Writers of the Future, Volume 34, Synopses and Teasers

Here's some tidbits about the stories included in this years Writers of the Future, Volume 34, and the incredible artwork. "Turnabout" A djinn owes her liberator a wish, but what's she to do when he refuses make it? One of my favorites, "Turnabout" by Erik Bundy is a tale brimming with travel, adventure, and dry …

Book Signing: The Twig Book Shop in San Antonio, Texas

The Twig Book Shop in San Antonio, Texas hosted my first ever book signing (if you don't count the Gala event). Eric Cairns came out from Dallas to join me. I wish we'd though to take a picture together. We proudly sold one book to a gentleman happy to treat himself to a retirement gift. …

Inspiration for “All Light and Darkness”

"All Light and Darkness" was inspired by the Israel-Hezbollah War that broke out in Lebanon in 2006, just before my senior year of high school. Somehow, my hormone-soaked teenage brain caught on this conflict, and I found myself delving into the details, particularly the plight of the refugees. It was the first time I woke up …

The Writing of “All Light and Darkness”

"All Light and Darkness" began as a final project for my college Creative Writing class. It was not speculative fiction originally and lacked much of the refinement the published version has (hopefully). However, the voice and format were there, as well as the plot. When I first decided to pursue the Writers of the Future …

WOTF Writer’s Workshop 2018 – Thursday, April 5th (Morning and Afternoon): The Twenty-Four-Hour Story

Personally, I was so excited for this challenge. I'm a stay-at-home mom with three kids under five years old. I have practically no time for writing. Getting to write for a whole twenty-four hours seemed like a dream come true. Honestly, I still feel like that. I wish I could write all the time--all day--every …

WOTF Writer’s Workshop 2018 – Wednesday, April 4th (Afternoon): Twenty-Four-Hour Story Preparation

Aw, the infamous twenty-four-hour story. How I love and hate thee. To my surprise, Dave and Tim introduced the twenty-four-hour story the day after our arrival. After a discussion on Hubbard’s “Search for Research” and where to find story ideas, Tim passed out the objects. The Object Luck must have had her eye on me …

WOTF Writer’s Workshop 2018 – April 4th, Wednesday (Afternoon): A Discussion on Research

Dave and Tim opened the afternoon with a discussion on research. We'd read "Search for Research" for homework the night before (because grown adults would never neglect homework assignments) so we started with an exercise, and then Tim and Dave described their own personal research routines. I enjoyed "Search of Research" because I'm a pretty …

WOTF Writer’s Workshop 2018 – Wednesday, April 4th (Morning): Suspense

Disclaimer:  As much as I want to recount the workshop in minute detail, I don’t have the time or the memory to do so. But, for the sake of my fellow writers, I’ll hash out the high points and my notes from the lectures. To organize my notes and thoughts, I’ll go through the week …