A story that’s short on words can be exceptional when it’s big on backstory and residual emotion.

Here’s the shortest one I’ve ever read, and I repeat it like a mantra of all my blessings:  “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” Ernest Hemingway

It visits me when a baby is born…and when a baby isn’t. It haunts me when I see items for sale along the curb…and when I don’t. It causes me to reflect on the past and to look with a cautious exuberance toward the future. All in six words. There’s backstory and there’s an open-ended concern for all parties who might be involved. It’s a fine example of a short story that long lingers.

I have found short stories to be my biggest writing challenge. Just when I get one facet right, something else seems to slither off the page or drip down the screen. But once in a while, it comes together. I’m humbled and honored that WOW! Women on Writing has chosen my latest attempt, Love in a Snow Globe, for publication. You can also check out the interview associated with it, conducted by The Muffin‘s Robyn Chausse, here.

As a writer, I hope to deliver what readers want. I’m certainly no Ernest, but I am earnest in my convictions. I want to touch you, reach you, and leave a mark upon you. I welcome your comments, but especially your criticisms. Only then will I grow to satisfy my need to live within you.