tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6394732071704143772024-02-19T08:13:00.495-08:00The Demon of the Cavern of the Black Mountain<b>Fee, fye, fowl, foam, <br>
I smell a fool who's writing a tome.<br>
Be it prose or be it verse,<br>
I'll send his bones off in a hearse!</b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger132125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639473207170414377.post-83582956499848762902013-11-15T09:49:00.001-08:002014-11-24T10:58:34.853-08:00How Do You Put a Giraffe in a Refrigerator?<iframe height="286" scrolling="no" src="http://cdn.readtapestry.com/stories/Tqay14PAX/index.html" style="border: 0px;" width="500"></iframe>
<BR>Click on the image to advanceUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639473207170414377.post-53258160045242404732013-11-15T09:46:00.000-08:002014-11-24T10:57:55.193-08:00The Period and the Comma: A True Story!<iframe src="http://cdn.readtapestry.com/stories/CyDq0PZqV/index.html" width="500" height="286" scrolling="no" style="border: 0px;"></iframe><br> Click on the image to advanceUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639473207170414377.post-64205837443809921452013-11-02T18:45:00.000-07:002013-11-02T18:45:45.578-07:00Playful homage to The Casual Vacancy by JK RowlingThe Demon doesn't know much about small towns in England. Neither have I the foggiest notion of what an English idyll might be, but mindful of the gaps in my understanding of the Brits, I will proceed to take on the <i>The Casual Vacancy</i> by JK Rowling.<br />
<br />
Here's the original: <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPt6FbQPIRlBe9BksEBAtee9gP0BItEk8P0psdL5B1O1OG5-Jhg56O-zIzilGplfaSTuwdj1wTd5fUA2BNt8-T9F3PIVbcgR_g_LDXSTkP0dZcvzs9RJmnWyhXgGQj5s-zV1YfZT8gVfU/s1600/casual+vacancy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPt6FbQPIRlBe9BksEBAtee9gP0BItEk8P0psdL5B1O1OG5-Jhg56O-zIzilGplfaSTuwdj1wTd5fUA2BNt8-T9F3PIVbcgR_g_LDXSTkP0dZcvzs9RJmnWyhXgGQj5s-zV1YfZT8gVfU/s200/casual+vacancy.jpg" width="136" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.<br />Pagford
is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an
ancient abbey,</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war. And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen</span>. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Here's the <i>Demonized</i> version:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikVSZXJVTH-vFetP0hEEVe9jy0Y-jeLwMFN_sZsYKe9Jf-6zwzRQCCVoJlxmCDyDecVr40LZIJjLrROjYgRz47NJkPKELQ77uNbU3g7nIwokkw8aOcM0mXXryAaw1ZdsWlxsEWZxtpg9k/s1600/causal+vacancy2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikVSZXJVTH-vFetP0hEEVe9jy0Y-jeLwMFN_sZsYKe9Jf-6zwzRQCCVoJlxmCDyDecVr40LZIJjLrROjYgRz47NJkPKELQ77uNbU3g7nIwokkw8aOcM0mXXryAaw1ZdsWlxsEWZxtpg9k/s320/causal+vacancy2.jpg" width="218" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">When Barney Fartbother mysteriously vanishes, the town of Padfoot hardly notices.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sure, they will need a special election to fill his vacancy on parish council, but it seems</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a piddling matter, at most. But soon, a series of very un-Padfootian occurrences,</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">horrifying incidents, verging on the occult rocks the village to its very core. Mysterious,</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">perplexing, unfathomable. What could be behind it all? Is it possible that a single vacancy</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">is the <i>causal element </i>in the unraveling of the once proud and unflappable town of Padfoot?</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Is this proof that nature, as well as small towns, abhor a vacuumn? Or is it, once again, proof</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">that readers of this blog are too easily amused by the Demon's lame sense of humor?</span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">'nuff said!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639473207170414377.post-79819585013211973542013-04-14T07:04:00.000-07:002013-04-14T07:04:20.158-07:00When Characters are Just a DreamHow would you feel if you were a character in a book and it was nothing more than a dream? That's a topic two of my characters discussed:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div>
“Well,” said Ottomotto, “shall we go down the Rabbit Hole?” </div>
<div>
<br /> “That’s
not a rabbit hole," replied Hotaru.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
“I know it’s not. It’s just an expression from the book
Alice in Wonderland.”</div>
<div>
<br /> “Oh, that book!” scoffed Hotaru.</div>
<div>
<br /> “Sounds as if you
don’t care for Alice in Wonderland.”</div>
<div>
<br /> “Truth be told,” came her tart reply,
“I don’t.”</div>
<div>
<br /> “How can you NOT like Alice in Wonderland? It’s a fantastic
adventure filled with wonderful characters.”</div>
<div>
<br /> “I’ll admit it’s a fun read.”
