Short Story Day!

Hey Everyone!

Today is the big day... the day when my short story retelling of "Swan Lake" goes live on Wattpad! It is the eleventh entry in @_Once_Upon's "30 Tales of Spring" Anthology. We've already seen some really amazing stories from ten other authors, and there are still more to come between now and the end of the month. I have been very impressed with the creativity that has been on display in these spring-themed retellings, and I think you will be too.

In other news, I have recently decided to give Wattpad's new TapChat app a try, and boy, is it fun! For those who haven't heard about apps like this before, here is a quick breakdown. Writers create stories that are told exclusively in chat format. Text, IMs, that kind of chatting. They can keep everything in one scene, or break it up into multiple scenes that indicate location or character changes, or even just the passage of time between one part of a conversation to the next. Readers then "tap" through the story, following the conversation as though it were happening in real time.

I've got two stories up on my Tap account so far. The first is a bonus scene called "Damage Control: A 'Princess of the Peas' Moment," featuring Henry and Alice and their damage control plans after Kate learns that she is still competing in the culinary competition after believing she had been eliminated. It's short, sweet, and is meant to give a little insight into the characters while readers wait for the next chapter update.

The second story is one I've been trying to find a way to tell for a long time. It's called "Sergeant Hood: Operation Retold." Of course it is a modern-day Robin Hood retelling, starring Sergeant Robert Hood, a modern-day member of the American military who comes home from deployment to find that the government has been drastically undermining American liberties while he was overseas. I've gone over a zillion ways to tell this story, but haven't found the right tone yet. With Tap, however, I have a perfect venue to start working out some of the more basic elements of the idea. Pairing the whole thing down to just conversations and characterizations has been a fascinating and enlightening experience. I'm definitely looking forward to working more with Tap in the future.

Check out all of these new stories at the links provided above!

Happy Reading!

"30 Tales of Spring" on Wattpad

Hey Guys!

Now that it is March, I am excited to talk a bit about the project I am participating in this month. It is an anthology of stories that are centered around fairy tales and springtime. Thirty authors were chosen by invitation and through a contest, and each has written a short story (2,000-4,000 words). The anthology is titled "30 Tales of Spring," and it is hosted by the ambassador-run fairy tale account on Wattpad, @_Once_Upon.

The ambassadors are doing incredible work in bringing the fairy tale-writing community together on Wattpad. When I first joined the site two years ago, there wasn't much recognition by the community at large of fairy tale retellings. The sheer popularity of the genre, however, has inspired an effort to make it more visible to readers and writers alike. @_Once_Upon shares insights into the history of various tales, runs contests to encourage writers to create more content, and acts as a central location for fans of the genre to unite. It is especially fun to have been invited to participate in one of their first anthologies. Hopefully there will be more opportunities like this in the future to support their great work.

So, how can you get in on the action and read the stories in the anthology for yourself? Simply visit the @_Once_Upon page every day during the month of March, and you will be treated to fresh, original content until the month ends! Don't have time to read every day? Not a problem! The anthology will be available to read in its entirety even after the month is over.

I particularly recommend that you check out "Daughter of Spring" by Ffion (@welshfoxglove) and "Mildew and Dimwit" by Sarah Penney (@Pennywithaney). Both are friends of mine, and their stories are delightfully fun.

What is my contribution, you ask? I'm glad you did, because I am really excited about it! My story is being featured on March 11th, and it is my very first attempt at writing an actual short story. The story is a modern retelling of the story/ballet "Swan Lake." I have plans to either expand it into a novella or novelette, or to write some more short stories for an anthology of my own. I haven't decided yet. The story is set in Boston, my home city, and home to the iconic Swan Boats that take tourists for rides around the lake in the Public Garden. Boston is especially beautiful in the spring, and I have been looking for an opportunity to set a story there for quite some time. I won't say anything else about it, since it will be out in a few days, but please make sure to leave a comment on it when you read it and let me know what you think!

For now, check out the inspiration board I made for the story on Pinterest, as well as this peek at the cover I designed.

Happy Reading!