Saturday, April 22, 2017

Prompt: The sun doesn't shine here anymore

Carolyn walked along the dusty road, fingers trailing through the still air. She remembered flowers blooming, dogs barking, breezes blowing, sun shining. None of that here. Everything was gray, and still, and there was no sun in the sky, just then even dim light of day after the absolute dark of night.

A tiger swallowtail fluttered close, veered and landed on her outstretched hand. She held it close to her ear, then swept her hand up as it flew away. "Thank you, my friend," she called after it.

A bluejay squawked noisily as it swept across the road into a tree near her. A few more loud cries, then it chased after a crow that flew overhead.

"Yes, I heard, thank you, dear one!"

Further down the road, though how far she could not say, because the road had no beginning and no end, she simply walked its unchanging length every day, she stopped short and squatted like a child. A desicated frog sprawled against the margin. Carolyn touched it with her fingertip, and the stiff body jumped like one of those plastic toys, red and green and blue and yellow…Carolyn touched it again, wondering when she had last seen those colors. She flipped the frog into her palm and stood, bringing it close to her mouth. She blew on it gently, and the frog's body began to plump up, as if she were blowing air into a tiny frog balloon. It quivered, then jumped onto her wrist. She smiled and nodded. "Yes, little one. Go on now," she encouraged it, leaning close to the road as the frog jumped down and hopped away. It stopped and turned to look at her, black eyes unblinking. She waved it on, and as it turned and hopped away, she said in a small wistful voice, "Come and visit me sometimes…"

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Notes:
The idea for the story was a girl the walking along and a butterfly flies up to your head lands on her and she asked like she's listening to it in and says thank you and then a bird flies up and twitters at her and she responds and then I suddenly had the idea that she is in fact a wraith

The title could be resurrection, but I do not know if I want it to be that obvious

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And so, with a loving heart, I offer you
Namaste
I’ve heard many translations. Here’s my favorite:
The light of the universe that shines within me recognizes
the light of the universe that shines within you.

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Monday, April 17, 2017

Writers Journey Podcast with John Hartness


While at MystiCon, I sat down with John G. Hartness for an interview on his Writers Journey's Podcast. We chat about upcoming projects like the Lawless Lands anthology, this website, Ed Schubert's terrific analogy of $100 credit from reader to writer, and all sorts of other stuff about writing. And hey, I don't sound like a complete idiot, so that's a plus.