The nighttime still so soundless,
Filled with
Something dread.
A monster deep inside us.
Begging to be fed. Continue reading
Author Archives: coolerbs
On Inspiration–And What To Do With It
An interesting thing happened to me on Sunday night, and in my attempts to be more personal and open with you guys, I thought I’d share it with you.
I became inspired. I met inspiration. The taskmaster and–though often not permanent–companion of the working artist. And like a bomb blast in my head, a story came to me. Continue reading
Flash Fiction: Complicated And Nuanced
Nobody ever said creating art was easy.
A flash fiction called:
Complicated And Nuanced
—
“AHHHH!” the man screamed at the empty sheet of paper, making it move in a slight, wavering fashion on the mahogany wood table.
He reared back, his face taking on a bluish tinge, and he breathed in and out. The man sounded, vaguely, like a squeaky toy caught underneath a car’s tire. Continue reading
SUPRISE! A Discussion About Twists
Would you believe this is the second time I’ve tried to write an article like this? For some reason, I find the concept of twists hard to describe, despite being so fond of them.
And I’m not sure why.
Perhaps it’s because they are themselves based on surprise and the unknown? A good twist you don’t see coming. And since I feel at least a little qualified to talk about it, I thought I’d give some advice on how to do a twist well.
In list form, of course, because this is the internet after all. Continue reading
Flash Fiction: We Know (Part 3 of 3)
This is part three of the tale of a woman and a curious dating app. If you haven’t read the first or second parts, you can find them by clicking on the links.
For everyone else. Let’s continue!
—
When I got to the actual car, walking away from the staring public, it was twice as ugly as I thought it would be. A pickup is already a shitty car anyway. Power sure, but no class.
The light blinked on, and I heard the sound of my never would have been date walking over. I got into the car and listened to the muffled sound of his shoes against the street. Continue reading
So, Your Word Count Bothers You?
Are you ashamed of your word count? Do you feel like you just don’t write enough each day?
Well, you’re not alone. I’d say most writers struggle with word count. It’s a hurdle. Like most targets or quotas.
I mean, hell, the first novel I tried to write–when I was fourteen–was somewhere in the ballpark of 10,000 words, and back then I thought that was a huge feat.
But it doesn’t have to be all that brutal. Or rather, it can be a lot more manageable. Continue reading
Flash Fiction: We Know (Part 2 of 3)
This is part two of the tale of a woman and a curious dating app. If you haven’t read the first part, you can find it by clicking on this link (CLICK HERE)
For everyone else. Let’s continue!
—
The dark streets gave way to the inside of the place and the bustle of people talking in a too quiet way that added up to a too loud room. Waitresses, all Asian-looking, but probably American-born, walked from table to table serving food on wood platters. Sake looked good right about then.
The hostess looked at me once, made some internal judgment, and waved to me. I gave her my full attention and glared.
“May I get you a table?”
“I have a reservation for two. It’s under Barry.” Continue reading
What “Mile 81” Taught Me About Horror
I don’t know if you guys have read–or in my case are reading–Stephen King’s Bazaar of Bad Dreams. But if you haven’t, I seriously recommend it. Every chapter, at least so far, starts with the King himself talking about the inspiration for the story–and that alone is beneficial. If you are a student of the literary arts, it’s worth the price of admission just for that.
And when I started reading, I, of course, got to the first story, a little tale called “Mile 81”. It’s a horror story. One so well-crafted that by the end of it I learned so many new things about how to do horror well, my head spun.
And though some of this may be common knowledge, I thought I’d share some of it with you. Continue reading
Flash Fiction: We Know (Part 1 of 3)
I’m late! I’m late! I’m sorry guys, there was a bit of an issue with my usual editing process and I couldn’t get this out on my usual Saturday.
I hope you forgive me :(.
But, to make up for it, I have a massive treat for you. A story that took many hours to craft and refine, and is so big that it will take three parts to tell it.
It’s the story of a woman and a not so ordinary dating app.
I call it:
We Know
—
My phone lit up in my hand, and the dating application icon bounced twice.
“We know,” it said.
The words were faint. The sound almost unheard. But I looked at it and scoffed in my head. I doubt they really knew; I’d covered up everything perfectly. Continue reading
The Importance Of Fans
Let me get one thing straight: an artist who says he doesn’t care about what others think about his work is a dirty, dirty liar, or a much stronger man/woman than I.
And I am not ashamed to say that if it wasn’t for people validating what I do, and being kind enough to let me ramble on and on about writing, I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t have the tiny bit of success I’ve eked out of this world. Continue reading
Flash Fiction: Heat
A story about a dark outcome. A story hopefully never real.
A story called:
Heat
—
We drive because an airplane would be too slow. The takeoff would not happen in time, and that wasn’t an option when we knew what was coming.
And we did know, but no one else did. We would sound like maniacs on the street if we tried to tell them. Continue reading
Real Talk Here: Please Read (This Involves You)
I’m hesitant to bring this up. I’m not sure if I can properly cover this in an article. It’s special to me, and precious, and exactly the sort of thing you’re supposed to share with people.
It’s a belief I have. An idea that a friend of mine gave me the seeds to think with. And it’s big, and it involves all of you. Continue reading
Weird Flash Fiction: Let’s Picture A Room
Oh yeah, this is going to be weird. Strap in folks.
I call it:
Let’s Picture A Room
—
Let’s paint a picture shall we? Let’s go with a living room. It’s a tad hazy at first, though. Since I didn’t give you any specifics. Or you just subbed in a living room like the one you have, or what a friend has. But you can see a living room now. You should see it clearly. Continue reading
Smile, Nod, And Keep On Writing
When the doubts set in, and other artistic pursuits seem easier.
Smile, Nod, and Keep on Writing.
When you feel the sting of every imperfect sentence and line in a story.
Smile, Nod, and Keep on Writing.
When you’re tired. When you can’t muster the will. When a voice in your head says you can take off one night. Continue reading
Flash Fiction: Like Insects
While most of my stories tend to be dark, this one is bordering on pure surrealism. A story about unknowable and strange things I call:
Like Insects
—
The beetle’s liquid squirts up in an arc once the needle plunges into its exoskeleton. It squirms, the legs trying to run.
The man holds the needle with a pair of fingers, not even feeling the momentum of his tiny victim. He pushes down until the needle breaks into the corkboard. The bug keeps failing to escape. Continue reading
Coolerbs Writes 