An Experiment in Writing – Part 1

Been talking to lots of people about ways to share my knowledge and experience.

The first problem is, lots of people are of the opinion I have lots of knowledge and experience.

I’m hoping this experiment – a series of videos about writing which I’ll post every Wednesday or so…if it even becomes a series and if I see another Wednesday – will help them change their opinion.

Originally I called these “Writing 101 SnEm” (SnEm == series and episode number) and decided that both ambitious and haugty.

Ambitious I’ll cop to. Haughty? You decide.

Here’s An Experiment in Writing – Part 1. Enjoy.

 

James Rumpel’s ‘The Power Gem of Ortraz’ in Writers Co-op Production’s The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey Anthology

I asked fellow The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey anthology contributors to share some things about themselves prior to publication and those generous enough to do so will be appearing here for the next week or so.

Each entry gives a taste of their contribution, a little about them, how to contact them, how their story came about, and definitely a link to The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey (which you should purchase because it would make each and every one of us happy.
you do want to make us happy, don’t you?
i mean, considering what we wrote, you want us to know you’re a good person, right?).

Let’s start with an introduction to the anthology as a whole:

“Life is a journey, not a destination.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Emerson’s point has been echoed by many, but in the Land of the Weird the question arises, “A journey to what destination?” At the same time, you might ask, “Is the journey therefore the destination?” The journey may well be an individual’s destination, because it will define them physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And in the Land of the Weird, that journey can take twists and turns that amuse, sadden, or horrify.
This trip into the Land of the Weird offers you 39 unique trails to follow, assisted by 35 different guides, each leading you down their own singular paths, manifesting their own view of journey as destination, some laughing, some weeping, and some, eyes wide with fear, shaking as they point out the spectral footpath for you to follow on your way down The Rabbit Hole.

A Writers Co-op Production
Stories by: Chere Taylor, Brian R. Quinn, Arthur M. Doweyko, Donna J. W. Munro, Tom Howard, Kayla Whittle, Leslie Muzingo, Pete Barnstrom, Emmie Christie, Thomas Nicholson, GD Deckard, Richard DeRobertis, M.C. Schmidt, James Dorr, Rosalind Goldsmith, Margaret Karmazin, J.W.Wood, James Rumpel, Bill McCormick, v.f. thompson, Fran Tabor, David K. Slay, Joseph Carrabis, Jane Frankel, Alice Baburek, Susan R. Morritt, Bobby Rollins, Lee Clark Zumpe, Denice Penrose, Stephen McQuiggan, H. Donovan Lyón, Anna Ross, Michael Pudney, Beth Gaydon, and Tom Wolosz.

James’ contribution is The Power Gem of Ortraz. Here’s the opening:

Miles Outland sat alone in the booth, sipping his ginger ale. He should have known better than to accept the invitation from Joe and Mike to join them for a drink. Those two had picked on him relentlessly when they were in high school and hadn’t talked to him in six years. Yet, when they showed up at the museum, acting like he was some sort of long-lost buddy, Miles had been taken in by the moment and said he’d come along.

How the story came about:
I came up with the idea of someone pretending to be an alien in an attempt to get a nerd to help them commit a crime and the story just wrote itself after that.
Continue reading “James Rumpel’s ‘The Power Gem of Ortraz’ in Writers Co-op Production’s The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey Anthology”

Brian R. Quinn’s ‘The Fully Realized Likeness of Alfred K. Friedman’ in Writers Co-op Production’s The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey Anthology

I asked fellow The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey anthology contributors to share some things about themselves prior to publication and those generous enough to do so will be appearing here for the next week or so.

Each entry gives a taste of their contribution, a little about them, how to contact them, how their story came about, and definitely a link to The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey (which you should purchase because it would make each and every one of us happy.
you do want to make us happy, don’t you?
i mean, considering what we wrote, you want us to know you’re a good person, right?).

Let’s start with an introduction to the anthology as a whole:

“Life is a journey, not a destination.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Emerson’s point has been echoed by many, but in the Land of the Weird the question arises, “A journey to what destination?” At the same time, you might ask, “Is the journey therefore the destination?” The journey may well be an individual’s destination, because it will define them physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And in the Land of the Weird, that journey can take twists and turns that amuse, sadden, or horrify.
This trip into the Land of the Weird offers you 39 unique trails to follow, assisted by 35 different guides, each leading you down their own singular paths, manifesting their own view of journey as destination, some laughing, some weeping, and some, eyes wide with fear, shaking as they point out the spectral footpath for you to follow on your way down The Rabbit Hole.

A Writers Co-op Production
Stories by: Chere Taylor, Brian R. Quinn, Arthur M. Doweyko, Donna J. W. Munro, Tom Howard, Kayla Whittle, Leslie Muzingo, Pete Barnstrom, Emmie Christie, Thomas Nicholson, GD Deckard, Richard DeRobertis, M.C. Schmidt, James Dorr, Rosalind Goldsmith, Margaret Karmazin, J.W.Wood, James Rumpel, Bill McCormick, v.f. thompson, Fran Tabor, David K. Slay, Joseph Carrabis, Jane Frankel, Alice Baburek, Susan R. Morritt, Bobby Rollins, Lee Clark Zumpe, Denice Penrose, Stephen McQuiggan, H. Donovan Lyón, Anna Ross, Michael Pudney, Beth Gaydon, and Tom Wolosz.

Brian’s contribution is The Fully Realized Likeness of Alfred K. Friedman. Here’s the opening:

Alfred never did appreciate our friends, yet, here they were, studying his pictures, our pictures, and kneeling down, trying to keep their backs straight, looking uncomfortable in front of his casket, wondering how much time, really, did they need to stay like this?

How the story came about:
This story was born during our daily news editorial meeting; somebody pitched a story about a company which claimed it could, using AI, “store your personality” for future use, presumably when your cryogenically frozen body was thawed out and in need of a cognitive boost.
I couldn’t help but imagine what that would mean to a family whose lost loved one came suddenly come back to life. I also couldn’t help but imagine the salesman, all innocent bluster and checkered sports jacket, showing up during the lost love one’s wake to deliver The Fully Realized Likeness of Alfred K. Friedman.
Continue reading “Brian R. Quinn’s ‘The Fully Realized Likeness of Alfred K. Friedman’ in Writers Co-op Production’s The Rabbit Hole Weird Stories Destination:Journey Anthology”

Mark Reid and I “For the Love of Writing & Living Interestingly” on ZenSammich

Discussions fascinate me. Not so much debates or straightforward interviews, but genuine discussions where there’s mutual respect and both interviewer and interviewee are interesting people.

Wish I was one. Of either.

That noted, Mark Reid, JD, and I had a wonderful discussion on his ZenSammich podcast.

Give a listen and let us know what you think!

Listen on RedCircle, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

 

You Take the Low Road and I’ll Take the High Road

Having created a way of keeping both Raccoons and Coyote happy, we still have a few raccoon not quite appreciating our handiwork.

This video was taken shortly after we invoked our solution and, as you can see, some refuse to benefit from our…generosity? beneficence? skewed Two-Legger attempts at…whatever we were attempting.

And it’s nice to know some get the message.

Future posts reveal more than one gets the message.

Must be a telegraph of The Wild