Archive for Writing

Can’t Get Off the Carousel: A Short Story

Can't Get Off the Carousel

This short story is an mashup alternative ending to the short stories No One’s a Mystery by Elizabeth Tallent and Teenage Wasteland by Anne Tyler, based on the song Carousel by Linkin Park. This is the story of two very damaged people; a girl who keeps running between relationships with awful men, and a man who can’t deal with adult responsibility and turns to drugs. This story is a bit different from most of my stories, but I originally wrote this piece for a creative writing assignment in college. I suppose this story could be considered fanfiction of sorts, since the two characters were taken from other works.

Can’t Get Off the Carousel

I still have the diary. So much has changed in my life since Jack gave me the diary two years ago. I’m not even sure if I should still be using it. A diary is meant to be a chronicle of one’s life, but my life has changed so much that, maybe, it can’t even be considered the same life anymore. Perhaps it would make more sense to get rid of this thing and start fresh. But I guess it’s useless to try to destroy the past. The past is what lead us both here to the present, after all.

Donny is still in bed, though it’s nearly three in the afternoon. I didn’t hear him come in last night, but I think it’s safe to say he had a rough night and needs his rest. I don’t know where he goes most nights and he never tells me, but I respect his privacy. A man needs to have a life of his own. We’ve been together for over a year now, but there’s still so much I don’t know about him. But I can’t imagine anyone loving anybody more than I love Donny. And he needs me, just like I need him.

Read the rest on LetterPile…

The Forest Witch: A Short Story

Gothic Witch

A young witch yearns for the life of a mortal and decides to leave the forest and move to the city once she comes of age, leaving behind everything she ever knew to start a new life of her own. Will the life of a mortal in the bustling city be everything she ever wanted, or will she yearn for the home she left behind?

The Forest Witch: A Short Story – Part 1

The lights below were mesmerizing. Though River knew that she shouldn’t be flying above the trees so near the mortal world – and so far from her own home – she couldn’t help but be drawn to the brilliant lights emanating from city. They contrasted with the darkness of the surrounding forests and seemed to beckon her to them. She felt spellbound by their promises of a life filled with freedom and excitement.

This wasn’t the first time that River had ventured so near the mortal city. She came here to observe the mortal’s ways after dusk whenever she got a rare chance to break away from performing rituals with her mother and father. Through the darkness River could see lights twinkling and moving below. Oh how wondrous it must be to live in a city like this. There must be so much to do, so much to see, and so many new people to meet. The mortals were not bound by the endless cycles of nature. Their artificial lights meant they could move around and live their lives as they chose, without the restrictions set by the sun and moon.

Even as the city lights called to her, River knew that she must turn back. Her mother and father were waiting for her in their cottage deep within the forest. She was still several moons away from becoming a fully independent witch and still had much to learn before setting off on her own.

Moonlight, River’s familiar spirit and closest confidant, had been uncharacteristically quiet for most of the trip. She let out a gentle purr as River turned her broomstick around and headed back into the forest.

Read the rest on LetterPile

My New Portfolio Website

Book and Pen

I just realized that I never posted an update about my writing portfolio website that I mentioned in a previous post. My portfolio site, JenniferWilber.com went live back in January. My portfolio includes some of my favorite articles, short stories, and other writing projects that I have worked on. I hope to use this site to gain more freelance writing work or to get hired in a regular job as a writer. If you are looking for a writer, please check out my site. My contact information is listed there.

If you or your company are looking for a creative freelance writer, or looking to hire a writer to join your team, please visit my portfolio website to view my work samples and contact information.

JenniferWilber.com

Stray: A Short Story

black kitten

“Stray” is a short story about a small black kitten who is abandoned time and time again before finally finding a loving home. A must read for all cat lovers.

Stray: A Short Story

I was brought here at the end of autumn, as the final leaves fell to the ground, the winds got colder, and the nights became the longest that I have ever known. I didn’t know it then, but my life was about to change, forever.

I’ve had many homes throughout my short life before I was brought here. None of them lasted for long. I was always cast out for one reason or another, though I was never quite sure why. I did my best to make them want me. I really did. But it seems that my best just wasn’t good enough for them. At least not for most of them. Not until I met her.

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The Crow’s Cry: A Short Story

A crow flying

The Crow’s Cry is short story of betrayal. The entire village turns on their back on their healer Abigail and her lover Sarah upon accusations of witchcraft by a stranger who recently arrived in their village.

The Crow’s Cry

As the flames crept up her dress and engulfed her bound body, Abigail gazed out into the crowd. So many familiar faces who had once relied on her and her craft now looked upon her with derision and fear. The bishop stood in front of the raised platform, chanting in an ancient language she could not comprehend. Abigail gasped as smoked filled her lungs. She was determined not to let the mob see her wince in pain as the fire rose higher, scorching her skin.

A crow circled above the mob, drawing Abigail’s attention to one face in particular amongst the sea of betrayers. Abigail’s dear friend Mary was there with the others. The words “burn witch!” stained Mary’s lips in an echo of the mob that surrounded the fire. A crow called out as Abigail closed her eyes and let the flames overtake her body. Only weeks ago, this village had regarded her as they would a saint.

