[Patreon is a membership platform that enables artists to live off their craft. Or maybe it's a Go-Fund-Me for creatives. Anyone who lives with an artist understands the financial black hole spawned by art. Or, to put it plain: How is a small pepperoni pizza like a full-time writer? Neither can feed a family of four. …
Category: fiction
The Shot: Fiction for Microcosms
Like all the outliers I've covered, this planet was named for some dead Earthian. Back then you could have a star named after yourself for less than the cost of a decent dinner. This man had a hundred stars named after him. Trump XV looked no different than all the others. When the infrastructure goes, …
Be a Flasher
Not that kind of flasher, naughty bird. A flash fiction writer. Why should I be a flash fiction writer? You ask. I'm glad you did. Flash fiction forces several wondrous talents upon you: Economy of language. Full-bodied plot in a tiny, weeny package. A stretch into new genres, styles, content.* Opportunity for you to turn …
The Gift: Fiction for Microcosms
Cal feared the new garbage truck: its dinosaur bellow of steel on steel as the automated arm plucked the blue plastic containers like weeds, flipped them upside down, and dumped the contents with an explosive crash. The engineering marvel rescued lower backs and killed jobs, but Cal wouldn't know anything about that, being seven. All …
Flash Fiction: The Writing on the Wall
Shem's last straw as maintenance man was the locker room. "Not touching that." "Shem, you don't get to choose what you clean around here. Either get going on that or... get going." His boss thumbed toward the exit sign. Shem got. No way was he going to scrub a floor-to-ceiling mural of excrement. A cashier …
Duplicitous: Flash Fiction for Microcosms
As they approached, a big rabbit appeared over the edge of the ditch, looked at them quickly and vanished into the bank. Hazel let out a cry and floundered after as best she could in the cumbersome space suit. "Don't," Tom said. But Hazel didn't listen. Their ship carved the very ditch into which the rabbit, …
My Alarm Clock Told Me
My alarm clock told me it was time to wake up. But it didn't stop there. It went on to remind me about yesterday. I hit snooze. My mirror told me I look rather haggard lately. Getting old and ugly and hadn't you better work on your personality? The mirror disagreed strongly with my alarm clock. …
Funny! Fiction for Cracked Flash
Waiver Most epic adventures don't start out with an application and an insurance waiver, but Tom Kinzel, CEO of Chilly Thrills saw the writing on the wall: the positive correlation between epicness and peril. The 200 bodies strewn upon Mt. Everest gave their silent testimony: counterphobia (charging your worst nightmare) while epic, is risky. But …
Fiction for Microcosmsfic.com
Washed Away "At it again?" Ella asked, standing over the hunched form of her husband. Darrin's once-white robe was covered with a dusting of sand and browned on the butt. Ella handed him a steaming cup of coffee. A sand-encrusted hand trembled but received it gratefully. A ring of untanned skin was all that …
Congratulations Writing Contest Winners, Winter 2017!
One of the highlights of the year for me is the 5000 Words Writing Contest. Homeschooled students ages 13 & up participate in a creative writing workshop and post their revised drafts as contest entries. Entirely peer-judged, the contest prompts some of the most tectonic revisions and highly polished writing these students are capable of …
Continue reading Congratulations Writing Contest Winners, Winter 2017!
KL Griffiths 