Laureen's Manuscript (short story) 4/4 by Leanne Dyck

This is part 4 of Laureen's Manuscript. Here are the links to part one (the writer), part two (the Acquisitions Editor), part three (the Publisher).

"Leanne reading on the ferry"

by Byron Dyck

Wrapped in a cocoon of blankets, earplugs maintaining silence, eye mask ensuring darkness, Jon Torgelson snored. He was enjoying the extra hours of sleep the weekend provided. Laureen inched out of bed. For her, it was a normal workday. She made a pit stop in the kitchen to grab a quick bite. Then, still in her pyjamas, hair and teeth unbrushed, she stumbled down the hall and into her writer's den. Laureen wrote for a couple of hours before deciding to take a break and survey her email inbox.

"Oh, look, another rejection letter," she mumbled when she found the email from Knight's publishing house. "I'll just give it a quick read." But the words confused her. What? It can't be. I must be reading it wrong.

She heard noises in the kitchen, followed them, and found her husband pouring coffee. "Jon, I need you to read something out loud to me."

"You need me to... What?"

"Read something."

He followed her to her computer screen.

"Ms. Laureen Torgelson," he read aloud. "Please send us," Jon paused as he felt the full weight of what he was reading. "The complete manuscript." He was so proud of her; he wrapped his arms around her and they held one another. Then he said, "One step closer."

And she knew he was right. This isn't acceptance, she told herself, not yet. It's merely an opportunity.

The End

Thank you for reading my short story. I hope you enjoyed it.

More:

8 Ways to Support the Writer in Your Life by Robbie Blair

Sharing my author journey...
Last week I worked to transform a novel into a novella. I did this to offer this work to a larger audience. This transformation is delicate work...

photo by Leanne Dyck

I must cut words without leaving any holes. I must cut words without leaving readers behind. And this requires a fine balance between cutting words and adding them. 
When I shared my goals on this current project with a friend, she commented, "It's like creating a new manuscript."
And she's right.
I hoped to complete the manuscript last Friday. And I'm pleased to report that I achieved this goal. 
This week I will read the manuscript over checking for story flow and ensuring that there are no holes.
Current word count:  approximately 12,000 words.