Digressions: My Life in 500 Words or Less

Recently I received the latest issue of The Heartland Review. To say I was impressed would be an understatement. The truth of the matter is I’ve had the privilege of seeing this college literary magazine evolve as a publication.

But the evolution of the journal produced at Elizabethtown Community and Technical College is what this blog is about only on a metaphorical level and only partially. Yeah, I know: I see metaphors all over the place. (Writers, huh?)

You see, I’ve been a fiction assistant for the magazine for at least 14 years. And with the evolution of the journal, the responsibilities of my role have evolved, too.

Until the end of last year, I read maybe half a dozen to a dozen pieces of fiction each submission period for The Heartland Review. Meanwhile, over the years, the magazine went from a simple spine-stapled publication to a colorful paperback.

When, among other things, The Heartland Review began using Submittable, a service to organize and streamline the submission process for magazines and authors, the number of submissions skyrocketed. Additionally, the number of readers dropped to just one other person and me. Though the submissions got divided after the first 70 or so, by the time the submission period closes I will have read some 160 fiction pieces.

Though this means more work, it also means the magazine potentially has a better selection of writing to choose from. That means potentially a better final product.

All this has given me pause to reflect on two things. First, growth and evolution obviously are important. The Heartland Review has been what it has needed to be throughout the years, but it has also permitted itself to become even better. This can apply to life.

In so many ways we are what we need to be at any given point. But we should allow the flexibility for change because this can give us the opportunity to be better.

To that end, I have found the recent increase in the number of submissions at The Heartland Review has affected my writing life in positive ways. Reading so many pieces of fiction and determining what makes them work or not has given me incredible insight into my own writing. I can see more clearly what draws me in as a reader versus what prevents me from connecting with a story.

I have applied what I’ve learned to a current rewrite of a chapter of my work in progress. So far, the results have been notable.

I am aware not all these insights will be applicable to every piece of writing.

But, like The Heartland Review, I’m allowing myself to grow and evolve. I’m permitting myself to be even better.