Mall Demons Journal In The Works

How would you react if an angel appeared to you in the middle of the night telling you that the fate of the world depended on you?

That is what my protagonist must face in the Mall Demons Urban Fantasy Series I'm currently writing. Daniel is his name. He's a Mexican-American Teen living in the Washington DC area. Now he is all that stands in the way of a Hell on Earth.

Can you say STRESS!

Fortunately, Daniel is a journaling type of guy. So, all those thoughts, all those fears are what he puts down in his personal journal. That journal will soon be available online. Daniel needs to write down what he goes through as it's happening. It helps him think through situations. Soon, you'll be able to read his thoughts as he fights the demons determined to create a Hell on Earth.

Creative Cooking

Five minutes ago I completed the evening dinner for my family of seven. Because I can't help but be creative, I decided to do something different.

My wife came home feeling ill. So, dinner was up to me. I decided to make it simple: two cans of beef stew from the pantry over a bed of rice. But... I was feeling creative. 

Rice in a star shape with carmelized onions and
sliced garlicky french toast.

I carmelized some onions. We had half a loaf of french bread left from yesterday. I whipped up a custard and soaked bread slices - like french toast - but made it savory. Translation: Garlicky french toast. 

Before plating, I decided to send a message to my kids: You're all superstars. I used a cookie cutter shape to form the rice in a star. They were super excited with the result. 

Good times.

Writing Prompt: Obama Lets Texas Secede!

What if President Obama decided to address all the White House Petitions out there, including those asking that certain states (Texas) be allowed to leave the union?

Sounds like a great writing prompt for speculative fiction writers.

I know, it's definitely fantasy, modern fantasy, to think that any of these petitions could ever turn to real action. Here is where fantasy writers step in. Craft a story where the impossible happens. 

Yahoo has an interesting piece on the "11 ridiculous White House Petitions."

Set your timer for 15 minutes, and write about it. You never know, you could have a story.

Is There A Battle Between Good And Evil?

My Mall Demons stories are based on one basic premise: There is a battle between good and evil.

The ultimate good is God. The ultimate evil is Satan. That is my universe as far as my writing is concerned. What is funny is that any fiction since the beginning of time deals with the same basic premise: Good vs Evil.

Think about it.

Writing Prompt: Death Speaks

Try this on for size:

Set your timer for 5, 10, 15 minutes. Then write about this:

A character walks into a room filled with people. The character makes an announcement:

"This is a fact: Within this room there is a 100 percent mortality rate. Everybody here will die. And in case you were wondering... I am Death."

Up for the challenge? Post your story here.

Can You Write A Science Fiction Story in 120 Words?

My students hated this assignment. But, the other day I showed up to class and presented this task:

Write a science fiction work with a beginning, middle and end in 120 words.

OK, on the fly the first draft of the story may be crap, but it's a great exercise. While I was in front of the class spurring my class on, I had a clipboard, paper and pen in hand to create my own 120-word science fiction piece.

Eventually, most of the students wrote, then read aloud their stories. I did, too. I figured I would share the pain. Although, the students didn't think it was fair since as they put it "I'm a writer who's used to such exercises." 

LOL.

For what it's worth, here's what I put together "on the fly."

"I win!" Johanna shouted.
"Again!" John demanded.
They restarted the game.
Two spaceships flew towards Earth. The fugitive's ship was heavily damaged. The Galactic Officer targeted the fugitive's engines. The fugitive's ship went dead. He reached for the transportal device on his wrist. Like a shooting star, he fell.
"I win again!" Johanna pressed the controller button.
Flash!
They were trapped.
"What happened!?" John, Johanna and the alien were in the video game.
"We need that device thingee!"
"Never!" The fugitive ran.
The intergalactic officer stared into the computer screen.
"He's too fast!" Johanna said.
"Who's that?"
They saw the face.
"It happened when I pressed the key! Like Omega13!"
The officer understood.
"Reset."
Click!
Flash!
"I win!" Johanna shouted.

Writing With Your Eyes Closed Takes A Good Memory

I must confess I was feeling pretty lazy today. But, it's hard to feel lazy when you have a story in your head. I'm an expert at it, though.

Part of my problem today is that I'm struggling with a cold. I'm a major wimp when I'm sick. All I want to do is get under the covers and do nothing. I can't just lie there, though. I must create. So, I run through scenes in my mind with my eyes closed.

Maybe you're brain doesn't work that way, but I've been able to develop a skill of working out my next scene with my eyes closed. This only works if you can remember what you've done during such a session. I've learned enough about memory to understand that I must create a well-worn path so that I can remember my scene. 

If you're interested in terminology, what I'm talking about is a neural trace. I teach this to my freshmen students. Bottom line, it takes repetition. How's it work with my scene development? Like this:

In my mind's eye I create the scene I'm working on. I place my characters where they need to be. I construct the setting and then press play like I'm watching a DVD. I only go so far. I keep it to one scene. No scene changes. 

Everyone has their moments of dialogue. I throw in some narration, etc. Then, I press replay. I run through the entire scene again. Then, I press replay again and again and again and again. I may fall asleep pressing replay, but when I wake, I have the scene still in my head because I've developed a neural trace to come back to by repetition.

Over a week of being lazy, I might run through the same scene dozens of times. When I see something new to add, I do it. Eventually, I must write this down, but this mental skill has helped me keep working on a story when, for example, I'm lazy or sick and just don't want to sit at the keyboard.