Head over to the Every Day Fiction website to read a flash fiction story every day (like the title says). Today, especially, I invite you to wander over and read my story, “Backstitches in Time.” Then, dive into the archives for other good stories, in all genres. If you like what you read there, you might consider tossing some coins into the funding bucket to help keep them afloat.
Here are some extra tidbits about the story:
This story was a strange one for me. It came at me sideways, as it were. Title first, then a concept, then a structure, and lastly, the story itself with the grandmother and her granddaughter. Not my normal way of doing things, but there you have it. This time, it seems to have worked.
The character/story itself is based on Greek mythology, with the figure of Fate (sometimes one woman, sometimes three women) who weave the tapestry of life from pre-measured threads. Cutting a thread in effect cuts someone’s life short–shorter than Fate had measured out for them–and that really pisses off Fate. She/they would often send the Furies after those who’d meddled in her/their weaving. But training up your replacement? And the honest mistakes of children, especially to whom you are related by blood? Made me wonder.
The title is a play off the old saying that “a stitch in time saves nine.” To effect a repair, a needleworker (I hand quilt) takes a tiny backstitch, anchoring the new stitches into the fabric, before proceeding forward with the repair. And if you’re repairing time, then “a backstitch” seems necessary–even if it’s only metaphorical. Thus, nine happy endings once the repair of Fate’s threads are completed with backstitches in the fabric of time.
So, that’s the peek behind the scenes. I hope you enjoyed the story, and the backstory.
Everyday Magic | M. E. Garber 