Beginnings and endings are sometimes the hardest things to write. I always feel that I can write a story’s beginning easily, because I generally go in knowing what I want to say, and I can get there. But wrapping it up at the end is more challenging for me. When Orny was the Editor, I constantly received feedback from him stating that my stories were fine up to a point, but that the endings needed work.
Well, this issue has plenty of beginnings and endings. “News of Import,” by Claudia Ryan, ends our run of Summit Challenge Stories from 2007, which revolved around a single 24-hour period in Dargon. And while that is an ending, it is a beginning for Claudia as her first story in DargonZine. Claudia came to us in 2007, and will have at least two stories published this year. She also proved that just because a Dargon author doest not attend a Summit, does not mean she cannot participate in the story challenge. And while she did not attend the 2008 Summit either, but we’re hoping for a future attendance from her. More beginnings for this year are two more first-time authors who will be gracing our pages over the next few months, making this one of Dargon’s best years for bringing new authors into the publication process. One of our main goals, always, is to help new authors come through our doors, and we are doing exactly that.
Along with “News of Import” we have a collaboration by long time authors Jim Owens and Rena Deutsch. “Are There Dragons?” touches on an internal discussion the Dargon authors constantly have, while simultaneously taking a glimpse at a poignant slice of life. Jim and Rena both speak to the emotional aspect of fiction, and their collaboration on this story is powerful.
Please enjoy these two stories, and come back for more. And please take the time to leave the writers some feedback, either through the on-line form at the end of the story or via e-mail. We always appreciate reader response. And, as ever … we’ll be back with a new issue in the second quarter! -Jon
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