WRITING
Occasionally, I write stuff. Not enough to make a living at, but enough to help fill up my hard drive. I’ve written lots of stories, several unfinished novels, and assorted essays and columns including an ongoing column/blog at www.news-journalonline.com called “Twenty-Four/Seven.”
Below are some links to stuff I’ve committed
“Twenty-Four/Seven” Over ten years of columns about pop culture and my involvement in it, outside of it, and despite it.
Fan fiction
“Visit to a Weird ‘Verse, Re-revisited” – Nathan Fillion, on board the Serenity. Just for fun.
Flashers
Flashers are stories told in 100 words or less. Here’s a few:
“Galatea”
“Gloom Service”
“He Met Her” (55 words. featured on the cover of Writer Magazine)
“Head Count”
“Once You Go Black”
“Secret Agent Fan”
“Two Weeks Notice”
NYCMidnight Writing Contests
NYCMidnight holds various contests with specific challenges, and I took a shot. (And won!) First was the “Tweet Me a Story” contest where entrants had 140 characters to write a story that had to include a supplied word.
Round one entries (with the word HEAVEN) | Round two entries (with the word TEAR) | Final results (I made the top ten in the judges vote and won the audience vote)
Now I’m in the Creative Writing Championships where we get 48 hours, 1,000 words and a supplied genre, location, and featured item. My entries and results follow:
First round: “Suspense / indoor swimming pool /piggy bank.” “Put Not Your Trust in Banks” (I placed 5th of 15)
Second round: “Fantasy / travel agency / lobster.” I submitted “TransmogriVacations, Inc.” (I placed 1st of 15)
Third round: “Romantic comedy / arcade / coffee pot.” I submitted “The Final Score.” (I placed 4th of 20)
Final round: “Fantasy / car wash / kitten.” I submitted “The Kitten, the Flame Demon, and the Car Wash.” Didn’t win.
National Novel Writing Month
Every year since 2002 I’ve taken a swing at NaNoWriMo, the writing exercise of madness wherein you attempt to write a 50,000 word novel in 20 days during November. Some years I ghit the mark, some I don’t, none have produced an entire with-an-ending-and-everything novel, but I keep trying. Here’s some excerpts.
2008: “The Highest Bidder”
Buying a crate of damned souls on eBay is a hilarious prank, until they get delivered. And Someone else wants them, very badly.
2007: “The Stolen Fairy Tale”
What happens when you swipe someone else’s fantastical adventure.
2006: “Save Hiatus”
The fans’ fight to save a beloved TV show, and the network executive who gets caught up in it.
2005: “Habaeas Corpse”
My attempt at a funny horror/thriller/mystery. One of these days I’m going to settle on a genre, and then look out.
2004: “So, This Murderer Walks Into A Bar…”
Running his uncle’s bar, no problem. Solving problems for his customers and friends, no problem. Finding a killer, no problem. Doing all of that during a hurricane? Tricky…
2003: “The Cure”
What happens when everyone in the world is cured of just about everything, without their permission? In this case, lawsuits.
2002: “Getting Pumped”
Two overweight people, desperate to get in shape, do something they would never ordinarily do in a million years: they go on a reality show to lose weight in front of a television audience. (I lost interest in this after a real weight-loss reality show premiered as I was writing my version)