Why would a writer (me) appreciate a short story from someone else (another writer), you might ask?
I'll tell you why I did. Recently, one of my beta readers went a step further than editing my story (which is a heck of a lot of work in the first place). She wrote a short story that took place in the world I had created in The Meddler, on Carcerem Island. Her story featured her own personal character coming into contact with Spade, the main character in mine.
I was BLOWN AWAY by this. Not only had she enjoyed my writing (huzzah!), but it had made enough of an impression that she expended CREATIVE EFFORT and INTEREST to create with me! Not only did she render my character well, but she created a whole new side to the world of Carcerem Island that I have not yet approached.
This, to me, is a compliment of the highest order. It's a short story of about 2600 words; a well-written, amusing jaunt into the world of sagjis, a common 'character type' in The Meddler, and told through the eyes of Aesirez. Aesirez and Kitty (both characters created by her) are pictured below - drawn by me under guidance from their creator.
I have uploaded SWITCHED: A SAGJI'S TALE to the website for your reading pleasure. If you like it, feel free to comment or message on my Facebook page - I will link her to this post on FB.