The Masque of the Red Death
“The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe tells the tale of Prince Prospero who, when hemorrhagic fever rages through in his kingdom, retreats […]
short fiction
Story Idea Generation: Local Hauntings
Fiction story ideas are all around us. It’s not a matter of finding them so much as just opening your eyes and seeing them. A […]
The Machine Stops
E.M. Forster is not known as a speculative fiction author, but his story “The Machine Stops” (originally published in 1909) is an extremely good example […]
Shared World Anthologies
A shared world anthology (also known as a shared universe anthology) is a type of themed anthology in which the writers create works – usually […]
Themed Anthologies
A themed anthology is a book-length work containing short stories, essays or poetry all written by different authors on the same theme, concept or topic. […]
The Fix-Up
Most avid fiction fans have probably read plenty of fix-ups, but they might not know the term for this type of book. A fix-up is a collection of […]
What’s a Collection?
In publishing, a collection is a book of short pieces (stories, essays, or poetry) all written by the same author or co-authors. Contrast this with […]
Unreliable Narrators
Caitlín R. Kiernan’s dark fantasy novel The Drowning Girl: A Memoir and Robert W. Chambers’ supernatural story collection The King in Yellow have several themes in common—ancient […]
On Editing and Diversity
I’ve had quite a few stories out in the past few years. There are more to be published, and more to be written. Mostly, I’m […]
On Plots in Fiction
Simply put, a plot is the series of events that make up a fictional story or novel. My first really big epiphany with regard to […]
The Most Difficult Part of the Story: Beginning, Middle or End?
What’s the most difficult part of writing a fiction story? The beginning, middle, or end? The answer to that question will vary widely depending on […]
Why aspiring novelists should write short stories
Aspiring Novelist: Sure, we all had to read “The Lottery” and stuff in high school, but who really reads short fiction these days? Aren’t short stories […]