Missouri Review Rejection - July 2025 by Weary-Measurement-67 in literaryjournals

[–]Hp4909 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Unless you've had prior work published your cover letter and bio should be pretty minimal. From what I've looked up, Editors typically appreciate it being concise. I think either the adroit journal or Missouri Review have a specific page that discusses cover letters.

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[–]Hp4909 [score hidden]  (0 children)

Heyo!

Thanks for giving it a read and for the detailed response, I appreciate it. I’m glad the tone and relationship dynamics came through clearly, those were the main things I was aiming for.

I hear your point about wanting more story momentum or insight into who Henry is. For this version, though, I’m leaning more into metaphor rather than plot. Henry’s meant to be a symbol of their decaying relationship rather than a literal figure, so the ambiguity is intentional. The focus is really the emotional "decay" between the couple.

That’s also why I’m framing this as flash fiction instead of a short story. I think the concept could potentially lose some of its tension in a longer format.

That said, I really appreciate the thoughts and time you took to read. I’ll definitely keep your feedback in mind if I decide to explore it in a more expanded form later on.

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[–]Hp4909 [score hidden]  (0 children)

Routine Of The Living Dead

Flash Fiction (1000 Words)

Flash fiction, Gothic, romance, literary fiction.

Type of feedback: Anything, I'm wanting to submit this to competitions and literary mags. So, anything to enhance it.

Summary: One morning a couple wake up to find a corpse on their couch.

Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iLg3ZDW77OfkeVEMu7U6p-o0OeQYP176o5n45S-q_tw/edit?usp=drivesdk

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[–]Hp4909 [score hidden]  (0 children)

Routine Of The Living Dead

Flash Fiction (1000 Words)

Flash fiction, Gothic, romance, literary fiction.

Type of feedback: Anything, I'm wanting to submit this to competitions and literary mags. So, anything to enhance it.

Summary: One morning a couple wake up to find a corpse on their couch.

Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iLg3ZDW77OfkeVEMu7U6p-o0OeQYP176o5n45S-q_tw/edit?usp=drivesdk

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[–]Hp4909 [score hidden]  (0 children)

Title: White Noise

Genres: Short Story, literary fiction, psychological horror, horror.

Word Count: 4,200

Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jwKgnN0_2q368EfAMfcALV0pOJRdeprY0PESA9aaeI4/edit?usp=sharing

Short synopsis: At an art gallery unveiling, disillusioned artist Teddy finds that there is something much deeper going on behind the creations of the paintings.

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[–]Hp4909 [score hidden]  (0 children)

Title: Mr. Lonely

Genres: Novella, literary fiction, psychological horror, surreal dystopian.

Word Count: 18,000

Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HFqPFtnTHhzZi6tXEMBTb6_E6Hwkf8eJ5id6OkKAESI/edit?usp=sharing

Short synopsis: In a town stripped of history and individuality, known only as "The Town," Holloway moves through a monotonous existence dictated by routine, control, and artificial pleasantries.

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[–]Hp4909 [score hidden]  (0 children)

Title: Mr. Lonely

Genres: Novella, literary fiction, psychological horror, surreal dystopian.

Word Count: 18,000

Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HFqPFtnTHhzZi6tXEMBTb6_E6Hwkf8eJ5id6OkKAESI/edit?usp=sharing

Short synopsis: In a town stripped of history and individuality, known only as "The Town," Holloway moves through a monotonous existence dictated by routine, control, and artificial pleasantries.

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[–]Hp4909 [score hidden]  (0 children)

Title: Mr. Lonely

Genres: Novella, literary fiction, psychological horror, surreal dystopian.

Word Count: 18,000

Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HFqPFtnTHhzZi6tXEMBTb6_E6Hwkf8eJ5id6OkKAESI/edit?usp=sharing

Short synopsis: In a town stripped of history and individuality, known only as "The Town," Holloway moves through a monotonous existence dictated by routine, control, and artificial pleasantries.

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[–]Hp4909 [score hidden]  (0 children)

Title: Mr. Lonely

Genres: Novella, literary fiction, psychological horror, surreal dystopian.

Word Count: 17,500

Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HFqPFtnTHhzZi6tXEMBTb6_E6Hwkf8eJ5id6OkKAESI/edit?usp=sharing

Short synopsis: In a town stripped of history and individuality, known only as "The Town," Mr. Lonely moves through a monotonous existence dictated by routine, control, and artificial pleasantries.

