christopher cocca

My short piece is here.

I just got word that a new piece of mine (A Winter Ascetic, 319 words) is going to be published at Thieves Jargon. TJ is a fantastic online journal you should already be reading and I’m very, very happy to be included. Look for A Winter Ascetic soon, but check out TJ sooner.

It’s been a busy week, but I did manage to post a 100-word story for your consideration at 100wordstories.com. Today’s prompt is “suspension.”

Let me know what you think. If you like it, be sure to vote. Story here.

Six Sentences editor Robert McEvily wrote a great six sentence description of his project for me to share on the microfiction lens at Squidoo.  Did you know that 6S has featured the work of such talents as Neil LaBute, Eric Spitznagel  and Shonali Bhowmik?  I’m looking forward to my upcoming 6S debut later this month and two pieces to follow early next month.

Posted a new sentence at Scrine. You could go many places with the wording here, but like it simple.

Got word that my recent 50-word piece Dad’s Lot will be included in Boston Literary Magazine’s Winter ‘08 edition. In the meantime, check out their newly posted Fall content.

You have to start somewhere.  Enter National Novel Writing Month. The challenge NaNo lays down is 50,000 words in one month. Check it out. Starts Nov. 1.

I’m not gloating. The Yankees just don’t have heart. It’s impossible to feel bad for a roster so full of former world champions. Most of them have been to baseball’s promised land and I think some of them treat their franchise like a taken-for-granted partner you secretly think you could do better than.

Cleveland is hungry. So too the Diamondbacks. Unfortunately for my not quite as hungry Phils, so too the Rockies. New York needs a change, but I’m not talking about Joe Torre. New talent on the field, a new underdog status (remember how they didn’t win a World Series for the entirety of Don Mattingly’s career?), a new vitality and ethos. Cleveland, Colorado and Arizona are more like the Yankees of old (the mid to late 90s teams people outside of New York still pulled for) than is the current Bronx bench. Remember when Arizona, with a roster of hard nosed veterans and young kids who’d never won a thing beat the Yanks in ‘01? That’s who the Yankees need to become now– a club of veteran gamers who have never been there and a bunch of kids who were in junior high the last time the Yankees were really America’s team. A-Rod and Rivera will both do much better elsewhere…and is anyone else put off by the smarmy sense of entitlement Derek Jeter exudes? He’d fit in well with the Braves.

Today’s prompt at 100 Word Stories is “write something with a hidden message in it.”

Vote for/rate my attempt here.

Submitted a new 50 word piece to Boston Literary Magazine today. Anyone know of any other good 50 word venues? Love the design of this site; too bad it’s not live anymore.