I love a good short story. I love writing exercises too, and when I recently read Wil Wheaton’s flash fiction story “The Monster In My Closet“, I felt the familiar smack of inspiration hitting me in the back of my mind.

In his post, Wil talks about the little horror stories he used to enjoy as a kid and about writing a short story and putting it out there without editing it too much. Well, I remember those little stories too, and wanted to add a flash fiction story of my own.

So here it is, just in time for Halloween…
(Want to save it for later? Download the pdf.)

The Last Trick or Treat

Every street has an Evil House. That one place where all the kids know not to go, and if you should happen to shoot a ball into that front yard, you write it off as lost forever. The house on our street had been empty since before I was born and it was in bad repair. Some of the windows were broken, the paint had nearly all peeled off and shingles had come off the roof in patches. The yard was so overgrown there was no telling what might be hiding in the tall grass, or in the shade of two large oak trees that hid most of the house from view.

There was a walking path of cracked, mossy tiles leading through a rusty iron fence, past the oak trees and up to the front porch. Once I ventured as far as the trees, to get a better glimpse of the house itself. It was a sunny day and when I saw it, the house looked more sad than evil, just broken down and abandoned. Still, I felt good about overcoming my fear and taking a closer look.

Naturally, I boasted about my adventure like any eight-year-old would, and the other kids on my street were duly impressed. Even Lanky Jones, whose dad was going to buy him a car next summer, had nodded with respect at my brave venture. Then freckle faced Molly had to go and ruin it all by saying she didn’t believe me. She wanted proof!

I don’t hit girls, but if I did, I would have hit Molly for sure. There was a smile on her face like she didn’t even care if I was telling the truth or not. She just wanted to cause trouble for me, and it worked. Soon some of the other kids, most of them older than me, began to question the truth of my tale.

“You did NOT walk all the way past the trees!” Molly shrieked.

“Did too!” I said.

“Did not!” she said.

“Want me to do it again?” I said. “I will, and you can see for yourself.” I felt fairly certain I could find the courage to walk up there a second time, especially with the likes of Lanky Jones paying me notice. I should have guessed that simply walking up to the trees was not enough for Molly.

“If you’re so brave,” she said, “why don’t you do it on Halloween night?”

The other kids all liked that idea. There was much murmuring, nodding of heads and grinning. I was the only one who didn’t seem to care much for Molly’s plan, but what could I do? I was the one who had been bragging and now I was caught. It was a fiendishly smart plan. Halloween was not only the creepiest, most evil night of the year, it was also one of the few nights we kids were allowed to go out after dark. Molly smirked and sensed victory.

“Are you scared?” she asked mockingly.

“No,” I said, trying my best to puff out my chest and look as tough as Lanky. “I’m not scared. It makes no difference to me if it’s halloween.”

And so it was. Eventually summer ended and school began again, and I hoped no one would remember Molly’s dare by the time October came around. But of course, I was wrong. With two weeks to go, she made sure to bring it up in front of everyone.

The next day, I walked by the old house again. I stopped and took a good look. The yard was overgrown and the trees were large and gnarly, but it was the house that was truly scary. Slowly, I began to hatch a plan to get back at Molly. I would go up the path as far as the trees using a flashlight to light my way. Then, as I got to the old oaks, I would click the light off and quickly hide. Maybe even let out a scream. And then I would wait and watch as the others began to worry, slink off home, and the next time I saw them, I would pretend to not remember anything at all. My plan was spooky and creepy and perfect.

And then the night was upon us; it was halloween. Six of us were gathered in front of the Evil House. Lanky Jones was there, so were the pudgy Wesley twins, and Anna Milton – the prettiest girl in my class, invited especially by Molly just so I wouldn’t back out at the last second.