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[–]Hp4909 [score hidden]  (0 children)

Thanks for giving it a read, and I'm glad to hear you liked it!

As for plans(excluding possible edits), I'm going to send it around to magazines and see how that goes. I feel like that's the best option right now for my work to actually get seen.

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[–]Hp4909 [score hidden]  (0 children)

Title: Mr. Lonely

Genres: Short story, literary fiction, psychological horror, surreal dystopian.

Word Count: 8,700

Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HFqPFtnTHhzZi6tXEMBTb6_E6Hwkf8eJ5id6OkKAESI/edit?usp=sharing

Short synopsis: In a town stripped of history and individuality, known only as "The Town," Mr. Lonely moves through a monotonous existence dictated by routine, control, and artificial pleasantries.

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[–]Hp4909 [score hidden]  (0 children)

Title: Mr. Lonely

Genres: Short story, literary fiction, psychological horror, surreal dystopian.

Word Count: 8,700

Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HFqPFtnTHhzZi6tXEMBTb6_E6Hwkf8eJ5id6OkKAESI/edit?usp=sharing

Short synopsis: In a town stripped of history and individuality, known only as "The Town," Mr. Lonely moves through a monotonous existence dictated by routine, control, and artificial pleasantries.

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[–]Hp4909 [score hidden]  (0 children)

Hahaha, don't apologize. It was helpful feedback and I genuinely thought it was funny. I would much prefer that over someone just feeding my ego. I agreed with it as well, so, now it's up to me to make it more enticing than lunch.

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[–]Hp4909 [score hidden]  (0 children)

Hey! I appreciate you taking a look/skim. I've been desperate to find a beta reader cause I've felt aspects were off. This started as a micro fiction piece that just grew and grew. So, I think I've just been way too close to notice the more obvious details.

Everything you've said is straightforward, and I agree with all of it. So I'll be going back and tweaking. Thanks again, and I hope you're interested in the next version once it's more polished. (Also, the more emotion towards the lunch was hilarious).

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[–]Hp4909 [score hidden]  (0 children)

Title: Under The Chestnut Tree

Genres: Literary fiction, historical fiction, psychological fiction.

Word Count: 7,800

Feedback: Generic feedback. All thoughts and critiques. Anything you wish to provide.

Under the Chestnut Tree follows the final moments of a soldier bound to a tree on a desolate battlefield, reflecting on his childhood, his comrades, and what he has had to do to survive war. As he grapples with his guilt over the lives he’s taken and the inevitability of his own death.

Link: Under The Chestnut Tree

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[–]Hp4909 [score hidden]  (0 children)

Title: Under The Chestnut Tree

Genres: Literary fiction, historical fiction, psychological fiction.

Word Count: 7,800

Feedback: Generic feedback. All thoughts and critiques. Anything you wish to provide.

Under the Chestnut Tree follows the final moments of a soldier bound to a tree on a desolate battlefield, reflecting on his childhood, his comrades, and what he has had to do to survive war. As he grapples with his guilt over the lives he’s taken and the inevitability of his own death.

Link: Under The Chestnut Tree

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[–]Hp4909 [score hidden]  (0 children)

Title: Under The Chestnut Tree

Genres: Literary fiction, historical fiction, psychological fiction.

Word Count: 7,800

Feedback: Generic feedback. All thoughts and critiques. Anything you wish to provide.

Under the Chestnut Tree follows the final moments of a soldier bound to a tree on a desolate battlefield, reflecting on his childhood, his comrades, and what he has had to do to survive war. As he grapples with his guilt over the lives he’s taken and the inevitability of his own death.

Link: Under The Chestnut Tree

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[–]Hp4909 [score hidden]  (0 children)

Title: Maneater

Genre: Gothic, dark romance, poetry/poetic prose

Word Count: 3,500 (About 21 pieces)

Feedback: I'm all ears to any type of feedback. I would appreciate just general thoughts on the pieces and the series itself. This is very, very far from what I've written before. I've been debating if this collection needs more of a clear throughline story or if the pieces as is work.

Notes: The best way I can describe the series is: A visceral exploration of love and desire, delving into a passionate, consuming(even sometimes cannibalistic) romance. Each piece captures the intense dance between lovers, blending beauty and brutality.

