What is it that we at Blue Mesa Review want when it comes to fiction? While we are not bound to any particular aesthetic, here are a few ways your story will stand out from the competition:
A solid opening. Quite frankly, if the beginning of a story is unoriginal, confusing, unbelievable, or downright boring, your piece isn’t going to make it very far. We want pieces that grab us, that say “I feel like I’ve just been slapped in the face and I LIKED it!” (okay, not literally, but we do like things that surprise us and catch us off guard…but not in cheap, uninspired ways).
Compelling characters. If we had a nickel for every story we had where characters act in inexplicable ways, where we just can’t get a handle on what they’re about or why they’re suddenly (insert random hobby, compulsion, quarter or mid-life crisis here), well, let’s just say we probably wouldn’t be a non-profit anymore. The characters that populate your story don’t even have to be wholly likable, but they do have to be believable, engaging, and deeply imagined.
A strong, unique voice. The point of fiction is to tell a story, so give us a voice that will engage us for the whole journey (and not just fizzle out or suddenly shift in some baffling way halfway through). Check out The End of the Mayan Calendar, our 2009 fiction contest winner (Issue 22) for a great example of a story with a strong voice.
Deliberate, interesting prose. You may have the best idea in the world for a story , but the prose is bland or inconsistent. We want stories that propel us forward not because of a clever plot device (or two or three…or ten), but because the writing is just that damn good. Again, we don’t ascribe to any one writing ideal, so we’ll consider it all: the lyrical, the minimalist, the experimental (yes, please!), and so on (keep in mind, we almost never accept genre fiction. It would have to completely transcend the genre itself to get our attention).
A story that says something. We often receive stories that are beautifully crafted, but they simply don’t say anything new. Surprise us. Make us argue. We like that.
In short, send us your best. We’d love the chance to read your work. Please see our website (www.unm.edu/~bluemesa) for submission guidelines.