As confident as I had been in my plan, my cool went out the window as soon as I was standing there, looking down the narrow path of tiles, leading into darkness. It was different at night. It felt like the darkness could eat you up if you ventured too far into it. If you squinted, you could barely make out the outline of the house itself, like a monster waiting in the dark. I reminded myself that I didn’t have to go all the way to the house, and that the trees wouldn’t harm me, just hide me from sight.

The twins both hooted and cheered as I took the first few steps. I looked back and saw Anna with her eyes wide open, Molly with her familiar smirk, and Lanky Jones cracking his knuckles in what I chose to read as a sign of respect. Then I turned on my flashlight and turned back towards the dark path before me.

“Remember,” Molly yelled, “it’s bad luck to step on the cracks.”

Everyone laughed, even Lanky, as I involuntarily looked down at my feet. If she was right, I was doomed, I thought at the sight of no less than three cracks coming together under my shoe. I shook off her attempt to rattle me, and kept walking.

It seemed like forever before I got to the trees, I could see the house more clearly now and a chill ran down my spine. Was the front door open? Was that the faintest flicker of a light in there? Or maybe just the light from my flashlight being reflected off a shard of broken glass? The wind picked up and seemed to whisper in my ear. I had to hurry up and hide before my courage ran out.

I screamed and turned off my light. Then I ran to the nearest tree and hid behind its thick, knotted trunk. I could see the other kids out there under the street lights. They were standing on the tips of their toes, peering into the dark, trying to spot me. It made me smile when I saw Anna say something with a worried look on her face. I could not make out the words, but she pointed towards the house as she spoke, and Molly did not seem too pleased about it. The two twins were fidgeting. As seconds became minutes, I felt less scared myself, now that I was watching my plan unfold. I had to bite my lip to avoid laughing.

Finally, Lanky Jones stepped forward and said something. He pulled out a flashlight of his own and pointed up the path. The twins turned white and tried to back away, but the other kids wouldn’t have it, and soon they all started up the path. I began to worry that they would spot me. With nowhere to run, I pressed myself up against the tree and tried to blend in. As long as Lanky’s light did not sweep directly across me, I had a chance of staying hidden.

Soon enough, I could hear them approaching.

“I really don’t think this is a good idea,” said one of the Wesleys, his voice a hoarse whisper.

“Shut up and keep walking.” said Lanky Jones.

“Look!” Molly said, her voice shaky and low. “The front door.”

“Do you think he went inside?” Anna asked Molly.

“We’re going in to find him,” Lanky said. “We all heard the scream. If he is trouble, we owe it to him to help.”

“I don’t owe him anything,” Molly protested.

“You dared him to do this,” Lanky shot back. “You owe him more than the rest of us combined.”

“Hurry up,” Anna said. “if he is in trouble we shouldn’t waste time fighting about it.”

They were at the front porch now. I could hardly believe they were all about to go inside, looking for me. The door being open was a lucky break, I thought, and again I almost burst out laughing. In the meantime, the old porch creaked loudly as other kids climbed the steps to the front door. Quiet as mice they went inside, one at a time.

As the last Wesley stepped inside the door suddenly slammed shut behind him. The sound was so loud, I thought my heart was going to jump right out of my throat. I screamed then, I’m not going to lie about that, and ran as fast as I could back home. That was the last time I ever went trick or treating. And no one ever saw Molly, the Wesley twins, Anna or Lanky Jones again.

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The following is from my notes to “The Whale Omen” – a fantasy roleplaying adventure based off of an older project – my very first attempt at writing a novel, when I was still but a young and innocent teenager. That novel was in itself inspired by an experimental gaming campaign I co-ran with a friend.

I love how ideas can sit and fester for years, blend with other ideas and influences, and come back out looking all new and shiny again.

The reason it came back, was that I started reading the excellent fantasy series “A Song of Ice and Fire” by George R. R. Martin. That made me think of the novel I had written (which I am not ashamed to say, barely deserves even getting mentioned in the same paragraph as mr. Martin’s epic series), which in turn inspired me to want to rewrite it now, 15+ years later. The only thing is, I’m already not writing one novel.

