"The Fixer"

I just finished a new story, "The Fixer." This story will always have special meaning for me, but not (as I explained previously) because it has any basis whatsoever in my personal life.

I started writing the story back in January specifically for The First Line (required opening line: "Life would be so much easier if I were a cartoon character."). I was facing a January 31 submission deadline, and was scrambling to get it finished when, on the 24th, I got the sudden phone call that told me my dad was slipping away fast. I caught the next train home and was able to be with him when he passed away, for which I will always be grateful. But everything in my personal life, writing and otherwise, immediately went on hold and I inevitably missed the TFL deadline. I didn't revive the story until April, and finished my final revisions this morning and submitted it to three literary journals. The story I ultimately ended up with is far better that what I would have had back in January, when I was writing in such a rush.

So even though the narrative doesn't at all pertain to him (or me), whenever I think about "The Fixer" I'll remember my dad. This one's for you, buddy. Happy Father's Day.