I've written a flash fiction horror story. I'm not good at either flash fiction or horror, so I'd appreciate feedback. It's rated 18+ due to some graphic descriptions, so I don't want to link it here, but if you're interested, I'll send you a link or you can find it, titled "The Coven," at the top of
Sebastian likes his new job, except for all the distractions. His OCD forces him to constantly check stuff out, like that hunky guy he spotted going into the mysterious office down the hall. When Sebastian checks him out, he winds up joining a desperate quest to save the Cave of Worlds, a system of wormholes and the realms they connect.
Olivia anniversary-reviewing - First three chapters are in the clear and available to read--click on the cover. The remaining ones are available on request...there are eleven so far.
Max Griffin 🏳️🌈 - I‘m in your Folder right now and saw it. Awesome illustrations btw. I‘ll finish May catching up on "Anniversary Reviews" , but by the beginning of June…
So much creative energy. I don’t know about you but imagery helps me with writing, sometimes I like to sketch simple drawings of the scenes that come to mind. Hopefully your doodles are helping with the creative spark. Good luck.
First three chapters done on "The Cave of Worlds" , and I've now got a clear idea of the plot. Chapter three launches the Hero's journey. The first three chapters are open to all; remaining chapters will be under passkey, but I'll share them on request.
As always, feedback would be great.
I used AI to generate images of the three protagonists so far, Sebastian Vargas; Marcus Melmoth; and Rufo the troll:
I wish I had the time to read what you've got going on. I know I'd love it. You're so talented! But I'm trying to finish school early this semester so I can drive to LA and get settled in before the next semester starts. I also haven't even begun packing, yet I'm supposed to start driving next weekend? Uh, yikes! Anyway, I hope you find some great readers and get some super helpful feedback!
I've been doing research for my in-process novel, "The Cave of Worlds" , and stumbled across a fascinating speculation about the source of ancient Scandinavian legends of trolls.
For background, these legends sometimes characterize trolls as roughly human-sized, living in caves, living separately from human communities, having large noses, thick skins, and heavy skeletal structures. They generally have language and can successfully--if rarely--interbreed with humans, and are sometimes helpful and sometimes hostile.
If that reminds you another, real group from pre-history, you're not alone. Here's an article by an archeologist from Stanford speculating the source of the troll legends might be an echo of human-Neanderthal interactions roughly 24,000 years ago: https://www.norwegianamerican.com/neanderthals-scandinavian-trolls-and-troglodyt...
He discusses genetics, linguistics, and archeological evidence, that could support--or not--this speculation. He also mentions fiction that includes this speculation as a premise.
Anyway, I thought it was interesting enough to share here.
My brain hit upon Neanderthals by the time I finished reading your second paragraph.
It never ceases to amaze me that much human myth, legend, and fantasy can be closely traced to human experience.
How I spent my day not writing: I found this awesome recipe for shortbread wedge cookies at https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/shortbread-wedge-cookies/
I modified it slightly by adding chopped pecans, cinnamon, and cream of tarart to the dough, then sprinkling cinnamon/sugar on top. The recipe is *really* easy. I made it Friday for the writing group, but used sprinklles and chocolate chips. That was pretty good, too, but this was better. They came out tasting kind of like a cross between shortbread and snickerdoodles. I had one--the rest are for Mr. Gene.
Your writing group is so lucky to have such a talented and giving member in it! And, of course, I obviously mean your writing. lol Though I'm sure they appreciate your baking, too. Hahaha!
Schnujo's Giving Away GPs - They did finish off the wedge cookies, but the big hit were the crispy chicken wings I fixed in the convection oven. They were kind of a mess to make (I soaked them in buttermilk overnight before breading them), but they did turn out well. We even had a new member show up with an *awesome* story.
This morning, I dug up the first short story I ever wrote. It pre-dates my joining WDC. I think I wrote this in 2005 or so. It's not a good story by any means. It has multiple flaws, both in structure and craft. But every journey begins with a single step, and this was the first step in my journey as a fiction author.
Elycia Lee ☮ Monday - Yes, this truly is my first effort at fiction. Back in 2004 or 2005, I was a new reader of DailyKos, a progressive political blog. One of the bloggers, a published sciFi author, planned to start a "writer's group," and offered to critique stories written by newbies. This is the story I wrote--my first ever fiction story. I don't recall what he said about this story, but I do recall he was underwhelmed. The DKos writing group went nowhere, but it sent me off looking for online writing groups. Eventually, I met SPACE COBWEBS in one of those groups--a rather useless one, that offered little in the way mentoring and a lot in the way of "you're a bad writer." Anyway, she persuaded me to join here, where I found genuine mentors with specific, actionable advice. I'm forever in her debt for persuading me to not give up and to come to this place.