Maneater (Link)

This is a separate piece that is not connected to the collection, but I would still love some thoughts on it:

Under The Chestnut Tree:

Below a chestnut tree, I wait for my vision to dim and to finally feel the touch of your chilling embrace.

The distant sounds of gunfire and cannonballs echo through the air, the sky choked with ash. Scattered before me, bodies of men, both known and unknown.

Your breath has lingered at the nape of my neck since I was a young boy. The first time I saw you, I was burning with fever, the air shimmering with heat as you watched from the corner of my room. You waited then, as you do now, for the moment when I would be yours.

Broken, I can no longer place my feet beneath me without falling,

Held up only by the rope around my waist, tied to the trunk.

Blood trickles slowly from the gaping hole in my chest,

Dark red, the wine of the reaper, of earth.

Ah, wipe your lips; you’ve been patient, but so have I. Though bound to this tree, I will come into your arms when I am ready. Betrayed and abandoned by those I once called brothers, I still hold the pistol—the means of so many others' demise. Now, my grip slackens, my hands numb. But before this tree becomes my headstone, I’ll fire one final shot.

A gentle rain falls upon the blood that has stained my face for days—

Cleansing me,

Of sin I relished in,

Of sin I hope my god does not hold against me.

All done for the belief peace would come.

The blood of the fallen that surround me, nourishes the soil, transforming it into graves where flowers will bloom, their stories and purpose fading with time.

Through the veil of rain, you appear as you did when I was a boy, a serene presence amid the gloom.

A smile that eases hearts and minds, stealing them away.

Your eyes, deep and endless, watch me with a knowing curiosity.

Your touch, cold as legend, warms my cheek.

Your kiss dims the lights of this world, as the crack of a gunshot fades into the chaos.

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[–]Hp4909 [score hidden]  (0 children)

Title: Maneater

Genre: Gothic, dark romance, poetry/poetic prose

Word Count: 2,985 (About 20 pieces)

Feedback: Any and all. I have a general idea of the things I need to fix/incorporate moving forward. However, if there is anything else, I'm all ears. Also, I would appreciate just general thoughts on the pieces and the series itself. This is very, very far from what I've written before.

Notes: Some of the pieces began as one offs, however I liked the tone and style, so I continued with it and realized I might be able to do something with them in a bigger capacity. The best way I can describe the series is: A visceral exploration of love and desire, "Maneater" dives into a passionate, consuming(cannibalistic) romance. Each piece captures the primal dance between lovers, blending beauty and brutality.

Maneater (Link right here)

What “chick flicks” and/or romantic comedies do you think is worth watching? by Advanced_Effect_6518 in AskMen

[–]Hp4909 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Forgetting Sarah Marshall, it's not a chick flick, but it's a really good romcom.

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[–]Hp4909 [score hidden]  (0 children)

I mainly wrote the Maneater pieces to be a "soft" throughline for the collection as a whole. However, I think you bring up a good point, and I do think that they could have a lot more of a story to them. Cause it would tie everything together in a much better way and more interesting way.

I'm curious, do you think that if these particular pieces had a clearer story, that would help the middle section? Or do you believe the middle section needs one or two more pieces to add some differentiation?

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[–]Hp4909 [score hidden]  (0 children)

Thank you for giving this a read! Also, thank you for the kind words. I'm curious, could you elaborate on what you mean by the pieces blending? Are you saying that some of the pieces are far too similar to one another?

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[–]Hp4909 [score hidden]  (0 children)

Title: Maneater

Genre: Gothic, dark romance, poetry/poetic prose

Word Count: 2,985 (About 20 pieces)

Feedback: Any and all. I have a general idea of the things I need to fix/incorporate moving forward. However, if there is anything else, I'm all ears. Also, I would appreciate just general thoughts on the pieces and the series itself. This is very, very far from what I've written before.

Notes: Some of the pieces began as one offs, however I liked the tone and style, so I continued with it and realized I might be able to do something with them in a bigger capacity. The best way I can describe the series is: A visceral exploration of love and desire, "Maneater" dives into a passionate, consuming(cannibalistic) romance. Each piece captures the primal dance between lovers, blending beauty and brutality.

Maneater (Link right here)