Hotaru turned to face Ottomotto. “But it was pretend, not real. At the end of
the book Alice wakes up from her nap and tells her sister, ‘Oh, I’ve had such a
curious dream.’”</div>
<div>
<br /> “What’s wrong with that?” asked Ottomotto.</div>
<div>
<br /> “How would
you feel if you were a character in a book and discovered your great adventure
was nothing more than a dream? Wouldn’t you feel as if you’d been ripped off? If
it happened to me, I’d be totally bummed!"</div>
</blockquote>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
How would you feel? Wouldn't you be bummed?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639473207170414377.post-75114502444436331072013-04-04T08:56:00.000-07:002013-04-04T08:56:06.537-07:00Misery Is...Thought for the DayI found this old sketch I did a number of years back. Worth thinking about...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Ns9K_QNVxSo9oZRVTG1dNEve67Wk80prl9wT2RQC7fj8Nd-F-G-IK2kTz2yLTm_tSfV3BlBthlN3HQXfghJXMF15nDc9gvfqmBeJxQwAHh19sAmMyKC7hRePCr9wFDLXjkJV1mkcnSA/s1600/miseryis_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Ns9K_QNVxSo9oZRVTG1dNEve67Wk80prl9wT2RQC7fj8Nd-F-G-IK2kTz2yLTm_tSfV3BlBthlN3HQXfghJXMF15nDc9gvfqmBeJxQwAHh19sAmMyKC7hRePCr9wFDLXjkJV1mkcnSA/s640/miseryis_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639473207170414377.post-25629679927495364462013-03-20T06:35:00.001-07:002013-03-20T06:35:56.470-07:00Is there an Archangel of Stories?In an earlier post, <a href="http://demoncavern.blogspot.com/2010/10/story-is-not-by-product-of-magic.html" target="_blank">Story is NOT the by-product of magic!</a>, I cited the following quote from Elie Wiesel: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"God made man because He loves stories."</blockquote>
This leads me to wonder: If God so loved stories, could be there one angel who happens to be the Archangel of Stories?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639473207170414377.post-57425974679926768592013-03-17T07:15:00.001-07:002013-03-17T07:15:40.493-07:00The Time Before StoriesWhere do stories come from? This question led me to write the following short, short story.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>The Time Before Stories</b></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
A long, long time ago there were no stories to tell and no books to read. It was an age we now call, <i>The Time Before Stories</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In
those dreary times, children tossed and turned, struggling to fall
asleep, their restlessness fueled by some nameless desire, unspoken yet
uncomplicated, whose name was simply the title of a bedtime story
waiting to be imagined. The question, ‘Child, what did you dream about
last night?’ was never asked for there were no dreams worth remembering.
How could there be in a world without fairy tales?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Untold
were the legends of courageous men and women going off to fight the
good fight. Unread were the fables by which life’s lessons are learned.
