The Emperor’s New?

I have a question for you at the end of my story. Once there was an emperor who ruled an empire. Except he didn't. He spent most of his time throwing parties and surrounded himself with men and women who flattered his vanity. But he saved his greatest passion for clothes--of all shades and for …

Fairy tale Endings and a Passel of Princesses

Fairy tales like drama, specifically uncertainty. They fixate on main characters who often are in situations most of us would consider cruel and unusual and then give them over to situations that sound better, but just as unsure. Why are they okay with this and more importantly, why are we? Last weekend I saw Ralph …

OOO October’s Outta the Drawer Originals, part V–The Finale

October is almost over and with it's departure comes my last entry for OOO October's Outta the Drawer Originals. I hope it inspire at least one or two of you to unearth some old stories or come up with some new ones. My finale is inspired by my yearly Halloween costume--a night fairy. It's more …

OOO October’s Outta the Drawer Originals, part III

I don't know about you, dear reader, but here summer is finally in full retreat and autumn has arrived. It's my favorite time and also my most creative. The first short story I wrote when I decided to call myself a writer out loud was inspired by this picture: It made me think of an …

OOO October’s Outta the Drawer Originals, part II

The only thing scarier to a writer than sharing their work, is sharing work you assume is less than perfect. For this week's offering, I'm sharing some bad poetry. I'm not a poet, but sometimes the feeling hits me to write in verse. Maybe my regular muse takes a break and trades off with her …

OOO October’s Outta the Drawer Originals

I interrupt the regularly scheduled FTBC for a special offering. FTBC will return next month. I've been on a alliterative kick lately (for proof see my book website's newest page, Fourth Fridays for Fantasy Foodies) and today is no different. I read a blog post that recommended putting original work out in the world--a frightening …

Unique To This Moment, or Telling Time the Fairy Tale Way

Here's a random fact about me. I really love clever ways of marking the passage of time. Why say, "in a year", when you can say, "when the barren trees are ready for harvest again"? I especially love it when it illustrates a character. Let me explain... Better yet, here are some examples: When a …

Diamonds or Toads?

I'm a bit of a news junkie. I get most of my news from newspapers both at home and abroad. But, I will admit that lately I've had to take news breaks because it's become frustrating and ugly. This is not a post about the news. I won't write about politics, nor will I push …

Fairy Tale Book Club–The Goose Girl, or how to be a princess without really trying

Welcome to the first posting of the FTBC. And today we'll start with The Goose Girl. Fairy tales are something we keep discovering. I know I am. Sometimes I’m pleasantly surprised when I read a new story. This was not one of those times. The Goose Girl, one of the many stories from the brothers …

The Witch

As a young girl, I wanted to be a witch. They were mystical and wise. People came to them for help. Most importantly, witches had magic. They could conjure spells, brew potions, and divine the future. In short, they effected real change with power, knowledge and will. Who wants to be a princess when that's …