In October, I entered a 250-word flash fiction contest. That story got me to the semifinals. In November, I submitted a new story for the semifinal round. That one didn’t make the top 5 stories, so I didn’t make the final round. But! The feedback from the judges show it was well liked, plus I…
Today is New Year’s Day, and resolutions are flying around as wildly and perhaps as carefree as dandelion seeds near a daycare. Okay, that might not be the best analogy. The point is, lots and lots of people are setting goals for themselves for the coming year. Mine is a continuation of last year’s, because…
I hope you’ve all had happy, relaxing (ha!) holiday seasons so far. Our Christmas day is really three parties crammed into one day, which is super fun for an introvert like me. So my plans for the next few days look something like this: Aside from all the socializing and copious amounts of wrapping paper…
I’ll explain the story behind this story at the bottom of the post, but I’ll say at the start that it had to include three things: comedy, eating an apple, and grandchildren. Enjoy! The Lonely Apple “We’re done, Grandpa!” Lucy heaves the paper bag full of newly-picked apples onto the porch. The deep red fruit…
You guys! This past weekend was an exciting one: Dreams of Justice has a cover! And a blurb! And a pre-order link! Excuse my while I celebrate. Now, let’s get to the good stuff. Ryan over at A Writer’s Path Book Cover Design did a killer job on the cover. I can’t stop looking at it.…
A critique partner messaged me a couple of days ago. Great questions! Lots of things are happening, and I thought a quick update post was in order so those thinking I went *poof* is limited. And to start things off… 1. Belts What do belts have to do with authoring, you may ask. The answer is…
This flash piece is partly inspired by this week’s prompt over at Carrot Ranch: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story that shows true grit. The background of the story follows the story. Enjoy! Finish Line I round the second curve for the eighth time. The first to finish crosses the line,…
Lost I settle onto the flat boulder overlooking the valley. The verdant field and trees welcome the rare visitor, promising a breath of nature and a taste of old-world charm. A world that existed before technology ruled. The afternoon sun bathes it in warm light. “Daddy, what are you looking at?” Twisting around, I wave…
Dust I sit on the porch, watching your dust settle. It was all a lie. A performance. Years of attention and validation that you required of me blow away, meaningless as the dust your truck tires kicked up. A little pushback, and I’m dead to you. You taught me a lesson. I’ve now eaten from the…
*peeks out of Editing Cave* *sees life has carried on* *puts on pants and cracks neck* I return to society having finished the first draft and first round of edits for my next book. It’s now in the hands of a couple of talented critique partners, and while I wait for their notes, I thought…
Allison Maruska 