Pro Story #3

E. Mark Mitchell -- The Website FAQ Early Weblinks Reviews #1 Reviews #2 Pro Story #1 Pro Story #2 Pro Story #3 Pro Bono Work Links

"Stranger Things," The Third... Well, You Know The Rest

I was compelled to write a sequel to the first Bill and Greg story when Lynne, the real-life Bill's real-life wife, confronted me with "So, where am I, then, huh?"

Congratulations, Lynne; figuring out how to work you into that universe led me to work several dozen of you into that universe.  I hope you're happy.

I also find my comedy being leavened with a point in this one.  A simplistic and generally obvious point, of course, but a point nonetheless.  So be kind to people you meet in passing; you never know how close you were to actually being that other person.

Professional Published Versions (I Got Paid!)

As per usual, this is the Analog web page with my story listed. As per usual, I was in the company of giants. This one brought me $545, which paid for a couple of nice new kitchen appliances, if I recall correctly.  As usual, it was quite reasonable. This third sale also entitles me to apply for the SFWA, which would be my first professional association.

Also with my third story was a Biolog, a little biographical blurb, for which I was interviewed by Rick Lovett.

A fairly decent review, lukewarm but not insulting, but there's one whole paragraph where the reviewer goes off on my decision to make Bill want to be a writer.  The reviewer didn't seem to get the idea that it was part of the joke, the rich guy with pretensions of artisticness who just basically sucks at it.  He wasn't supposed to be struggling, he was just supposed to be bad at it.  But on the other hand, if it hadn't been for this review, I might not have started to toy with a third Bill and Greg story so I could work a joke in that would serve as a rebuttal.  So, in the end, I suppose I should thank him.
Sparse to the point of uselessness, but it did say mine was one of the "good" stories.
Also not a detailed review, but at least it specifically mentioned the story and some of its characters and the elements within.  Also called it "lightly humorous," and since that was pretty much what I was going for, I count it a win.