Young people did not stay up late to read of dragon versus dragon slayer
and nary a myth was whispered about the ancient gods.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In <i>The Time Before Stories,</i>
there were no Alices tumbling down the rabbit hole to explore
Wonderland; no Peter Pans refusing to grow up in a place called
Neverland; no Winnie the Poohs hunting the Heffalump; no Hobbits, be it
Bilbo or Frodo or otherwise, undertaking perilous journeys to places
such as Mt. Doom; and no young wizards, with or without lightning bolt
scars, standing strong against the purveyors of dark magic. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The world sorely lacked for imagination.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
However, all that changed with the arrival of a man known as Fabula, whose name means <i>story</i> in Latin and from which comes the English word, <i>fable</i>. He was neither wizard nor sorcerer; magician nor conjurer; enchanter nor warlock: he <i>was</i> a thaumaturge or ‘one who works miracles.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It
was Fabula who planted the seeds of the Tree of Tales, thereby giving
us the miracle of stories. From where these seeds came, or how the
thaumaturge found them, is not known – he told no one. Throughout the
ages, rumors and theories have abounded – even today, it remains one of
the great ironies that the story behind the Tree of Tales has yet to be
told.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
Though
we do not know the origins of the seeds, we do know their discovery
required a journey lasting ten years. During that time, Fabula met with
and spoke to countless individuals, many who were interesting and a few
who were extraordinary, but only five were blessed with an eloquence,
empathy and wisdom beyond any of their kin. They were: Octavia, the
Silver Fairy of the Northlands; Accipiter, the Red-Chested Hawk of West
Africa; Damh, the White Stag of Rhydenfyre; Otarian, The Elfish Lord of
Cryptomeria; and Omorose, The Beautiful Child of the Nile. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Fabula returned home with his acolytes, who called themselves the <i>Fab Five</i>,
to plant the Tree of Tales. Just one year later, the tree’s silvery
white buds burst open to unleash creativity upon the world and, much
like its blossoms, characters and storylines started unfolding in the
imaginations of Octavia, Accipiter, Damh, Otarian and Omorose. There,
beneath the canopy of that glorious tree, the Fab Five labored, creating
the craft of stories. Word of the miracle spread and in just a few
years’ time, storytellers and authors could be found in every corner of
the world. Scores of individuals flocked to the Tree of Tales, drawn by
the sweet scent of imagination, and around the tree a village grew – the
one we now know as Storyhaven.<br />
<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639473207170414377.post-43210415656762267112013-03-05T07:04:00.000-08:002013-03-05T07:04:09.230-08:00Literary Agents from Outer Space!Just for fun!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9K0wf5xaPZVFApzJoz90IVV-8FGfq9yEnaifBuBkFi_PsEz8MLZITd566UQySVZjYvn3H1D4pwp3Y-laBrpF6Rm3sRzpmZWpvocvGHsXTofHKt2KYI7jpLTqHV9HknwkCS4K_qwKMfGU/s1600/Pulp-O-Mizer_Cover_Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9K0wf5xaPZVFApzJoz90IVV-8FGfq9yEnaifBuBkFi_PsEz8MLZITd566UQySVZjYvn3H1D4pwp3Y-laBrpF6Rm3sRzpmZWpvocvGHsXTofHKt2KYI7jpLTqHV9HknwkCS4K_qwKMfGU/s400/Pulp-O-Mizer_Cover_Image.jpg" width="261" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Made with the <a href="http://thrilling-tales.webomator.com/derange-o-lab/pulp-o-mizer/pulp-o-mizer.html" target="_blank"><b>Pulp-O-Mizer,</b></a><br />
the customizable pulp magazine cover generator!<b> </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639473207170414377.post-30175095163789766442013-02-26T08:50:00.001-08:002013-03-14T14:09:36.710-07:00How would I describe myself as a writer?I am a distinctively unique, inimitably odd, one-of-a-kind author. My heroes start out with big dreams only to find themselves waylaid with the curse of zero confidence. Somehow, in spite of the latter, they find a way to accomplish great things.<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639473207170414377.post-78760365711910171312013-02-26T05:09:00.002-08:002013-02-26T05:09:45.017-08:00The Groundrules!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitaUooPmYE3tIptSaUfVBUcmWkkTieSpIQsxaimNlMHFRWwJODl1BvIjIB6s7WSxux1BSjsY0sQIm9vpvM1nz9h02Xyel6Fcte6gRuk-q7HGYVZbZwwZ_PECIvpNXDrwfYQcokM7Fm8lI/s1600/Groundrules2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitaUooPmYE3tIptSaUfVBUcmWkkTieSpIQsxaimNlMHFRWwJODl1BvIjIB6s7WSxux1BSjsY0sQIm9vpvM1nz9h02Xyel6Fcte6gRuk-q7HGYVZbZwwZ_PECIvpNXDrwfYQcokM7Fm8lI/s320/Groundrules2.jpg" width="251" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
