New Beginnings

The Long Ridge 2006 Anthology

 

Anthologies are a collection of stories, often on a single theme.  Here, the theme was New Beginnings.  We begin many things, many times, many ways, in our lives.  When I read the many stories submitted to me, I looked for three things.  I looked for an interpretation of new beginning.  What beginning did the author portray?  I looked for craft.  I wanted strong vivid imagery, good character portrayal, and tight construction.  And finally, I looked at story.  Story rules.  I want a glimpse through a keyhole into a wonderful universe – a sense of a larger story.  And above all…I want it to matter that I…that a reader…read this. 

            I made my choices and then I did my final sorting.  Only one story of each type, thank you.  We have multiple SF stories, disaster stories…so I sorted between these submission.  Once again, I compared them on craft and story.  The ones that didn’t quite measure up as well ended up my ‘Honorable Mentions’.  They were too close to simply leave out. 

            We have no ‘first place’ here.  This is not a contest…it is an anthology.  Each of my included stories had weaknesses I wanted to fix, things I’d change if I was author, things I loved.   

            I received about 50 stories. Not one was awful.  Each story I received had good things and weak things.  Not one lacked some strength.  They aren’t here because I had to choose.  Next time you submit, you might well see your story here.  Thank you all for submitting. 

 

                        ---Mary Rosenblum, LR Web Editor

 

Index: 

New Beginnings  

All or Nothing by Shawn Neely

Different Birds by Jean Wilson  

Cold Storage by Jean Lauzier

Red, Yellow, and Orange by Cherley Grogg

Murder INC by Mitchell Harris

Journey of Hope by Karen Phillips

The Cruise by Lisa Bajer

The Reunion by Jack Booth

The Last New Beginning by Cheryl Clark

 

 

Honorable Mentions

Insanity is Hereditary by Gail Sawyer

According to Law by Jane Campos Johnson

Into the Rem by Robyn Edwards

In the Beginning by Winona Cross

Winter Homecoming by F. E. Dan