Submittable's newsletter had a link to a set of super cool book covers in the public domain. I fell down this rabbit hole hard. Here are five great leaping off spots into a short story. Man, I love old books. "There is Death in the Pot." A treatise on spotting adulterated and poisonous food. … Continue reading Five Story Prompts from Book Covers
Category: books
How Alix E. Harrow Makes Me Cry
This is a story analysis post shared from my Patreon. It's the 27th short story this year in which I've taken apart the casing to watch the engine move. If you like that sort of thing, please consider pledging. Do Not Look Back, My Lion is in Beneath Ceaseless Skies Issue #270, a fabulous magazine … Continue reading How Alix E. Harrow Makes Me Cry
Seven Joys of January
Soon, the cows will be having babies. They'll be so little and cute, curled up in the hay and chasing each other on too-long legs. As I type this, snow is falling thick and forever, weighing down the willows, curling their edges toward the ground. Here are places and ideas and stories that brought me … Continue reading Seven Joys of January
Annihilation & Rosewater
Ever read a book and think, wow...this is super a lot like something else I've read, but also super different and they might be cousins or maybe it's more like the Fibonacci sequence in a sunflower and a seashell meeting in a constellation. Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer This was my second time reading the book. … Continue reading Annihilation & Rosewater
Breaking Rules
There are no writing police. Yes, there are gatekeepers, but those editors and publishers and markets make what they want clear by what they publish. That's one reason I'm doing the 300 published stories challenge over on Patreon. (Come join me!) I'm also reading down my TBR-pile. Currently, I'm working on the re-read of Pullman's … Continue reading Breaking Rules
Olivia’s Table by Alyssa Wong
One of my 2019 goals is to read and analyze 300 short stories to help me be better at short form writing. I'm sharing them in batches of three over on my Patreon, but wanted to highlight this particular story and the lessons I learned from the exercise with you. Olivia's Table by Alyssa … Continue reading Olivia’s Table by Alyssa Wong
Interview – Jennifer R. Donohue, part two
Jennifer R. Donohue not only published a cyberpunk heist this fall, but she achieved Associate Membership in the SFWA! (muppet flail) It's a triumph in a speculative writer's career. After I shed my green skin, I talked with Jen about how she met these goals, and her answer was not what I expected! PersephoneKnits: Congratulations … Continue reading Interview – Jennifer R. Donohue, part two
Two Tales of Revenge
Sometimes, a woman needs to wield anger like a weapon. For some, that's a dagger in the dark, for others it's a blazing torch. In these two debut novels, the heroines grapple with the meaning of justice, the price of war, and the ravages of revenge. They both know power is the key. The Traitor … Continue reading Two Tales of Revenge
Interview – Jennifer R. Donohue, part one
Yep, Jennifer has so many wonderful things to share I had to split her interview into two parts! She's got a heavy hustle going on, and she was willing to share her secrets! PersephoneKnits: Let's talk Run with the Hunted! This book was a lot of fun to read. Cyberpunk heist! Where did this idea … Continue reading Interview – Jennifer R. Donohue, part one
Interview – A.M. Leibowitz
I read a book last week that made me cry. Not because it was sad, but because it reached across decades to lift the bandages from old wounds. This takes a special talent, and A.M Leibowitz wields this skill with finesse in their latest book, Year of the Guilty Soul. You can get it in … Continue reading Interview – A.M. Leibowitz
