Quick Thoughts - Of Coffee and Zombies

So last weekend my story, "Capital Coffee," went up at Electric Spec. And, as I said I would, I figured I would just write up some thoughts as background for that story. In case anyone was curious.

I wonder if sometimes people look back at stories they get publish and sort of worry that it's no good. Not that I dislike "Capital Coffee," but it's from a while ago (it amassed fourteen rejections before it found a home, which is pretty high for flash fiction). In truth, it was starting to get difficult to send out, which means that it was only a step from being retired. So when I got the acceptance I don't think I believed them at first.

But then I did and the story is out there now with my name on it and I must try to be comfortable with it. The story itself came out of the Unidentified Funny Objects call for coffee-related stories. Obviously, this one didn't make it, but this is special for me in that it is my only zombie story. I don't really much care for zombies. I read and watch zombie things, but I'm normally more a hard sell on zombies. So why write a zombie story? Really, it was because I thought zombies drinking coffee and that being what causes them to run kind of funny. I mean, coffee is incredibly wide spread in America. The whole Starbucks thing and everyone having coffee makers or those cup things...I figured fueling zombies with coffee would be great.

There is also that joke about people being zombies without their coffee. That a zombie and your average commuter stopping for a cup would be pretty much identical in sound and action. I mean, I'm not my ending quite works for me now. They still didn't know it was a zombie? But a part of me was thinking that because it's so difficult to tell the difference, that maybe one slipped through. Not a great excuse, really, but hopefully it provided for a cheap laugh or two. Which really was about the only part of the story. It's weird, because while zombies are a subject that I don't write about very often, coffee is. Not in a while, but I think coffee plays into at least three different stories I've written and then retired.

Anyway, that's about it for that story. I hope people like it. Certainly it's a bit more "mainstream" than most of my other work. Oh, and if you ever want to know what I've gotten out recently,  you can now check out the My Stories tab under the banner and find links to what of mine is still up online. Not the hugest of lists, but it's growing. Anyway, thanks for taking the time, and thanks for reading!

All the best,

Charles Payseur