'nuff said!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639473207170414377.post-44218301210040324532013-02-23T07:40:00.000-08:002013-02-24T05:50:18.842-08:00Playful Homage to FUSE by Julianna Baggott.<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Demon enjoyed <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pure-The-Trilogy-Julianna-Baggott/dp/1455503053/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361632020&sr=8-1&keywords=pure+julianna+baggott" target="_blank">Pure</a></b></span> by Julianna Baggott (nothing like a good dystopian novel on a rainy day to cheer me up!). The second book in the trilogy, <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fuse-Pure-Trilogy-Julianna-Baggott/dp/1455503088/ref=pd_sim_b_1" target="_blank">Fuse</a></b></span>, has just been released and I am looking forward to reading it. It also means it's time for the Demon to do what he always does when he likes a book, offer up a playful homage...</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Instead of: </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fuse-Pure-Trilogy-Julianna-Baggott/dp/1455503088/ref=pd_sim_b_1" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeGwTAHV3aiEohGIFt0InjOIP3c6unGfUqaj-vPdpNfYJPCueRqJs8jdPyYalqlrueP0Ietas6ioN_ZsC-hHQx56O4TfZbInC1pGTdXm-vEl0x8uPmXaOW3YUnpZtkxVgO7wRtnhxpD6s/s200/Fuse_.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Let's imagine:<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDFARhFNiik5HAriOUpfxe9Tkpzx6_N14msVrG1GxgWbo4dznUkNFQSxTtJoNaTDLJyEnMHHkwb5_Qhq5mI70LcUj3tDjLTfUh6tyot0-DO7Qkblq6J8SGOCCaOuwtMR3MANratBruWA/s1600/Fuss_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDFARhFNiik5HAriOUpfxe9Tkpzx6_N14msVrG1GxgWbo4dznUkNFQSxTtJoNaTDLJyEnMHHkwb5_Qhq5mI70LcUj3tDjLTfUh6tyot0-DO7Qkblq6J8SGOCCaOuwtMR3MANratBruWA/s320/Fuss_.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h2>
Book Description</h2>
<div class="buying">
<span class="byLinePipe">Release date: </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">February 19, 2013</span> <span class="byLinePipe"> | Series: </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Purr Trilogy (Book 2)</span></div>
<br />
<i>What's all the fuss about? </i><br />
<br />
Up til now, Pressia has had quite the adventure. She met some really gnarly, yet cool people like El Capitan, Helmud and Bradwell. She even found her long lost brother, Partridge! Then the jealousy kicked in. It was inevitable, actually. Partridge was a <i>Pure</i>, he got ALL the attention.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"What am I," seethed Pressia, "chopped liver?" </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"No need to get so snippy," snapped Partridge.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Well, aren't you the special one in the family? Listen up, Bro: you may be Pure on the outside, but you're nothing but a Putz on the inside!" </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Hey, this is supposed to be a dystopian future," a mirthless smirk distorted Partridge's face, "not a <i>diss</i>topian future." </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Good one!" Helmud grunted approvingly. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Stay out of this," warned El Capitan. </blockquote>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Okay, enough of this. Quit wasting your time on my blog and get yourself a copy of <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fuse-Pure-Trilogy-Julianna-Baggott/dp/1455503088/ref=pd_sim_b_1" target="_blank">Fuse</a></b>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">'nuff said!</span><br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639473207170414377.post-83663797179048990912013-02-08T14:16:00.000-08:002013-07-12T13:51:01.771-07:00Green Pine Trees, Cranes and Turtles<div style="text-align: justify;">
In 1955, twenty-five young Japanese women who had been badly scarred by the atomic blast at Hiroshima were sent to New York City for reconstructive plastic surgery. They became known as the Hiroshima Maidens. Almost all returned to Japan afterwards. However, one remained in the United States, moved to Los Angeles, married and had four children. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In this story, I try to imagine what happened when a young daughter becomes curious about the scars on her mother's face. </div>
<br />
<br />