Amethyst Angel 💐 - I have no intention of revising this, so a review is probably pointless. I posted it as an example of how I've changed as an author.
How I spent my morning...My first time ever making cupcakes. Be gentle. THese were for my writing group's meeting tonight, but we've cancelled due to weather and roads...so now I'm saddled with a dozen cupcakes I can't eat.
I spent the morning doing the cover for the Summer, 2025 issue of Tales from the Crosstimbers. We're open for submissions until April 15, and we're interested in your speculative fiction stories that are between 1000 and 5000 words. Click on the cover for a link to the open call and how to submit. Authors on Writing.Com are especially welcome.
Excuse me while I rant about MS word. I wanted to format a novel for submission this morning, so I spent five minutes creating a "submissions" format. I then spent the next THREE HOURS trying to figure out how to get that format to show up in the <file> <new> menu in Word. I finally got it to appear, but have NO IDEA how I did it. The resources I found via a Google search simply did not work or, worse, were jibber-jabber about making folders point to the same place but without telling you how to do that. Several times, I lost the <file> <new> menu altogther, but somehow it just magically reappeared with my new format. Maybe it was the Special Words I Learned in the Navy that I *firmly* recited this last time that did it.
I just do a format of a piece each time I submit. I have my Shunn details next to me, select all and then do what they ask. (Some publishers like to tweak things...) I don't bother with the pre-format stuff because, well, I find it easier with a cave wall and a stick.
S 🤦 - I've got a separate format I've saved for Crosstimbers...well, two separate formats. One for the online PDF, one for Amazon. I can use the same format for the Amazon print and Kindle versions. For the online PDF, I have to adjust the page size and font size to make it readable. As long as I use "header1" for titles and "header2" for author, it all pretty much works, though. The formats just include the specialized fonts that appear in the Crosstimbers issues. Haarlem Deco, if anyone is interested, liscenced for commercial use via CreativeFabrica.
WriteItNow has great formatting options and you can easily change all the formats, fonts, sizes, etc depending upon the submission requirements. I use it rather than Word for pretty much all my writing needs. It's especially great for those who are visually impaired and need to easily change menu options and menu sizes.
The spring issue of Tales from the Crosstimbers is now available!
We are also open for submissions for the Summer, 2025 issue.
We publish speculative fiction. Our preferred lengths are 1000-2000 words,
but we will consider stories of up to 5000 words.
Query first if your story is longer than 2500 words.
For details, see https://thecrosstimbers.online/open-call/ We especially encourage authors on Writing.Com to submit.
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I‘ll finish May catching up on "Anniversary Reviews" 
, but by the beginning of June…
- They did finish off the wedge cookies, but the big hit were the crispy chicken wings I fixed in the convection oven. They were kind of a mess to make (I soaked them in buttermilk overnight before breading them), but they did turn out well. We even had a new member show up with an *awesome* story. 
- Yes, this truly is my first effort at fiction. Back in 2004 or 2005, I was a new reader of DailyKos, a progressive political blog. One of the bloggers, a published sciFi author, planned to start a "writer's group," and offered to critique stories written by newbies. This is the story I wrote--my first ever fiction story. I don't recall what he said about this story, but I do recall he was underwhelmed. The DKos writing group went nowhere, but it sent me off looking for online writing groups. Eventually, I met SPACE COBWEBS 
in one of those groups--a rather useless one, that offered little in the way mentoring and a lot in the way of "you're a bad writer." Anyway, she persuaded me to join here, where I found genuine mentors with specific, actionable advice. I'm forever in her debt for persuading me to not give up and to come to this place.
- I have no intention of revising this, so a review is probably pointless. I posted it as an example of how I've changed as an author.
- I've got a separate format I've saved for Crosstimbers...well, two separate formats. One for the online PDF, one for Amazon. I can use the same format for the Amazon print and Kindle versions. For the online PDF, I have to adjust the page size and font size to make it readable. As long as I use "header1" for titles and "header2" for author, it all pretty much works, though. The formats just include the specialized fonts that appear in the Crosstimbers issues. Haarlem Deco, if anyone is interested, liscenced for commercial use via CreativeFabrica. 
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