Still, I could not shake it. So, I turned it into a gaming adventure once more, which may yet inspire even further writing later.

The point I’m making is this: the good ideas can be recycled, transmuted and disguised many times over the years. The trick is to keep working with it, or at least that’s my theory.

The Whale Omen Intro

“The Whale Omen” is fantasy with a nordic medieval flavor. The characters are from a clan at the top of Rockbite Bay in the far and barren north, a village of whalers. Magic exists in this world but is rare and regarded with fear and suspicion. The characters are skilled but normal people with a personal tie to this village; it is their home. Once coastal raiders, the people here now catch whales and do trade instead, and live longer, happier lives for it.

Every spring, whales in great numbers pass by and the whalers go out with nets and harpoons. The villagers use everything from their catch. But this year is different. The whales came late, and when they arrived, they were all dead. Bloated, foul smelling carcasses floated past the village for three days.

Many think it is an omen, and the survival of the village is at stake. No whales means nothing to trade but a few sheep and barrels of salted herring. Not enough.

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One of the most inspiring things to me, is to connect to other creative people. It doesn’t matter which kind of creativity, really. It’s about the need to make things, tell stories and doing what you love. Another Passion is my latest ongoing project. It’s a collection of mostly interviews with diversely talented people who are each following their own passion. The blog officially launched in January 2010 with an interview with Tracy Record, who runs a very successful hyperlocal news site.

My plan is to use Another Passion as a muse and motivator, as well as a way of networking locally.

Each interview I write for Another Passion is accompanied by a few portraits. I have made it a rule for myself that all the featured photography must be shot specifically for the content. As much as I love to write, I am also a photographer after all and showcasing my work is important. Also, to take photos I have to meet people face to face, in an age where it would be easier to do the entire interview through e-mail or IM.

The offline aspect adds much more than just the photos, of course. A real handshake and being able to read facial expressions and body language takes it to another level, both in terms of the interview and the networking value. I am much more likely to keep up with people I have had a face-to-face conversation with, next to someone I only know through the web.

Has it generated direct photography business for me? No, not yet. But the blog is still new and I’m confident that it will lead to the occasional client referral down the road. I’ll be happy to settle for the inspiration and satisfaction of simply running Another Passion though, and I don’t use the interviews to pitch my photography services. That has to come organically.

I hope you’ll enjoy Another Passion and find some inspiration through the stories of other creatives. There is also a separate Twitter account for this project. Follow @anotherpassion.

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With this year’s Nanowrimo, I will be finishing the first draft of a novel for the fifth time. It’s a great feeling, to reach that last page and set down that last period. Whenever I’ve done that, I always sit and stare blankly at the screen for a while. In slight disbelief that I did it. That it’s over.

However, getting there is no picnic. Writing is hard work, of that there should be no doubt. On top of the many hours of manually plugging away, possibly wearing out your keyboard in the process, there’s the planning and plotting, the doubt about what you’re doing, the research. And afterwards, there’s the editing.

But like the artist starts with a sketch, so does the writer. I thought, I would share my top ten tips to getting that first draft done, based on my own experiences as well as what I’ve read and heard from other writers.

01 : Hatch the plot

First thing you’ll need is a story to tell. Chances are, that you already have an idea, but that you’re unsure whether or not it’s good enough to last the entire length of a novel. My advice would be to apply the good old what-if technique here. Jot down your basic idea, then examine it by supposing that characters and circumstances were different than you thought. Explore how many different directions your plot could go in. Soon more and more ideas, twists and sub-plots will present themselves. That’s when you know, you’ve got a writeable story.

02 : Understand your characters

Take your main characters and write up profiles for them. Short one-page bios about their backgrounds, their passions and dreams, their most embarrassing moments and regrets. Having this kind of information in advance will prove a goldmine later, when your characters are put into the action, and you need to figure out how they react. Don’t do it for every character. Pick the five or six most important ones. You can always write up extra bios later, if new and important characters present themselves.

