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A blog about my writing the epic saga and assorted thoughts. |
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To start this blog…jumbled thoughts When I was in seventh grade, my teacher, Mrs. Banks, asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. Without hesitation, I said, “I want to be a writer.” She looked at me and said it would never happen. Never? Fast forward. In high school, I became editor of the school newspaper all four years—grades nine through twelve. Later, I earned a full scholarship to college because of my passion for journalism. So why was she so certain I couldn’t do it? Because at the time, my reading comprehension was poor. I couldn’t spell. My grammar was atrocious. I thank God for Mrs. Day my tutor. But what Mrs. Banks didn’t know—what no test score could measure—was that I had a gift for storytelling. I could hold a room captive for hours, spinning tales for friends and family straight from my imagination. That was my superpower. The best writing advice I’ve ever received was simple: Just tell the story. Write your first draft without worrying about spelling, grammar, or the “small stuff.” If you focus too much on perfection, the story itself gets lost. So that’s what I do. Even with all the modern writing tools available, I still write my stories the same way—heart first. The first draft is just me, telling the story as it comes. It may not be the way everyone writes, but it’s what works for me. Because at the end of the day, I write because I love to tell stories. And yes—my favorite stories always end in happily ever after. Someone once told me I must be a hopeless romantic because I’m obsessed with happy endings. They were right. My head is often in the clouds, and I like it that way. I don’t like nightmares. I prefer dreams filled with love, kindness, and a little magic. Because in my world, the story is everything. The story must be told. |
This was entered in the Daily Flash Fiction Challenge on November 5, 2025 The challenge: must be 300 words or less Write a story that includes the line: “Here comes trouble” Trouble Comes In Raccoon Here Comes Trouble If there was one rule in Mapleberry Hollow, it was this: Never trust a raccoon with ideas. Especially not Buttons. Buttons considered himself an inventor. Everyone else considered him… a situation. His latest experiment involved a slingshot, three acorns, and a mysterious jar labeled “Absolutely Not For Launching.” On the porch, curled like a cloud-puff, napped Twinkle the kitten. Precious. Delicate. A purring angel wrapped in fur. Buttons nudged her paw. “Wake up, tiny fluff. Adventure.” Twinkle blinked. “Is it snack-related?” “Better. Heroics.” Five squirrels froze on the fence like a furry chorus. The blue jays cleared the branches. Somebody whispered, “Oh no. It’s happening again.” Buttons puffed out his chest. “Behold. The Acorn Accelerator!” Twinkle squinted. “That looks like a fork taped to a rubber band.” “A visionary’s work is often misunderstood.” Buttons pulled back the band. The fork trembled. The acorn trembled. The universe trembled. “Here comes trouble,” sighed a wise old toad from his lily pad. Buttons let go. The acorn flew. Then the jar flew. Then Buttons flew. Twinkle watched as he cartwheeled through the air with the grace of a slightly confused laundry sock. He landed in a bush. The bush grunted. Bushes should not be able to grunt. Twinkle trotted over, tail high. “Are you alive?” A leaf flopped. “Yes,” Buttons groaned. “And I regret nothing.” Twinkle patted his head. “Next time, we start with snacks.” Across the yard, the squirrels nodded in solemn agreement. A jay muttered, “We should really form a safety committee.” Buttons popped up, eyes sparkling with new disaster. “Snack-powered rocket boots!” Twinkle sighed. “The toad was right. Trouble really does come in raccoon.” Word count -274 ======= I received one positive review… “Haha, I enjoyed this fun story. That raccoon is irrepressible. He certainly is full of ideas and enthusiasm. I can envision the animation or artwork to accompany this tale. I can see all the worried animals as spectators. That final line sums up everything.” from Maid of the Mist Most Macabre ======= |
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