A Little Welcomed Feedback December 20, 2011
Posted by Tom Wells in Introductions, Submissions.trackback
I know it’s a tired old rant, but rejections are the rule and acceptances are the exception in the speculative fiction market. So when I finally get a little feedback from a prospective publisher it is more appreciated than they may realize. That’s why I like the kind reply I had recently:
Dear Tom,
Thanks for allowing us to consider “Dream Vacation”.
I found the idea of being able to experience another person’s memories via VR intriguing, and I’d be interested to see it explored in another story. Unfortunately, this particular work seemed a little too passive, and I felt it was missing a really driving conflict or a clear, urgent plot to keep the reader turning the page.
“Dream Vacation” is not quite right for us, but we hope you find a good home for it soon.
Good luck with your writing!
Best wishes, Earthbound Fiction http://www.earthboundfiction.com
I could be thinned skinned and take calling my story “too passive” the wrong way, except that story is a bit passive by design. It is meant to be a softer story and I accept that it was not right for them. As a piece of flash fiction, it may not find a home, but I’ll try a bit more and then post it here if no one else accepts it the way it is.
wellswriting 
Oh see we have a case of glass half empty/half full. I see that rejection letter as saying ‘Please write us an active voice story that uses this concept and send it back pronto!’
Yeah, I’m with Madison here. Write! Write! Write!
I have one that is similarly passive. It’s a particular favorite of mine; but on a surface level, nothing much happens. On a deeper level, a guy struggles and studies and finally achieves his dreams and maybe even unravels a major scientific mystery; but on the surface level, he just sits in a bar, watches TV, and talks.
I expect never to find a home for that one.
Thanks. As the editor did pick up on, the concept of the story is full of possibilities for many other stories and I will be revisiting the setting in the future. 🙂