Little Jackie Paper Loved that Rascal Puff Too...

One grey night it happened, Jackie Paper came no more,

And Puff that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar.

Greetings fiction fans. I've been gone for a good long while so I could take care of some personal issues, but I'm back for a limited time to give you an update. Sadly, since circumstance forced me to cut out prizes, interest in the Electric Dragon Cafe has dropped to almost nothing. Within ninety days, thousands of monthly visitors became hundreds. Hundreds became about six, and most of those six were my family. I thought I could hold the writing community's interest without the promise of a $25 gift card, but apparently not.


In the eight months that I ignored this site to clean literal, metaphorical, and metaphysical house, only four people wrote in. Two had fiction to post, one had a request for information, and one wished me well (And many thanks to S. E. Gordon (no relation) for his kind words. Older readers who see this should go to www.segordon.com as soon as you finish. Definitely not for younger readers, but Mr. Gordon is working hard and he deserves some support).


While my cold reptilian heart was briefly warmed by their responses, these few are not enough to warrant so much time and effort as a real, regular web presence requires. I know I have never been the most attentive site manager, but it was still a lot of work for a busy guy, and always enough for the thousands of people who visited the Electric Dragon Cafe. Now, without prizes, interest has waned, and like my noble cousin Puff my scales fall like rain.


If you find you miss me, my humble advice, or the stories you used to read here, then check back from time to time. Write in. I'll keep the site here (it costs me nothing now) and I think I'll put the writing advice back. I love helping young writers. I will answer the questions you send from time to time, and I may one day have time and attention enough to spare that I can make it something special again. For now, I have promised my few stalwart contributors that I would post their submissions. Assuming I get permission to post them, these will probably be last outside fiction submissions that you'll ever see here, and I will always treasure them.


I hereby formally apologize for all the broken promises and unfulfilled dreams, and give a hearty thanks to everyone who has read or submitted over the last few years. Good luck to you all. Keep writing.

Sincerely,

Gordon the Friendly Dragon