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Why Is My Fiction So Dark?
And the writer pours out his soul. I stopped ranting and complaining on my blog but my fiction is filled with violence, rage, depression, and evil. This was not my intention so why is this happening? I...
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Daily Prompt: Married Once A Day (Short Story)
“We’ve been trapped in this elevator forever,Tara. I doubt we’ll get out alive.” “Yeah, Travis, that’s just what I needed to hear.” “Sometimes it’s better to be honest, you know? That way we can...
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The Writing Life: Problem Solving and High Spirits
It’s funny how I feel better when I return to what I love. Maybe it’s because I need structure and watching movies for a few days just doesn’t cut it. Perhaps staying busy helps me realize the good...
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For The Love Of Faith (Short Story)
“She’s not interested,” I whispered to myself. “This will be heartbreaking.” Seven a.m. and I was more anxious than ever. My heart pounded, my stomach ached, and I felt like I’d slept on a bed in the...
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Camp NaNoWriMo Day 1: A Different Approach
Well what do you know, as of today I’m participating in July’s Camp NaNoWriMo session. Thanks to a comment I received from Rachel at Spilled Ink, I’m ready for my third experience with NaNoWriMo....
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Progress in Camp NaNoWriMo
Despite total exhaustion I managed to work on a short story and the novel I started in April. In total, it brings me to a sad 1,251 words for a 25,000 word count goal. So here is a brief synopsis …...
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Goals Before My First Blog Anniversary
August 21 will be the first year anniversary for Creative Mysteries. I’m using this post to reflect on the past and plan for the future. I look back at my first post and smile. I can feel how excited I...
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The Thirty Year-Old Distraction
Jack read the letter and realized it was the worst possible distraction. As one of the State Department’s best security analysts, twelve-hour shifts had become a normal routine. Now his supervisor was...
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Touching Up For Submissions
I’ve achieved remarkable productivity during the past several days. From flash fiction stories to giving my blog a new look. Now that I’m in high gear I’m planning on submitting two of my best stories...
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Stepping Up for Submissions
I’m estimating I’ll have a final draft of the short story Report for Safety by Sunday and my second short story finished by late next week. I’ll have to do a lot of writing through the weekend because...
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‘Wayne’s Whispers’ and ‘The Rag’ Magazine
In an early morning frenzy of inspiration, I submitted my 1,257 word short story to The Rag magazine. In addition to the submission fee, I should receive the latest issue of this electronic magazine...
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Guest Post: Brianne Barkley on Flash Fiction
From blogs to literary journals, flash fiction is becoming an increasingly popular genre for authors. Today, I’m introducing Brianne Barkley, a very talented author who specializes in this style of...
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The Lulu Title Scorer
Are you having difficulty finding the perfect title for your book or short story? Maybe you’ve chosen a title but it sounds silly and irrelevant. If these scenarios apply to you, I’ll show you how the...
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My Short Story Checklist
In an effort to break down my progress and feel productive, I compiled a checklist of short stories I’ve written. They’re all either completely finished or in the editing stages. You can see from this...
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More Submissions, More Freelancing, More Planning
Although I continue to write short stories, I haven’t neglected submissions either. Yesterday, I submitted the short story ‘Wayne’s Whispers’ to Fiction Magazines in hopes of publication. Since I’m...
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The Witness (Short Story Teaser)
Walking down the street, I see a piece of paper lying on the sidewalk. I pick it up, read it, and immediately wish I hadn’t. It’s the witness again, the one person who knows I’m guilty of double...
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Passion for Revenge (Short Story)
I feel like I’m being watched no matter what I do. Someone knows I’m guilty of double homicide, the man who killed his wife and her secret lover. It’s been two years since the murders and I’m already...
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The Rejection
A short, quick, painless rejection notice entered my inbox this evening. I’m not too disappointed though I wish I’d received some feedback. It won’t be the first time I’ve been rejected and it surely...
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1,000 Words in the Fog
I curled into a ball as my teeth chattered from the cold. I hadn’t been this scared since I was a child, back when I had an incredibly high fever. I remembered my mother drowning me in Ginger Ale,...
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Writing, Music, and Memories
Tonight reminds me of the late night NaNoWriMo marathons I pulled off last November. That was almost a year ago and I still remember the music in my headphones, the word sprints, and writing until one...
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