Micro fiction is a wonderful format. It definitely puts handcuffs on the writer, but that’s also a good thing. It forces me, as an author, to be economical with my word choice. While I enjoy flexing my narrative muscles when working on a book, the limitations of two hundred and fifty or even a thousand words make you consider every line carefully. These constraints let me focus on telling a complete tale without the burden of an overly complicated plots, which is perfect for stories like this one.

Deep in an ancient forest, the mist curls around any intruder like breath clawing at them...

As my body begins its road to recovery, I’m eager to dive back into crafting a new collection of stories for everyone to enjoy. The first is now ready on Wattpad. While I have several storylines to choose from, both active and upcoming, one in particular, Discovery, already has a fair number of first drafts waiting in the wings. So I plucked the next installment from its digital confines and gave it a read. It was in better shape than some of my older work, but that’s not saying much. With a moderate effort, I smoothed out my draft and created a story that I’m happy with.

Some missions are straightforward. This one should have been just that simple. Fly to a destination, make contact with the elves, and return...

There’s something special when you are out on the water, and it blurs the edges of time. The horizon will stretch out in front of you like a promise, always just beyond your reach. It pulls you forward with a quiet sort of wonder. The next few shots feature moments when I was rewarded with that feeling of joy and awe. Each frame holds a small portion of this stillness. That kind of moment is the one that creeps in when the world narrows to nothing more than water, sky, and the faint outline of land.

As the shoreline drifted closer, though it never drifted too close, the landscape shifted from the suggestion it was, to something more tangible...

In Foundation, we step into a rare moment of calm for the surviving Larian colonists as Tarian and Keldon share wine, banter, and uneasy questions beneath timber-scented beams. A banquet meant to cement peace instead stirs old questions. What begins as light teasing over strong elven wine slowly sharpens into suspicion, and hints at buried truths waiting to surface.

Despite surviving the siege, the colonists, elves, and dwarves seek a fragile release from their dread. This chapter of Colonization follows Tarian as he works to solidify new alliances, even as unsettling discoveries simmer just out of sight...

The moment I finished Runed Talismans and Scarred Ash, I turned my attention to the final story for the month, a political satire. The last time I wrote in this genre was back in February of 2022 with Missive. Normally, I steer clear of satire, but my patrons have once again asked, and I’m happy to deliver. While it’s all too easy to offend when tackling politics head-on, I’ve found it far easier to explore delicate issues when they’re abstracted into another genre, in this case science fiction.

Politics isn’t always shaped by the speeches we give...

From the moment I saw the first preview for the new Superman movie, I wasn’t impressed. While I’ve enjoyed some of James Gunn’s previous work, I wasn’t sure this would be for me. The early teasers simply fell flat. But as the release drew closer, I started hearing whispers about the quality of the underlying story. While there were still aspects that worried me, those whispers were enough to make me want to see it. Fortunately, with my Alamo Drafthouse movie pass, checking out a film is easy. I bought my ticket and waited for its release. Once it came, I settled in and waited to see if the buzz was deserved.

Before diving into the review, let’s address the single most talked about image from those early trailers...

Last month, I used a prompt to launch a new adventure for my comedic duo, Sebastian and Jimmy. While that tale ultimately centered around a simple meal, its magical wrinkle let me dip my toes into blending their tales with fantasy. This month, I fully embraced that combination. Since Sebastian and Jimmy are my loving homage to Abbott & Costello, shifting their comedic antics into otherworldly settings has opened the door to some truly fun, and occasionally strange options for serial storytelling.

Picking up where Reflected Possibilities left off, this next installment throws them straight into the action...

The moment I finished Runed Talismans, my attention whipped to the second story for my patrons, a historical fiction. Once again, when this genre comes up, I’m usually spinning a fresh tale for Samuel and his dragon. Given the recent series I’ve been crafting, I’m pleased to introduce the next installment in the series detailing their search for Tobias. Having secured enough intel from Maddock, they head toward the Black Rock Expanse, hoping to finally catch up with him.

