Stickman Submissions

What does one gain by reading Stickman Submissions anyway? It’s simply a way to relax, travel the world while at your bedside and to gain knowledge.

So if you come across a story that you do not like – stop right there. Read no farther. Click on the back button and go to another story. No one expects you to like every submission.
I love the ones that end with "The author can
not be contacted". There’s usually a good reason for that. The guy would be overrun with e-mails telling him what a moron he is.
Sometimes I am tempted to write to a person and say 'Gosh are you confused’. But no one
really listens to advice from strangers or even friends.

I don’t mean that the guys are morons who have been taken to the cleaners by their girlfriend, that could happen to anyone, but I mean the ones who are still in the cleaners and are still hanging on and being screwed left and right.
These are the guys I would write to.

I generally write a few words only to the submissioners (is that a word?) <submitters might be better – Stick> that I enjoy.

I usually like to include my name and e-mail address on my submissions. I enjoy reading the good comments that are mailed to me and I don’t take the negative ones to heart.

I wrote a story once where I killed myself and my wife by pushing us both off a ski lift and someone wrote to say, You should have done this months ago. This way I would not have to had put up with all of your stupid bar girl stories.’ I thought
this was pretty funny and point taken.

There is a young man that I wrote a few words of encouragement to by e-mail but then in a submission I said he should change his name from silky to silly and the guy is still forging ahead with this bargirl that crapped all over him. I have
to give this guy credit.

As for the person that was happy to see comments for his stories as being warped or perturbing- I would say that Stick was being pretty generous. This guy is one sick puppy, little wonder he does not include his email address.

Writing submissions can be wonderfully freeing and cathartic. It’s a safe release. Want to get that load off your shoulders? Sit down and pound out a letter to The Stick. You’ll feel much better if you send it in or not.

Since everyone seems to be quoting someone or other lately, let me also write one that I think may fit in here.

It’s by Jimmy Buffett and goes something like "Please don’t do me wrong because you may just end up in my song".

I for one, really look foreword to Stick's comments. I like them as much as the story itself. I once wrote to Stick to say If you are too busy, just write the first thing that comes into your head – it’s going to be correct. I
agree that his comments are restrained, and in fact quite so. There is no sense in calling a person a jerk when they took the time to send in a story even if they are a real jerk.

A very popular writer here feels very badly when Stick's comments are not up to his own high opinion of himself.

Well that’s up to him. He also continues that he would never let an editor change a word of his sacred scribblings.

I told him to wake up and smell the coffee. If John Grisham and Tom Clancy have editors that change their stories, by God he will also have an editor change his stories- if he is ever that fortunate.

I have written letters of praise to this same person but also have written to say that a few of his submissions were really outlandish flights of fancy and that they would be much better with a bit of editing- like leaving out the used-kotex
eating dog stories but my criticisms were not well received. My fault for speaking out unasked.

Another writer wrote to me that all Americans are morons or something to that affect. I was not annoyed as this does not reflect on me at all, his statement rather reflects on him.

Just recently, a learned and popular writer sent in a long and boring submission that was also condescending.

Condescending to the readers I thought, as it was over-explained.

My friend David wrote and pointed it out to me and he was right.

But I said everyone can have a bad day or an idea that just does not click. I have had plenty of bright ideas at work and when I went ahead with them they flew like a lead balloon.

I would urge all readers to go ahead and give it a try. Sit down and let it flow, let it come out and then allow the story sit a day.

Go over it again the following day and re-write it a bit. By all means, send it into Stick. Your story may be of more value than you realize.

Stickman's thoughts:

Yes, submissions are welcome from EVERYONE! Just make sure it is 800 words +!