<iframe src="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4aexG_sOGe-dEk0U2xBc2FYVUU/preview" width="640" height="480"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639473207170414377.post-76288967940787704922013-01-31T16:24:00.000-08:002013-01-31T16:24:33.399-08:00Zero Heroes Writing Challenge<div style="text-align: justify;">
This is a follow-up to my <a href="http://demoncavern.blogspot.com/2013/01/zero-confidence-fairy-tales.html">Zero Confidence Fairy Tales</a> post. This time I would like to propose an anthology where famous writers write short stories addressing the following challenge:</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
We all have our heroes, be it real or fictional. But what if you woke up one day and realized you could not recall who your heroes were? You try to summon them but neither name nor image comes to mind.; it is as if the knowledge has been wiped from your brain. You feel as if an essential component of your persona has been stolen and you must, at all costs, get it back. Write the story of your quest to reclaim this lost knowledge. Good luck!</blockquote>
</div>
<br />
By the way, I wouldn't mind if a publisher contacted me about making this book a reality.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639473207170414377.post-16984831129496570992013-01-31T07:09:00.001-08:002013-01-31T16:10:54.495-08:00Android Dreams, Cats Purring and E-books!<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXAI4iyorXtSCVFbxIaETE4cMrzr0fr8_X8DCxMWpQT8op1G7amhABm617BFyF27mRglJMJ6q93FeptnsnpSZRhiwy7NI6s3tT9Ucv1nfFEPotnexWX0urCMCOZrQ2lgcO9nk9vpvQzn0/s1600/JCO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXAI4iyorXtSCVFbxIaETE4cMrzr0fr8_X8DCxMWpQT8op1G7amhABm617BFyF27mRglJMJ6q93FeptnsnpSZRhiwy7NI6s3tT9Ucv1nfFEPotnexWX0urCMCOZrQ2lgcO9nk9vpvQzn0/s640/JCO.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Hmmm...Philip K. Dick once wrote a story entitled, <i>Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?</i> Now I wonder if an author who publishes solely e-books dreams of electric cats? <br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639473207170414377.post-53435525533940199902013-01-30T17:59:00.000-08:002013-01-31T07:14:38.465-08:00Short Story: That's the Finest I've Ever KnownA new short story!<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe src="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4aexG_sOGe-NlV5WFZ1aS1QWG8/preview" width="640" height="480"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639473207170414377.post-46852377393010738102013-01-21T05:47:00.001-08:002013-01-21T08:08:16.536-08:00An Eudora Welty HaikuI was reading the short story, <i>A Still Moment</i>, by Eudora Welty in which she described an encounter with a snowy heron.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"He watched without moving. The bird was defenseless in the world except for the intensity of its life."</blockquote>
This feels like the stuff of haiku to me, hence:<br />
<br />
The bird, defenseless.<br />
The intensity of life<br />
clinging to this world.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639473207170414377.post-85210576311040890792013-01-19T10:05:00.000-08:002013-01-19T10:05:51.092-08:00Haiku of the Discouraged Writer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMTqTscDgy6HuneD-p6W2nChkdfmLSC4PSPtdSI2RqhUq0TMTOWIr6uEiKtd531gTq_15C6WjnMkiL2vUYb5sbSxYl33Y_q4IdqsJoFQUXPVgXjW_Fp0XFDttLOEatf8x-MD1bc11j6E/s1600/night+sky+haiku.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMTqTscDgy6HuneD-p6W2nChkdfmLSC4PSPtdSI2RqhUq0TMTOWIr6uEiKtd531gTq_15C6WjnMkiL2vUYb5sbSxYl33Y_q4IdqsJoFQUXPVgXjW_Fp0XFDttLOEatf8x-MD1bc11j6E/s640/night+sky+haiku.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639473207170414377.post-87557986401363138232013-01-19T07:26:00.000-08:002013-01-19T07:26:02.043-08:00Zero Confidence Fairy Tales<div style="text-align: justify;">
I have an idea for an anthology series to which I would like to lay claim: <b><i>Zero Confidence Fairy Tales</i></b>. Each collection would feature stories by famous writers imagining ways to overcome the challenge of losing one's confidence.</div>
<br />
The first book in the series would offer the following challenge to our intrepid writers:<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Imagine a curse has been laid upon you; it drains every last bit of your confidence as a writer. Each time you confront the blank page, the horror of having Zero Confidence overwhelms. Write the story of how you regained your confidence (Note: This is, of course, a bit of a paradox, but what the heck!). </blockquote>
