Welcome!

Hi! I'm just getting started in writing, and I'm posting some of my experiments and other short stories here. Offline, I'm working on building my "rejection slip collection" with other stories.

Please enjoy the short stories and writing experiments I've posted here. I always enjoy constructive criticism.

I'm very interested in improving my abilities as an author, and I like to experiment with different genres and story ideas when I write. A lot of what I'll be posting here will be somewhat unfinished, I figure I'd rather post and learn what I can than have something never get written because I fret too much about how it will turn out.

Thanks for coming!

11 August 2008

An Outtake From My Day

I had been working on making some Teriyaki chicken, with an open bottle and a closed bottle of Teriyaki sauce. I had finished the opened bottle and set it on the counter(I thought) and began opened the previously unopened bottle. When I turned back to the counter, the bottle I had finished was missing. All that was left was a solitary cap. I began looking furiously around where I had been standing when I set the finished bottle down, for I feared someone finding the bottle and saying the equivalent of "What the...?! What is this bottle doing here? Good grief, it's all moldy!" and then, being blamed. After looking throroughly on the counters and in the trash can, I became convinced that the imps had stolen the bottle for some devious purpose. After I began pouring more Teriyaki sauce on the chicken that remained, my friend(who was making a salad at the time) looked into the trash can and said, "Hey! I see a nutrition facts label!" Sure enough, when I had moved the trash around so that I could see the rest of the label, it was the missing Teriyaki bottle I had left "on the counter." I still think the imps did it. Not long after, I began looking for the cap to the "missing bottle." When I informed my friend of this, she looked meaningfully in the trash can. I smacked her.

09 August 2008

Nina the Hero, Pt. 3

"Ninny, how many times have I told you not to bring your hands up that fast," Shazimner said from a pile of hay in Nina's family's barn.
"Yeah, yeah. And how many times have I told you not to call me Ninny?" Nina retorted as she pulled Shazimner out of the hay.
"Nina!" Nina's father called. "Where are you?"
"Practicing my swordsman ship in the barn," she hollered back. Her father stepped into the barn.
"Nina," he said, "Don't you have anything better to do with your time?"
"Like chittering about the pretty dress in the store and how much you want it?" Shazimner suggested.
"And anyone better to spend your time with?" Her father sighed. "Nina, I got you a dress for the fair this friday, if you're interested."
Nina dropped Shazimner and ran forward to hug her father.
"Oh, sure. Don't worry about the sword," Shazimner mumbled.
"Really, father?" Nina asked. He nodded. "Oh, thank you!"

Nina the Hero, Pt. 2

Nina grinned up at her older brother. It was her thirteenth birthday today, and as a present, her brother, Daniel, was taking her on a hunting trip.
"Oh, Daniel! Look! A huge deer," Nina whispered excitedly. Daniel followed her finger to where a buck was sitting sunning itself. It cocked an ear towards them as Daniel knocked an arrow into his bow. He drew the string back, then let go. Daniel walked up to the body. Nina began to follow, but stopped when she noticed a flash of light. She crept carefully forward. She crouched down and poked tentatively at a sword that was lying in front of her.
"Hey!" it shouted in a deep, ringing voice. Nina tried to jump back from a crouch but ended up sprawling on her back. "Cut that out, will you? You don't see me poking you."
"Pardon me," she gasped, "But did you just speak to me?"
"Who else could have? The tree?"
"Well, actually," the tree began politely.
"My name is Shazimner," the sword said, ignoring the tree.
"Er... Mine's Nina, I guess," Nina muttered.
"Well, 'Nina, I guess,' how would you like to be a hero? Don't just give me an awestruck look, answer me!"
"Yes, sir. I would like that, sir," Nina replied.
"And don't talk to me like I'm you're dad, girl! You can just refer to me as 'Almighty Lord and Master,' OK?" the sword said. Nina narrowed her eyes. Her initial shock was starting to fade.
"I'm just going to call you sword or Shazimner."
"Nina!" her brother called. "Where are you?" Nina snatched up the sword and ran up to her brother. "Hey, cool sword! Where'd you find it?" Daniel asked as soon as Nina came within his sight.
"Right over there." She pointed. "Daniel! I'm gonna be a hero!"
"No need to get frenetic about it," Shazimner muttered.
"It talks? Neat!" Daniel said enthusiastically.