Freedom of Movement Jax stared at the ancient watercolor. “The cars had wheels? Why?” “They stayed on the ground.” “But what if there were trees? Or water?” “Well, you couldn’t drive on that part, just on the road.” “That’s so narrow! They must have felt suffocated.” “No, it was normal then. You don’t miss what…
Writing Corner: The Power of Story
The Power of Story When I was young, my sisters decided to get rid of a lot of the dolls they had that they didn’t play with. Some of them were gently used, some more scruffy, as children’s toys will be. We came up with stories for each of them, giving them a name and…
Muse on Monday – December 23, 2024
So it turns out that Christmas is this week. So for this week’s prompt, we’re going to write a Christmas story. What exactly is a Christmas story? There are several different meanings of this. These are: The third one isn’t an official name, but it’s the type of story that takes place during Christmas and…
Working Very Remotely
Working Very Remotely Mia digs her toes around the rough gravel of the beach and opens her laptop. It is 4:55 am here on Pitcairn Island, one of the most remote islands in the world. Her laptop connects to the satellite internet just in time for her meeting on Teams to begin. “Hi all,” she…
Muse on Monday – December 16, 2024
There is a type of movie called the buddy comedy. This is a movie with two main characters who have to work together. They are often very different since that produces conflict (and also, comedy). There are books like this as well. Normally, these are two people, but in a fantasy story, this duo can…
Writing Corner: Realism in Fiction
Realism in Fiction Does fiction have to be realistic? That seems like an odd question considering there are stories containing magic and time travel and other things you cannot find in real life. So really it depends on what you mean by realistic. If you mean, do stories have to be possible in our real…
Doommates
Doommates I came home to see my bike bent out of shape. And blood covering the front porch. Not again. Jorgan the Doomhammer was on the couch, watching an infomercial. It was the same old story: you meet a barbarian in another dimension, he saves your life, follows you home. “You broke my bike.” I…
Muse on Monday – December 9, 2024
The unknown can be scary but most of the time, it is just that: unknown. However, it can be shocking if we think we know something that turns out to be different. Normally, when you tell a story, you should tell the reader about the world the story is set in, at least a little….
The Shell Forger
The Shell Forger I didn’t plan to be a seashell forger. I saw one once: rounded mottled back, with a narrow ridged opening underneath. Easy enough to carve from a piece of antler. My neighbors snickered as I kept carving my shells. My village was far from the sea, that mythical place where all rivers…
Muse on Monday – December 2, 2024
Story Prompt: December 2, 2024 Write a story that takes place at a concert. Decide what kind of concert it is and listen to that music as you write, just for inspiration. Remember that the tone of the music does not have to match the tone of the story (you can have a cute, romantic…
The Green-Walled Treehouse 