Darkness falls. Color fades. All that is left are shadows and silhouettes. Sounds become sharper, smells take on new meaning. It can be a challenge to write a story that takes place in darkness, similar to the challenge of writing from the perspective of a character who is blind. For one thing, the conflicts are…
Muse on Monday – August 11, 2025
Writers, almost by definition, love books, and so a lot of story characters love books by extension. There are probably more stories about libraries than, say, dentist offices. I don’t have the stats but it’s a good guess. Story Prompt: August 11, 2025 Write a story that takes place in a library. There are a…
Candy From a Baby
This story is written as a response to the Muse on Monday writing prompt for August 4, 2025: Write a story from the antagonist’s point of view. Candy From a Baby “I don’t feel good.” I glanced over at my daughter Amber in the passenger seat. Her eyes were closed, and she was sweating. “Your blood…
T(ea)
T(ea) I’ll admit, I was only half listening to my daughter. She’d just gotten back from school and was chattering about her day. I was going through the mail. “Tea,” I heard her say. I looked at my watch. “Sure, I guess. You going to make it?” “You are.” “Fine. Don’t take that tone, though.”…
Muse on Monday – August 4, 2025
The movie version of Wicked came out this year (well, Part 1, at least) with huge success. This is based on the musical of the same name, based on the book of the same name by Gregory Maguire, based on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum. Clearly it’s okay to borrow ideas….
Head Monsters
This story is written as a response to the Muse on Monday writing prompt for May 19, 2025: A figure in a black cloak and sword approaches you and tells you not to be afraid. Head Monsters I had a list of people to see that day. A figure in a dark cloak wasn’t one of…
Muse on Monday – July 28, 2025
If you look at the cover image above for this prompt, you see a peaceful road in the countryside in the fall. However, if you look closer, you see a small Do Not Enter sign in the distance. Maybe this is at the beginning of a side road that is hidden at this angle, but…
Layover and Over
This story is written as a response to the Muse on Monday writing prompt for July 21, 2025: Write a story about a liminal space. Layover and Over Airlines hate this one hack and it’s totally legal. Go for it if you have a few extra days to spend. It all started when I was trying to…
Muse on Monday – July 21, 2025
Certain locations are great for stories about isolation, such as lighthouses, watchtowers, space stations, mountaintop observatories, and so on. This is because they exist on the edges of where people live. This has to do with a concept called liminal space. These are places that are transition places between places where people live. Hallways and…
The Green-Walled Treehouse 