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Friday, July 27, 2012

Tonight's Posting

The second installment of Hard at Work posts tonight.  Please go read it and let me know what you think of it.  Also, if you haven't read my first episodic short story, Empty Space, you can read it in its entirety here.

Thanks to everyone that has read my stories and provided feedback.  I appreciate it.

Friday, July 20, 2012

Empty Space - Ten

The tenth and final episode of Empty Space has posted.  Additionally, the first installment of my new story, Hard at Work has posted.  Please check them both out and let me know what you think.

Friday, July 13, 2012

Empty Space - Nine

The ninth episode of Empty Space has posted.  Next week's installment will be the finale.  Please let me know what you think in the comments section.

Friday, July 6, 2012

Empty Space - Eight

The eighth episode of Empty Space has posted.  Please go check it out and let me know what you think.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Winning is Fun

A very nice lady named Shirley McLain hosted a flash fiction writing contest on her blog.  Flash fiction is generally less than 400 words.  The rules of her contest were that the story had to have something to do with the Fourth of July (and she said to keep it clean).

I had never written any flash fiction before, so I took it as a challenge.  Writing 400 words seems really easy, but coming up with an idea that can be executed in what amounts to a half a page of writing is tough.  It took me a few days of toying with ideas in my mind before I came up with a one scene story that allowed for some kind of interesting growth in a character (how interesting it is, I suppose, is up for debate).

I wrote my story, gave it a little polish over the next day or so and sent it to Shirley with a note thanking her for hosting the contest.  I actually had forgotten that Shirley was going to announce the winner today until I got an email from her this afternoon saying that I had won. 

Now, I have no idea if she received two entries (there was a runner-up, so I know there were at least two) or a hundred,* but winning feels pretty good regardless.  Shirley has posted my story, An Understanding, on her blog at www.shirley-mclain.net.  Please check it out and let me know what you think (and while you are there, you should read some of Shirley's writing, too).

*What does it say about me that my immediate thought upon receiving Shirley's email was that she must not have gotten any other entries?**

**Also, yes, I am stealing Joe Posnanski's "Posterisk" style of in-blog side notes.  I think it is much cleaner than footnotes.  Another also: you should read Joe's blog - he's a sportswriter, and the best in the business, but he's much more than a sportswriter - he's just a great all-around writer.