“Love Letter” began as a contest entry. The contest asked participants to respond to the following situation: “A 20-something man sits in a taxi in front of his parents’ house, trying to find the strength to tell them that he (fill in the blank).”

When I started writing the story, all I had in my head was a vision of the character sitting in an idling cab parked in front of his family home while looking out though the darkness and missing what was inside. I just ran with the image, and got to a point that’s pretty much what you’ve read.

The submission I sent to the contest was titled “Food for Thought,” and though much of what you’ve read in “Love Letter” remains, I cut a bit of overt nastiness out of the dialogue. I also added to the letter itself—when I reread my submission, I felt the letter needed an extra line or two to become more focal to the story.

In my first draft, the mission to Mars is being talked about on the television that’s playing in the background when the Fenters gather in the kitchen. While revising my entry, I replaced the TV with the portrait of the dead sister. Why? Because the television commentary made the dialogue confusing, and because I wanted the dead sister to have a greater presence in the piece.

That’s my story—and for now, I’m sticking to it!

Oh–and if you want to read the winning story, it’s HERE.

Shawn Hansen is busy writing more stuff.