I woke up this morning with a plan for finishing my Mall Demon short story series. The plan involved weekly writing checkpoints, blog posts announcing updates, and other reminders which I jotted down on a dry erase marker board and placed in the kitchen.
And then, I found out one of my parents was in the hospital. Now, I am facing the challenge of working through emotions swelling within me. It is an uncertain time with an ending I can not really plan for - not yet, at least.
Showing posts with label short story. Show all posts
Showing posts with label short story. Show all posts
Monday, July 18, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Fantasy Short Story Series on Wattpad
The last week or so I have been going crazy working on a fantasy short story series.
So far I've put out one of the stories to gauge reaction. The plan on the board is for a series of 12 related stories to go with the first one called, "Death Speaks Loudest to Those Who Flee." I posted it on Wattpad, self-dubbed as the most popular e-book community out there.
Here's the teaser to the story:
Demons are lurking, hunting for souls. Death walks and talks and is training demons. In this old folk story retold, a man encounters Death and tries to escape his fate. It is the first of several stories following the demonic hordes as they hunt modern day humans.
Let me know what you think!
So far I've put out one of the stories to gauge reaction. The plan on the board is for a series of 12 related stories to go with the first one called, "Death Speaks Loudest to Those Who Flee." I posted it on Wattpad, self-dubbed as the most popular e-book community out there.
Here's the teaser to the story:
Demons are lurking, hunting for souls. Death walks and talks and is training demons. In this old folk story retold, a man encounters Death and tries to escape his fate. It is the first of several stories following the demonic hordes as they hunt modern day humans.
Let me know what you think!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
An Epiphany On the Subway, Staring For 20 Minutes... So What If It's Rude
Don't we learn as members of polite society that it's rude to stare?
I did.
But as a writer, a long stare is part of the job. Working as a journalist for more than a dozen years, you think I'd be used to sticking my nose in other people's business - as long as it's for the story.
Now that I'm not writing for a daily newspaper I can get uncomfortable with nosy. Today wasn't one of the uncomfortable days. I spent about 20 minutes or so staring at a commuter sitting a few seats away from me on my Metro ride home.
I've been working on a short story where the protagonist, a woman, goes through a serious moral crisis that (for the moment) will lead to her death. I've had her sitting in traffic (not too hard to imagine during the commute home here in the DC Metro area) during this crisis. Today, as I saw this commuter, I thought for the first time that maybe my protagonist should experience her crisis while on a subway train.
It was a glorious epiphany filled with that furiously intoxicating energy that gets writers scrambling for pen and paper and a firm writing surface. OK, I guess the firm writing surface is optional. I had a couple of folded sheets of copy paper in my coat pocket. In no time at all, I filled it with my observations.
The story just had not felt right before. I'd stagnated. This subway trip was exactly what I needed. My protagonist was sitting there. I recognized her as soon as I got on the train.
It was a beautiful moment.
COMING NEXT: The family plays a round of Madlibs and pokes fun of the Democrats and Republicans.
I did.
But as a writer, a long stare is part of the job. Working as a journalist for more than a dozen years, you think I'd be used to sticking my nose in other people's business - as long as it's for the story.
Now that I'm not writing for a daily newspaper I can get uncomfortable with nosy. Today wasn't one of the uncomfortable days. I spent about 20 minutes or so staring at a commuter sitting a few seats away from me on my Metro ride home.
I've been working on a short story where the protagonist, a woman, goes through a serious moral crisis that (for the moment) will lead to her death. I've had her sitting in traffic (not too hard to imagine during the commute home here in the DC Metro area) during this crisis. Today, as I saw this commuter, I thought for the first time that maybe my protagonist should experience her crisis while on a subway train.
It was a glorious epiphany filled with that furiously intoxicating energy that gets writers scrambling for pen and paper and a firm writing surface. OK, I guess the firm writing surface is optional. I had a couple of folded sheets of copy paper in my coat pocket. In no time at all, I filled it with my observations.
The story just had not felt right before. I'd stagnated. This subway trip was exactly what I needed. My protagonist was sitting there. I recognized her as soon as I got on the train.
It was a beautiful moment.
COMING NEXT: The family plays a round of Madlibs and pokes fun of the Democrats and Republicans.
Friday, February 25, 2011
No Creative Writing Meeting Today
Alas.... scheduling conflicts have forced us to cancel today's meeting.
I was s-o-o-o-o looking forward to discussing our current Creative Writing Club writing projects.
The group decided to tackle the horror genre. The task was to write a short story of no more than 2,000 words with the setting in the Ballston Area of Northern Virginia.
One of us already has completed her draft. Maybe we'll share some of the projects (or parts of them) here on the blog.
Wanna join us in the exercise? Let me know.
I was s-o-o-o-o looking forward to discussing our current Creative Writing Club writing projects.
The group decided to tackle the horror genre. The task was to write a short story of no more than 2,000 words with the setting in the Ballston Area of Northern Virginia.
One of us already has completed her draft. Maybe we'll share some of the projects (or parts of them) here on the blog.
Wanna join us in the exercise? Let me know.
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