The way I see it, no new year has hurt us the way 2020 has hurt us. In past years, I have found myself quietly swept up in the hope of a fresh start on New Year's Day. New writing goals to pursue, maximum output calculated down to the letter if I can just write … Continue reading 2021: An Abundance of Caution
Someone set a field on fire with me in it. Gray smoke rolled skyward and drifted along the tilled dirt, tangling around my feet and stinging my eyes. I had picked this field to cross because nothing grew in it, so I couldn't imagine what the fire consumed. Pulling my shirt up over my nose … Continue reading The Hopeful Wanderer – Burning Roads
Happy Spooktober to everyone who followed the #GrimList2020 drabbles and the spooky Hopeful Wanderer short stories this month. It was great fun to write these for you and I appreciate all the likes, comments, and follows they received! If you enjoyed these or the book review or writing advice from October, please consider leaving a … Continue reading October Donation Request
My mouth was a weapon. One I could aim and fire at anyone. But once. Just once. Too obvious and the authorities would take me down. Shouldering my way through the crowd, I grinned at the knowing. So, so many people had gathered for our high school reunion. I hadn't been invited, but found out … Continue reading #Spooktober2020 Day 30: Plague
Seven mirrors in the house and I smashed every one to pieces when you left me. Seven times seven equals forty-nine years of bad luck. Worth it to never see your face look back at me again. You wanted to 'be your own person.' To 'do things for yourself for once.' But what about me? … Continue reading #Spooktober2020 Day 29: Mirror
As I passed through a night dark farm, the door of a wood shed near the farmhouse rattled from the inside. A voice from within yelled, "Let me out! Let me OUT!" I stopped at the door, hand on the cold iron latch, but didn't open it. "Who's in there?" Something heavy slumped against the … Continue reading The Hopeful Wanderer – Guard Against
Disclaimer: the following writing advice is base on the author’s personal experience of writing and does not represent any hard or fast rules. Your mileage may vary. The Plight of the Back-loaded Writer Do your sentences ramble with a bunch of important details attached to the the ends? Like the equivalent of remembering relevant information … Continue reading Sketchy Writing Advice: The Power of Rearranging Your Sentences
On my way into the kitchen to make breakfast, I tripped over something soft and squishy. When I flipped on the a light, there was a teddy bear, sitting in the doorway. Facing the fridge. I had no kids and owned no teddy bears. Following the teddy's gaze to the fridge, I found words spelled … Continue reading #Spooktober2020 Day 28: Nightmare
Her influence started small, but she caught you up in her spellbound following early on. You obsessed with her - the pictures, the status updates, the videos. All about her. You wanted to be her so bad. It didn't matter that I said you were more than enough. Coming home one day to find her … Continue reading #Spooktober2020 Day 27: Spellbound
We started sticking together when more and more of us disappeared each night. At first we consoled ourselves with the story that those who went missing had made it off the streets. Reconciled with family. Gotten clean. Begged enough to rent an apartment. Until seven of the homeless community vanished at once. Huddled together beneath … Continue reading #Spooktober2020 Day 26: Culling
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