Vanished

Offline.

Broken web link.

Gone.

Such was the fate of my first published short story, Happy Camper when I checked the link on my website the other day. Sad Girl Diaries was a literary online journal that published fiction, non fiction and poetry. They were the first to accept my work for publication in January 2024, so they held a special place in my heart! They are no longer in operation.

While my story can no longer be found online, it still lives on my website (read it here!). Having this story only exist on my site feels much less satisfying to me than following a live link to an online journal, but this is part of the journey I'm on. I am filled with elation when my work is published and a profound sense of mourning when it disappears from the ether.

The void of my lost story fuels my motivation to keep sending more work out for publication. Since January, I've sent a number of pieces out to various contests, journals, magazines, and anthologies. As Tom Petty so aptly sang, waiting is the hardest part.

Hopefully I'll hear good news soon, my friends. Fingers crossed.