Samples of my writing from science fiction to mainstream to nonfiction
When the sad and lonely sky reverses itself
In a dry and dusty land where the brine pools
And dries before it touches the ground
One turns away from pitiful attempts
To build a bridge across the chasm
To deny the want the desire the purpose
All the while the struggle to surrender twins of anger and resentment
Repeats over and over like an unsteady drum
Eyes are opened wide by a greater hand
And one can no longer hide a head in the sand.
Here’s an idea from my journal. Let me know what you think in the comments, Facebook, email, contact form, whatever:
Rock climber in Colorado. He watches another climber shimmy up an iced face. The other climber makes a move so fast the watcher almost doesn’t catch it. But catch it he does. It was a move impossible for a human to make.
What does an alien do when stranded on a planet not his own? When he has a long life, and needs to hide out from crowds of people? Learns how to be a mountaineer, of course. Find out how one man learns his secret.
I’ve finished my second science fiction story. Not sure I’m happy enough with it to submit it, so I’m debating whether or not to shelve it, find a second- or third-tier market for it, or keep working on rewriting it.
Here’s an excerpt:
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Here’s an excerpt from my writing journal, about space exploration:
“T minus 3 minutes”
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I’ve mentioned that many of my ideas come from dreams. Earlier this year I woke up after dreaming up a setting. No full story, mind you, but just a very specific location. Here’s what I wrote up in my writing journal:
They had found a new location for their little church.
A road dead-ended into a yellow stone plaza. Around was an entire complex of made of yellow stone mortared into place hundreds of years ago.
To the west were the doors to an old little church, built into the larger complex. It was also made of yellow stone, but the thick, tall doors were made of solid dark wood smooth from the ages.The doors were about six feet tall, but over the doors was a built-in pediment of sorts, made of the same wood, curving up and over the doors in a half-moon arching over the door. Inside the half-moon were two quarters of stained glass, small but blending in nicely over the doors. The whole entrance was about nine feet tall.
Across the courtyard to east was a tall wall, about fourteen feet tall, also mortared with yellow brick. It ran from the courtyard northwards, pacing the edge of the street for at least a block until the street cornered to the left. Southwards, the wall ended in a large archway, opening onto some greenery. A path on the other side of the walls lead north through the trees along the hilly banks of the river. The path soon curves and slopes downwards, meeting the river’s edge, water lapping peacefully.
If you continue south from the courtyard, passing the archway and enticing path by, You pass by some small rooms of the complex built into the south side of the courtyard. This part of the complex rises at least two floors above the courtyard and attaches to the southeast edge of the church, continuing along the south side of the church.
Past this narrow wing, you face directly to the south, where another, slightly wider wing of the complex has windows out onto the park on the east side, and windows out on to a small lane running north-south on the west side. The small lane is bordered on the other side by a canal.
Another courtyard of sorts faces you as you turn west. On this little section of land are several small outbuildings. The one on the right, closest to the narrow wing, is for the church building.Behind the sheds the water of the canal laps peacefully.