“Brother Blue” is complete in first draft. Came in at 13,000 words, in the end, an awkward length to sell, but I like it. It’s what I think of as a Zelaznian world, strange and wonderful, though the story itself isn’t at all a Zelazny story.
A student at a magical college that travels between worlds is separated from his friend, and strives to understand how the College works so he can get back to where his friend lives. Along the way, he has to deal with multiple distractions and temptations to abandon his quest, but each time, he chooses the path of love. It’s a celebration of the power of friendship, and the family that we choose for ourselves.
It could probably stretch into a novella – there are a couple of places with potential to expand, though they’re kind of digressions to the main thrust of the story. But I think I’ll try it out on the market as a novelette first, after my editor’s been over it.
Sounds like a cool story. Please let me know when/where it’s available.
Will do, in this collection.
Yeah. That 10K’ish length is hard to sell either to short story houses or as a standalone ebook. Had four of those recently that I dropped into a collection that isn’t selling very well either. But if they need to get written, then out they go.
A story is the length that it is.