Hi, everyone! It feels like I took an unintentional hiatus last month, mostly due to a sudden bout of indecision and holiday distraction. Now I think I’ve got my schedule (such as it is) straightened out, so I thought I’d have some fun by trying something new. I may have mentioned that I do some fiction writing, and I thought maybe it’s time I start sharing some of that on my blog. For starters, I’ve got slightly revised versions of some super short pieces originally shared on Twitter, but I hope to eventually share some longer stories.
I’m going to share a couple pieces in a post in this test, but I was also thinking of storing them on a separate page. I’m curious to see what you think! Should they be a completely separate thing from my regular posts, appear in the feed as well as have their own page, or just be blog posts like everything else?
It’s between Thanksgiving and Christmas in my neck of the woods, so I thought I’d include a couple food-related stories. One is a format I original called #EmojiStory, but now I’m thinking of labeling it #EmojiToon because it came to my attention that an “emoji story” usually doesn’t include words. Instead, I use the emojis to set the expressions for two characters who alternate lines of dialogue or reaction. For instance:
#EmojiToon, “So Close”
😫 “I worked so hard, and met all the usual requirements, but they still rejected it!”
😯 “Short story or novel?”
😩 “My cats’ dinner!”
😶
The second story was written from a daily prompt #vss365, which challenges writers to include daily theme words in their stories. When it comes to writing, I prefer a longer format, but that’s exactly why I was excited about trying these Twitter challenges that would force me to keep it short. The theme word in this case was “tumbling.”
The Cure
“I can’t do this.” Fusa eyed the rows of sweet-packed shelves.
“The cure for your curse lies beyond that door,” the oni insisted, extending one talon toward the far end of the room.
Fusa groaned and ran.
Halfway across, her hair twitched and came tumbling loose. The back of her head smiled open.
“Lunchtime,” Kuchi purred.
A bit creepy? Maybe, but I had fun working with some mythology-based characters! Can you identify what Fusa’s curse is, and where she hails from? And what do you think about these stories, and the experiment of posting them here? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Illuminating the Fool's Mirror 
Once more, a bit of legend education, but this time hidden in fiction! Loved it. Reminded me of that little girl in Ms. Peregrine’s Peculiar Children. I think you should do more of these!
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Thank you! I am hoping to do some pieces related to the mythology topics I cover. It’s just tricky to find the right angle to make those things feel alive! 😊
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I occasionally post a Journey to the West-related story idea to my blog. They get little to not views, but I do it anyway. So I say do what makes you happy.
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Thanks for the encouragement! Now I want to go read all your story ideas. 😁 I think I have read a few. You’ve come up with some really engaging and fresh ideas! I know after reading your suggested changes to the DC and Marvel attempts to incorporate a Monkey King into their universes, I really wished I could read those as full stories.
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You and me both. I’m great at coming up with ideas. It’s fleshing them out into a story that’s the problem.
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That is so exciting to hear you plan on posting fiction!!! It is a little intimidating at first, but once you put your stories out there it feels great to know that people are reading and enjoying them! I think you should post it in whichever way feels best for you — personally I have always posted my fiction as regular blog posts, usually one “chapter” per post, but labeled them in my “fiction” category so that they are all located in one place. And I would usually add a brief intro or place something in the title to let people know it’s a story.
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Ah, those are good ideas for making fiction work as posts! Thank you! It is a little intimidating, but it’s encouraging seeing people like you who have shared their work. 😊
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Awesome! Hearing you’re going to start posting your creative writing is the best news ever! The emojitoon is great and I’m out of the loop, I didn’t understand what was happening with the ogre. Lol! Post more, quick!
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Ah, I’m glad you enjoyed these! 😊
Yeah, I was thinking of expanding the story with Fusa a bit. Technically it is a little longer than the original version, but only by a few words. A few paragraphs at least might be nice to develop the scene more. For this first test, though, I didn’t want to change too much.
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I understand the desire to keep the artistic vision. Looking forward to more! Why not post another short story as a comment right now?! I won’t tell anyone!
I’m really excited that you’ve gotten over your shyness when it comes to sharing creative writing. I’ll share some laughably bad poetry if it’s encouraging ~ 😂
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And Merry Christmas!
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How’s things?
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Stories would be a wonderful addition to your site.
When I first started kindfeelings I posted mystery, detective and horror short stories, then I later removed them and started writing articles. However I plan to start posting a story now and then so we are thinking along the same lines.
Happy new year.
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