</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Remember,you are writing a fairy tale. For purposes of this anthology, let's borrow/modify a few ideas from Tolkien's <i>On Fairy-Stories</i>. Your tale should include these elements:</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Escapism:</b> By this we mean escape from an <i>accursed</i> condition. Each writer should consider the <i>specific</i> nature of the curse that robbed him of his confidence. What elements of the curse is specific to your condition/circumstances as a writer? Why did this curse befall you?</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Recovery</b>: In this case, recovery means a return to, and a greater appreciation, of your normal (i.e., mundane) condition as a writer. What is that you (re)discover upon regaining your confidence?</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Eucatastrophe</b>: This was Tolkien's term for the sudden, unexpected turn of events that leads to a happy ending. This may be the most challenging aspect of your story, coming up with a turn of events that absolutely makes sense given the context of your writing career.</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I don't know about you, but I'd love to see the likes of Neil Gaiman, Joyce Carol Oates, Stephen King, Haruki Murakami and others take a shot at this. Heck, I wouldn't mind if a publisher contacted me about making this book a reality.</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639473207170414377.post-5526138685243715722013-01-18T15:20:00.002-08:002013-03-13T09:59:24.826-07:00Short Story: Dorothy Gale's Second ChanceA short story about Dorothy Gale of Wizard of Oz fame and her encounter with Frank Baum.<br />
<br />
<iframe height="480" src="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4aexG_sOGe-UlVOTDlTMVMwbTA/preview" width="640"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639473207170414377.post-63101773168256144012012-11-08T08:19:00.001-08:002014-11-24T11:09:13.907-08:00The Little Engine That Could Not<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-RNn_LAdBQYYxUJO9DCrQZgcHyXcDC4KqKkFAblgcJ2xaWWnmjnJfqBqPYaTQOl35YNN9QmxeymTRxibp6Suk8G3Y-VB_MSkQGhQppykcgCe34Y4_1Gs8LeXpp7i0jMe6QbtEjFBKO9A/s1600/littleenginenot+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-RNn_LAdBQYYxUJO9DCrQZgcHyXcDC4KqKkFAblgcJ2xaWWnmjnJfqBqPYaTQOl35YNN9QmxeymTRxibp6Suk8G3Y-VB_MSkQGhQppykcgCe34Y4_1Gs8LeXpp7i0jMe6QbtEjFBKO9A/s1600/littleenginenot+2.jpg" height="280" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
'nuff said!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639473207170414377.post-87915032430579723732012-10-15T09:07:00.001-07:002012-10-15T09:07:44.466-07:00Story is NOT the by-product of magic! Part two.In an <a href="http://demoncavern.blogspot.com/search/label/Michael%20Chabon" target="_blank">earlier post</a>, I railed against Michael Chabon's statement, "take everything back to zero as long as magic and <i>its by-product, story</i>..." My contention was, and remains, that story is not magic's by-product.<br />
<br />
I was reminded of this last night after reading the following in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Balzac-Little-Chinese-Seamstress-Novel/dp/0385722206/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350316809&sr=8-1&keywords=Balzac+and+the+little+chinese" target="_blank">Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress</a>.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"This fellow Balzac is a wizard...He touched the head of this mountain girl with an invisible finger, and she was transformed, carried away in a dream. It took her a while to come down to earth." </blockquote>
Thus was the reaction of a young Chinese woman, living in a remote village, after reading a passage from <span class="st"><em>Ursule Mirouët </em>by Balzac. I offer this as further proof that story is <i>not</i> magic's by-product.</span><br />
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639473207170414377.post-4529574202346844882012-10-11T07:58:00.003-07:002013-01-11T08:23:53.795-08:00Finished my second novel!<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%;">
Well, I did it. I have finished the manuscript for my second novel entitled, <b>Nanashi and the Sword of the Fallen Star</b>. <span style="line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Set
in ancient Japan, the story weaves together several themes from Japanese
mythology</span> and is aimed at readers 9-12 (though discerning adults will enjoy it as wel)l. Here's a draft version of the query letter: </div>
</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%;">
When Nanashi was five, she was the
prettiest girl in her village – then came the night the Golden Dragon caught
