plans to make the whole series available online; when “Black in Back” is finished, it will go up as well … though it will take significantly more Saturdays to complete.

Naturally, he doesn’t care, but I hope you enjoy.