My focus for art last week was to fully explore the liquify tool. I’ve been posting some compositions of liquified clouds, and the last of those early pieces has been uploaded to DeviantArt. Aside from the liquified textures, I have completed another nameplate, this time for my niece, and a couple of other doodles. Finger Claws was one of my initial uses of Autodesk SketchBook, and it was a fun experience. While the Android app can create some fun pictures, it’s not ideal when all I have are my fingers...

Over the last installments, a former shipmate orchestrated Rylan’s beating, and a detective informed Annabelle of the crime. From that moment on, she’s spent every waking moment with her unconscious husband. Over the next few months, the doctors try to get her to leave, but she uses her family’s influence to take up occupancy in Rylan’s hospital room. Her constant presence compels the doctors to redouble their efforts to rouse Rylan from his coma...

When I finished writing Burnout, I turned my attention to the second piece for my patrons, a Drama. When I collected the results of the poll, It’s A Wonderful Life must have been in my mind because I gripped that thread and let my mind build a tale off that premise. While I knew the rough strokes of the narrative, I needed to flush out the details. So, I turned to NYC Midnight and plucked a random Drama prompt, placing my tale in front of a foreclosed home. When my fingers started typing, my mind twisted the required prosthetic into a pair of crutches, but thankfully I’m not submitting this to judges...

From the moment Maxwell dumped Wayne with his former roommate, Darren does everything he can think of to avoid his arrogant and distant relative. As the weeks churn, he alters every aspect of his life except for his classes. The teachers refuse to make further alterations to their classes to accommodate the childish behavior. With that avenue removed from him, Darren continues to isolate himself from Wayne and his classmates. So, the rumors of a new student never reach Darren’s ears...

A couple of weeks ago, I picked up my stylus and started making some doodles. While they are fun to make, I wanted to learn how to make a marble design. With that desire entrenched in my mind, I turned to YouTube and explored the vast collection of videos on the subject. After going through a handful of videos, I started working with the liquify tool, and I’m excited about creating these organic pieces. While I’ve added the liquify tool to my arsenal, I’ll continue using and mastering the tools I’ve already added...

For the first time since I started doing these polls, I’ve instantly had an idea for each of the three genres selected for the month. When I announced the genres for December, I mentioned that I was going to draw inspiration from Die Hard. But aside from that rather general statement, I needed some context for the rough plotline tumbling about in my mind. So, I turned to NYC Midnight and plucked a random prompt for Action Adventure. With a smile, my plot points quickly and roughly fell into place...

After landing the vessel, Jarvis enlists Dyrk’s help in cataloging the exotic wildlife using the ship’s sensors while the remaining crew establishes their basecamp. Meanwhile, a small squadron, led by Fenton, one of Jarvis’s closest advisors, head into the forest to explore and catalog their ancestors’ crashed spaceship. Fully expecting to encounter some outlandish creatures, members of the team is uneasy with their uneventful hike across the unknown planet...

After the power cell blew up, Marcus retreated to his home to tend his land, while Nathaniel remained in the remnants of the Central Region to recover from the devastation. The leaders of the Northern, Western, and Southern Regions head to the devastated runes to discuss the next course of action. Kethra, who has overcome a vote of no confidence in the Eastern Region, is pressing for Nathaniel to be held accountable for the detonation of the power cells. While the other leaders will listen to Nathaniel’s explanation, they refuse to allow the meeting to proceed while they are missing a leader...

Sorry for the rant, but what is art? While the question is simple, it’s loaded with multiple answers depending on who you ask. A poet would spout some rhyming lyrics, a writer would spin a narrative to captivate the reader, or an artist will create a piece of art. My preference is to weave narratives, but a part of me yearns to produce wonderful pictures. Specifically, I want to pluck the characters running about my mind and give them new life for the world to see.

To further that goal, I’ve picked up some classes on Udemy...

I remember discovering The Dresden Files back in 2008. I’d just gained my original Kindle, and I was looking for books to add to my new digital library. So, on January 23rd, 2008 (a shout out to Amazon orders for confirming that date) I purchased Storm Front and Harry Dresden captured my attention. I moved through the first nine available entries in this series and enjoyed each one. Over the next seven years, I savored every fresh installment of this wizard’s story. Unfortunately, after Skin Game, Jim Butcher had a lot going on in his life, which delayed Peace Talks release for five years...

When NaNoWriMo began this year, I was determined to win the competition, like last year. Unfortunately, while I won last year and somehow squeezed my Patreon flash fiction in under the wire, I did not publish any of my Wattpad series. This year I was resolute in achieving a different outcome. When the first day of November rolled around, I picked up my keyboard and started marching forward, guiding my latest project. While this book is far from complete (I’m only halfway through the novel) I won my second consecutive NaNoWriMo...

With Hearth and Strands finished, I turned my attention to the third piece of Flash Fiction for November, a Historical Fiction. Last month I blended my Historical Fiction with a Romance and ended up with Anxiety. I’ve been blending genres a little more often recently, and the results have been encouraging. But I had nothing in mind for the story, so I plucked a random Historical Fiction prompt from NYC Midnight’s catalogue. Unfortunately, in the middle of NaNoWriMo, it was difficult to coax the narrative out of my mind...

All month long, I’ve been contemplating about the whys behind all my series on Wattpad. So in the continued spirit of NaNoWriMo, let me take you behind the scenes with Mounting Tensions. I remember penning the overview for the previous series, Fortunes, and while the story kept the main shape, it definitely took on a shape of its own. The biggest surprise that Rylan and his companions threw my way was the romance between the technician and Annabelle. I planned on coming back to that world eventually, but the couple provided me an opportunity I couldn’t ignore. With this new series, I’d be able to explore an aspect of their world between the events of Fortunes and the next planned storyline...

I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving! November is a magical month. Besides challenging writers to do something incredible, it’s a time to focus on family and our good fortunes. And while hosting Thanksgiving dinner is hectic, it allows me to blend a day of family with my love of cooking. Aside from continuing my NaNoWriMo project, preparing Thanksgiving dinner, writing my Patreon exclusives (Hearth, Strands, and my upcoming Historical Fiction), I’ve kept my focus and finishing my Wattpad stories. With this story, I’m returning to Darren Gilbert’s youth and his Journeys...

As I work on my current project for NaNoWriMo, I’ve been thinking about the importance of the work that never makes it into a published novel or another piece of fiction. Sometimes a single throwaway line in an author’s collection of notes is precisely that, something to help constrain the more extensive work. However, there are other times when those few words spark an entirely new storyline that yearns for exploration. Colonization and its sequel series, Discovery, both sprung from a single line highlighting a point that I would ultimately reference, I never planned on exploring. And if I hadn’t discovered the concept of Flash Fiction, courtesy of this article, these storylines wouldn’t have been explored...