the falling star. As she watched the spectacle in the night sky, a glowing
flake broke loose from the meteorite. It burnt the young girl’s cheek, leaving
a horrid scar, tough and red like the skin of the Japanese ogre known as the
Oni.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%;">
Ten years later, the girl who grew
up enduring taunts of “Oni Face” sets out to find the Dragon, hers to torture
and execute. Then she encounters Okami, the Great Gray Wolf. He brings news of
a startling augury linking her to the Sword of the Fallen Star, the very sword
forged from the meteorite that burned her face. In Nanashi, the aged and
careworn wolf sees a soul consumed by wrath and self-loathing; he offers his
friendship, as well as way to find the sword, hoping to sway her from the path
of vengeance.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%;">
Meanwhile, there is another
tortured soul who wishes to inflict suffering upon the vainglorious Dragon. It
is the embittered Man Crow. In his possession is the Dark Blade, a merciless
weapon forged with but one purpose: to challenge the Sword of the Fallen Star
in a contest to determine which is the better sword. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%;">
As for the Golden Dragon, ten years
have passed since he inexplicably went missing. Soon he will return with, of
all things, a cure for the girl’s scar. His intentions, however, are hardly
noble and the gift he brings – that of beauty reclaimed – might be one the Girl
with the Oni Face will forever regret.</div>
</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%;">
<br /></div>
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<![endif]-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639473207170414377.post-47210404033642181632012-06-25T05:59:00.000-07:002012-06-25T05:59:46.940-07:00The Ultimate Haiku<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDHC7DAIi-oF5ZiDF4BmyTblp2kUegY7c-bDVJgginv403CC7lSGkQLFwYtc3Qk3wUMGye5YLF_M4ArJ-TWqZkx6KcmawzuqQiVR6y2XAcdjwZMLjgLU83QWGW3aGXYURklzRFkMKSksc/s1600/kidshaiku.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDHC7DAIi-oF5ZiDF4BmyTblp2kUegY7c-bDVJgginv403CC7lSGkQLFwYtc3Qk3wUMGye5YLF_M4ArJ-TWqZkx6KcmawzuqQiVR6y2XAcdjwZMLjgLU83QWGW3aGXYURklzRFkMKSksc/s320/kidshaiku.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150833084468021&set=a.501673773020.264960.553693020&type=1&theater" target="_blank">Facebook</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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'nuff said!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639473207170414377.post-61780262070776045772012-04-16T05:54:00.000-07:002012-04-16T05:54:03.653-07:00Two Novels in One ImageFrom: <a href="http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/colsubsidio_book_exchange_harry_potter_and_troy" target="_blank"><b>Ads of the World</b></a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://adsoftheworld.com/files/images/harryandtroy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://adsoftheworld.com/files/images/harryandtroy.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://adsoftheworld.com/files/images/snowwhiteandsherlock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://adsoftheworld.com/files/images/snowwhiteandsherlock.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://adsoftheworld.com/files/images/littleredandmobydick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://adsoftheworld.com/files/images/littleredandmobydick.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-639473207170414377.post-80900541142893321822012-04-01T10:41:00.000-07:002012-05-04T05:52:28.871-07:00Agents Vs. ZombiesHere's an exciting new game, available on both iPhone and Android.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjol3Zg_a1zyYWDG_qgoGGlaow2GOjuVoa_XRlUim3UjMJGzIa3DR6kLouGA5rI9ar_CRau8MVMO_Fug1_-5miZhdPb8mV0MXx_VzZKsIfw6w9PbBsu43pR7-U7O6X7aHypiZ9M4Bmk918/s1600/agents+vs+zombies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjol3Zg_a1zyYWDG_qgoGGlaow2GOjuVoa_XRlUim3UjMJGzIa3DR6kLouGA5rI9ar_CRau8MVMO_Fug1_-5miZhdPb8mV0MXx_VzZKsIfw6w9PbBsu43pR7-U7O6X7aHypiZ9M4Bmk918/s1600/agents+vs+zombies.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black;">A deadly new virus is turning writers into the worst kind of zombie imaginable; the kind that writes query letters! It's up to you, the intrepid literary agent, to overcome this assault! You`ll need to think fast and stay calm as you deliver your rejections, one bolt at a time, with your trusty crossbow. Remember, aim for the head, not the writing hand!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0