To lighten things up when I’m not killing characters in thriller novels, I write funny short stories, often about parenting and childhood. In the next year or two, I plan to publish them as a collection. One of these, The Ballad of Bad Cotty, was recently named a humor category finalist in the Next Generation Short Story Awards!
In case you’re wondering, Bad Cotty was our then two-year-old daughter Megan’s invisible friend who always did bad things. After reaching a breaking point, my wife and I began plotting Bad Cotty’s demise. This winning story captures the action as we carried out that plan.
Humor? Thriller? You decide.
You can see the listing of all winners on the Next Generation Short Story Awards website.