Writing Corner: Cooperative Writing One of the biggest challenges in writing, I have found, is writing with someone else. It can be very productive but cooperative writing comes with its own set of challenges. Writing is by nature a solitary act since it is the process of taking a story from your brain and putting…
The Lobster Pot
The Lobster Pot Stomach rumbling, I spied a restaurant sign ahead: The Lobster Pot. It wasn’t seafood, just a dimly-lit diner at the end of a long hallway. “I’m curious,” I asked when I was paying, “why call it The Lobster Pot?” “The way it’s built,” the waiter replied, smiling. “Easier in than out.” A…
Muse on Monday – January 27, 2025
Have you ever read a story where the fate of the world rests on what the characters do? Probably, since that’s a lot of stories. This is what is called a high-stakes story and the reason they are so common is that the higher the stakes, the more we are invested in it all turning…
Down the AI Rabbit Hole
Down the AI Rabbit Hole It started on a Friday. I only remember that since I was planning on a relaxing weekend as I walked out of my graduate archeology seminar. “I loved your essay on the new dating system for bronze age sites,” Dr. Acharya said as I passed her desk. “You made some…
Tunnel of … Something
Tunnel of … Something Hannah and Brett floated on a small boat through the dark tunnel. Pop music played softly. They passed a TV showing a baseball game. “You doing okay?” Brett asked. “Yeah.” “You think it’ll rain tomorrow?” “Maybe. Ugh, I need to think of something for supper tonight.” “Get a pizza.” “I’ll just…
Muse on Monday – January 20, 2025
I wrote a story once about a vertical city. The rich people lived at the higher levels and it got poorer as it went down. Sort of like the Snowpiercer train stood on its end, or the silo from the Silo series. What would it really be like if a city got stood on end?…
The Universe and I
This story is a response to the Muse on Monday writing prompt from January 6, 2025. The Universe and I It was January 1, 2025, and I decided I was going to make a New Years resolution. I hadn’t done that in a while but here it was a new year, and I wanted to…
Jeff’s Bucket List
Jeff’s Bucket List “Hi Mom! There you are. Jeff! I got Mom on Facetime. We’re at that monkey hot spring in Japan, Mom. The one on Jeff’s bucket list. Okay, there he goes. You see him? The monkeys look nervous. Okay, a few are coming over. They’re climbing on him. Oops, they’re holding him under…
Muse on Monday – January 13, 2025
Happy Monday! I hope you had a good weekend. This week’s prompt is a super-specific one. There are enough blanks you can fill in to make it your own, but it sends the story in a specific direction. Story Prompt: January 13, 2025 It is your birthday and you are stuck in your apartment. The…
Muse on Monday – January 6, 2025
Welcome to 2025! This is our first Muse on Monday for this year, so hopefully we can set a good tone for the year. I haven’t had anyone ask me about New Year’s resolutions for a while. Maybe people are cynical about then since they seem to last until February at the latest. Still, I’m…
The Green-Walled Treehouse 