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Shadows

They rustled and hissed amongst themselves like restless leaves in the wind. One, bolder than the rest, tried to skitter past me. I twisted Vanmoriel in my hands, three feet of gleaming steel scything through the dim l…
Blood

"But why does it bleed?" asked Einar, his hand half-raised as though to touch the frame. Death did not smile, but there was a hint of wryness about her cold black eyes. Why does anything bleed? "Because it is wounded. …
Because It Has Been Far Too Long...

"Captain? Someone is breaking formation." Sharpe looked up, her eyes bright beneath the brim of her cocked hat. "Glass!" she ordered, and the lieutenant of the watch placed his spyglass in her hand. In three quick str…
The Notebook's Final Entry

Four half-finished crumpled letters joined his broken driver's license and shredded British passport in the wastepaper bin behind the counter. The fifth attempt was successful, and was only marred by a single tear-stain…
The Blue Notebook of Power

Anyone who has known me for any length of time may have noticed a certain object that is often in my possession. When I go on long trips it comes with me, packed on top of whatever reading material I bring. When I go t…
I move around the house with the lights out. My feet are bare, and make little noise on the hardwood or the carpet, so the creak of the floorboards underneath is the only sound to mark my passing. My parents and sister…
Question to an Author:

"Where do you get your ideas from?" One author's answer. Me, I get mine from my Blue Notebook of Power.
Eight Rules For Writing Short Stories

1. Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted. 2. Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for. 3. Every character should want something, even if …
All Hands, Brace For Impact

For every week of vacation, there is an equal and opposite week of hell following. Things to do: --finish reading the writings of Margary of Kempe (Thursday) --finish grading students' in-class assignments (Wednesday) …
Master's Thesis Anthology

Currently written, second-drafted: --The Prophecy story --"Behind the Mirror" --"Aurora and Tithonus" Currently written, first-drafted and in need of edit: --The introduction essay, "Broken Glass and Summer Nights" --…