My latest story A Life in Numbers is available in Door is A Jar’s 19th edition in digital or print formats. Thank you to editor Maxwell Bauman for compiling this group of 40 bite-sized stories and poems from contributors worldwide. I look forward to reading through them shortly.
I was drawn to Door is A Jar in part because of their maxim that work should be accessible, using familiar language that can be understood by all readers. Too many publications confuse complexity with good writing and engaging stories.
I used a framing device to structure this story, with each paragraph preceded by a short statement comprised of a number. This format carries throughout the piece, as we learn more about the unnamed narrator’s difficult relationship with their controlling father.
Many of my stories were rejected multiple times before finding a home, but A Life in Numbers was accepted by the first magazine I sent it to. Maybe this means my writing is improving or maybe I’m doing a better job at matching story to publication. Or perhaps it was just good fortune. Either way, I’m happy to have placed this piece and looking forward to sharing more writing in the future.
Jared Cappel 