That place isn’t the sort of place you simply stumble across. It’s a scarred wasteland, baked by a relentless heat...

There are a handful of landscapes that epitomize nature’s beauty. Among that short list are coastlines. There’s a certain charm when they don’t put on a show. No crashing cliffs, no sweeping harbors, just the quiet intersection of land and water. The waves create a rhythmic motion, akin to breathing. Yet even when there’s nothing dramatic, the simple views of the world can surprise you. Be it a rise in the horizon or an unexpected shape carved by wind and time, something captivates you, drawing your eye to beauty you might have otherwise missed. These deviations, subtle yet undeniable, are what make every outing along the water feel like you’re uncovering hidden secrets.

What lingers in those fleeting moments is balance...

In Forging Alliance, we rejoin Tarian and the defenders of the Larian colony after the arrival of the elves and the dwarves. Their combined assault on the monstrous horde shattered the enemy ranks. However, in the wake of the brutal siege, the survivors are left to grapple with the true cost of survival.

Yet among the wreckage, something unexpected begins to take root, a sense of cooperation. This new entry in the Colonization series follows the warriors and leaders as they navigate suspicion, gratitude, and duty in the uneasy calm that follows battle...

The end of any month is always hectic for me, sometimes more than others. This month is shaping up to be one of the rougher ones. Despite starting with a wonderful Fourth of July weekend, I still found myself recovering from last month and July’s original genre poll slipped through the cracks. With some focus and determination, I managed to turn things around and dive into this month’s patreon stories, beginning with a dramatic tale. Despite knowing the genre it took me far too long to decide what kind of story I wanted to tell. However, as its deadline loomed over me, the perfect narrative had wormed its way into my mind.

When last we visited Samuel and Anna, in Predator’s Home, they were heading out to have a conversation with Old Man Maddock...

After working on Haunting Question, I rolled right into writing this second picture prompt. Again, I’d forgotten about the image and its corresponding rough draft. As a result, I skimmed through the original idea, and I kept a portion of it. While it was an interesting idea, it was missing something else. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I needed another character to interact with. In fact, I didn’t realize I had made this choice until after I started writing this mystery character’s first line of dialogue. Despite the abruptness of this new voice, the drafting process flew by.

There are stories the sea doesn’t give up easily. They are tales told in half-whispers, wrapped in fog and drawn down by disbelief...

With the end of the month looming, I doubled down and tore through my initial prompts to build out the stories I’m hoping to deliver. While I still have a trio of tales to create for my patrons (the first of which should arrive this Friday), the stories I planned to share on my blog this month already had rough drafts. With that stroke of luck, I grabbed the first seed—another picture prompt based on Magic Forest (see below). The moment I re-read the draft, the words flowed through my fingers like a current already charted.

There are places we’re warned never to enter...

Despite a rocky start to the month, I’m determined to publish every planned story, even if a few try to slip through the cracks. With the never-ending thoughts churning through my mind, and the ever growing list of responsibilities, I’m determined to navigate my way through the rest of the month and prevent life from spoiling my creative output. Fortunately, the core concept for this short narrative came to life early in the month, before things went sideways. With the outline already in place, and the calm settling in around me, the drafting flowed quickly. After all, what begins in fire rarely ends in peace.

In a darkened forest lit only by a flickering flame, a wandering individual stricken with a cursed sight must answer his summons...

There’s a certain kind of magic that unfolds when your ideas melt into reality. During a trip to Matthews, Virginia, I wound up on a sunset cruise, which began well before the sun would get its chance to meld with the horizon. I’d hoped for brilliant bursts of amber and violet hues, yet what I received was something far more grounded. I discovered the simplistic beauty of the miles long stretch of land and water bathed in sunlight, and it was rich in stillness and subtle motion.

What these images capture isn’t the dramatic aspects of twilight, rather it highlights the grace of an afternoon...