Homecoming

By Dennis R. Upkins

They say you can never go home again.  They also say home is where the heart is.

If both statements are simultaneously true, then perhaps it means that you can never return home if home is always with you. Perhaps periodically we could all use the reminder that home isn’t so much a location, but the cherished people and experiences that define us.

Said reminder came in the form of me reconnecting with my high school bestie Joshua after two decades. In doing so I’ve discovered how far I’ve come into my own. More than that, this Catholic Herald is reminded that not only is he highly favored, but since the beginning God has sent her best and brightest to bless him and his journey. Said reminders come in the form of a Starbucks date that I’m on at the time of penning this piece. Enjoying a Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino and the company of a handsome silver fox, I’m reminded to appreciate some of life’s true treasures.

In order to know where you’re going, you have to retrace your steps and remember where you’ve been, how far you’ve come, and what you’ve overcome. This also applies to one’s artistry. Which brings me to a little novella of mine entitled Stranger than Fiction. As my first professional published piece of fiction, Stranger than Fiction holds sacred space for me. Not only because of the story itself, but the story behind the story.

Strangely enough, Stranger than Fiction actually came to be as a result of a challenge from author Todd McCaffrey. Some years back I was at Dragon Con with a buddy who is a huge fan of the Dragonriders of Pern series. I was curious to learn more about the series and I’m always eager to learn about an artist’s creative process.

As the panel went on, I inquired about becoming an author and what advice Mr. McCaffrey would give. He inquired whether or not I’ve begun submitting my work to publishers. I confessed I hadn’t because I was working, in art school, and was waiting for a more opportune time to pursue writing.

That’s when he explained there is no convenient season. He encouraged me to go home and start writing. He challenged me to write a short story in two to three months and begin submitting it to publishers. What I remember most is that he spoke positively with conviction and certainty that I would be published and he would hear about it, and he was so happy to see a young author at the beginning of his career.

The result of that challenge was Stranger than Fiction. Submitting the story to various markets wasn’t without its challenges. While I received the usual rejection letters, the worst came from a specific publication’s editorial assistant. Insulting both the story and my skills as a writer, the editorial assistant wanted to emphasize that this was one of the worst stories she read and I had no business being an author. Nevertheless I persisted and continued to submit my novella. My labor would ultimately pay off. Stranger than Fiction became my first official sale when it was originally released as an audio short for Sniplits. The novella would regularly be featured as story of the week during that website’s seven-year run.

More than that, I was compensated for more than twice the amount a certain other publication would have paid me. More than that, said publication went out of business.

I returned to Dragon Con the following year and gave Mr. McCaffrey a copy of Stranger than Fiction, and thanked him for igniting the spark that launched my career as a speculative fiction author.

Last year I re-released Stranger than Fiction in print for the first time, and it’s been well received by a new audience and a surprising success. The experience taught me that while betting on yourself is a scary risk, it can also result in achieving the impossible.

Achieving the impossible feels like home.

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