03 : It begins with the end

J. K. Rowling of Harry Potter fame, has long said that she wrote the final chapter of the seven book saga a long time ago. This is a great idea, becuase it will give you a distinct goal to write towards. If you don’t want to actually write a chapter (personally, I think my stories flow better if I don’t write them in fragments), you should at least make a few notes on, how you want it all to end. Where will all your main characters be, when it’s all over?

04 : Write out scene-cards

Try to identify what the main turning points in your story will be and write them down on index cards. Include a brief (2-3 lines) description of the scene along with a location and the names of characters present, if applicable. Don’t bother trying to get every scene onto a card. The idea is that when you’re actually writing, you’ll start with the opening scene, while having the card next to you as you write. When that scene is over, flip to the next card and write whatever you need to write, to get your characters to where that scene begins. There may be lots of scenes in between, but you’ll still know where you’re going, and it will give you a sense of accomplishment, every time you get to move on to the next card in the stack.

05 : Don’t forget that this is a draft

Throughout the writing process, you have to remember that a first draft is just that. A draft. Your main concern should be to tell your story, plain and simple. Try not to be overly concerned about the more technical aspects of writing, such as dialogue or description, and concentrate on the flow of events instead. Make sure your characters act like themselves and that the story progresses and eventually comes to its conclusion. And leave the details for the editing process. Practically no novels are written in one draft, but rather through many revisions and editing sessions. Don’t expect that your first draft will be any different.

06 : Find your writing space

Some prefer to write in the comfort of their home, some like to stay after hours at the office. I like to write in coffee shops. When deciding where to write, consider the following: Will you be able to relax there? Will you be able to concentrate? What I like about coffee shops is, that I have a clean table to start off with, I have someone to supply me with a steady stream of caffeine and I often use the other people in there as inspiration – when in need of a quick description for a character in your book, look at the person sitting next to you.

07 : Get rid of distractions

Clear your desk of unopened mail, disable your internet when you write and make sure you had something to eat (but not too much). If you go out to write, leave your cellphone at home. If you stay at home, close the door and tell your room mate to stay out. When you write, eventually your mind will tell you, that this is hard and that other things might be more fun. I’ve found that putting yourself in a position, where distracting yourself requires an effort, you’ll end up getting more writing done.

08 : Set daily goals and stick to them

Even if you don’t write every day, on the days when you do write, you should set yourself a goal. Promise yourself to write for exactly two hours or that you’ll write 2000 words that day. Don’t set it too high, or you’ll end up not making it. The whole point is, that it will serve a victory for you, when you get to the finish line. I used to say, that I’d write as much as I could, in the time it would take me to finish a tall latte, then take a ten minute break and do it all over again. But I’m a slow drinker, so that model might not work for you. It’s all about driving yourself forward. Not writing is the writer’s worst enemy.

09 : Never stop at the end of a chapter

I’m not talking about when you’re getting ready to finish the entire novel here, but rather the individual writing sessions. If you leave off in the middle of something, you’ll be wanting to get back to it and finish the scene you were writing on. Starting at the beginning of a new chapter or scene, requires more effort and will feel like a cold start every time. If you’re afraid to forget that brilliant surprise at the end of the scene you were writing, chances are that you’ll find time to write again sooner, than you might otherwise do.

10 : Keep it to yourself as you go

As soon as people hear that you’re writing a book, the first question will be: What’s it about? My advice is: Don’t tell them. There are two reasons for this. First of all, there’s a tendency, that once you’ve verbalized your plot enough times, you’ll eventually start feeling, like you’ve already told the story, and it will be a lot harder to do the manual work of actually writing it. The second reason is, that you now know that there are people out there, who are curious about your writing. That’s fantastic motivation for getting it done, so they can finally read it.

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