Read the Rest on LetterPile

NaNoWriMo 2015

NaNoWriMo starts today, so I might not be posting much this month.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with NaNoWriMo, it is a yearly writing challenge to write the first draft of a 50,000 word novel in one month. It takes place every November. I haven’t participated in a number of years, but I would like to give it another shot. I’m not sure if I will have time to write 50,000 words, in addition to classes and work, but I will sure try!

I still have my previous NaNoWriMo manuscripts sitting on my hard drive. Maybe one day I’ll open them up and decide what might be salvageable after some heavy editing. The point of NaNoWriMo is simply to write as much as you can. You can always go back and edit it later if you decide to publish.

My novel for this year’s NaNoWriMo will be based on different fairy tales, folklore, and mythology. My main character is a mermaid princess, who is also a witch. Her familiar is a squid. I know, it sounds cheesy, but that’s what I want to write! She is selfish, manipulative, and is prone to misusing her magic, which will ultimately be her undoing. That is all I’m going to say about my idea for my novel right now.

Anyway, if you are participating in NaNoWriMo and are looking for writing buddies, feel free to add me!

The Knock

Here’s a spooky short story that I wrote for Halloween. Enjoy!

I was sitting on my chair in the living room, drifting in and out of sleep. After some time, I was awoken by the chime of the clock as it struck twelve. I didn’t mean to sleep for that long. I was just resting my eyes.

In a half-awake daze, I was startled by a creaking sound from somewhere outside. Several moments later I heard the sound of someone, or something, knocking at the door. I struggled to get out of my chair. My legs aren’t as strong as they once were. I slowly hobbled to the window, but I didn’t see anyone there. It must have been my imagination, or perhaps the wind.

I returned to my chair. As I sat down, I thought I heard another sound. It was the unmistakable sound of a child laughing. My children are grown and my grandchildren never visit. The story is the same for my neighbors. There haven’t been any children in this neighborhood for years.

“Hello,” I yelled out. “Who’s there?” No response. The faint sound of high-pitched laughter ceased. Perhaps it was only my imagination playing tricks on me again.

I settled back into my chair. There was another knock at the door. “Is somebody there?” I yelled out a second time. The knocking stopped, but there was no response. I watched the shadows of the trees outside dance around on the hardwood floor of my living room. It must have only been the wind again, I reasoned.

I looked around my living room. The ticking of the clock seemed louder than before. I heard the sound of light footsteps outside my window. It sounded as though someone was walking around on my front porch.

After several minutes, there was another knock. This time it was louder than before. I gathered my courage and resolved to investigate again.

“I know there’s someone out there,” I said as I stood up again. I slowly made my way to the foyer. I took a deep breath and opened the door.

On my front porch stood two small girls. They wore bright green skirts and matching vests covered in sewn-on patches.

“Can we interest you in some cookies?” One girl asked cheerfully. The other stood next to her holding three boxes of cookies. There was a wagon parked on the sidewalk behind them filled with more.

“Sure, I’ll take a box of Thin Mints,” I replied as I shielded my eyes from the midday sun.

The Spiced Pumpkin Village

My newest book, The Spiced Pumpkin Village, is now available through Amazon. The Spiced Pumpkin Village is a lighthearted Halloween-themed story about a girl who finds herself transported to a magical world. Along the way, she learns to accept a part of herself that she has kept secret from even her best friend, as she finds herself developing feelings for a pumpkin spirit girl she meets in the Spiced Pumpkin Village.

Autumn is just an average girl who loves fall and pumpkin spice lattes. She, and her best friend Summer, get lost in the woods the night before Halloween. Autumn never imagined that magic could exist until she gets separated from Summer and finds herself transported to a village inhabited by pumpkin spirits. There, Autumn meets a pumpkin spirit girl named Curpepa and they fall for each other almost instantly. The pumpkin spirits mistake Autumn for one of their own and insist she hide in their village until All Hallows’ Eve is over, as the veil between the spirit world and the human world is weakest during this time of year. The pumpkin spirits seem terrified of humans, so Autumn decides to let them believe she is a spirit. Eventually, Autumn is faced with the decision to reveal that she is a human to save Summer and risk losing Curpepa, or to continue her charade. Along the way in her adventure, Autumn learns to accept herself for who she is and what true friendship really means.

The Spiced Pumpkin Village is suitable for teens and young adults and is available from Amazon and Smashwords. It will also be available from other major ebook retailers soon!

Stardust and Ash: A Collection of Short Stories

I just published a collection of short stories and poetry entitled Stardust and Ash. It is available from Amazon and will be available from other major eBook retailers soon.

Stardust and Ash is a collection of seven science fiction short stories and eight poems, each tied together by a theme of tragedy, loss, and accepting our own mortality. Each story shows the darker side of the human condition. Whether planted firmly on Earth or residing in the far-flung corners of our galaxy; whether living in the present day or in the distant future, the human experience remains much the same. Though we can experience much joy in life, we also must experience much sorrow and pain. The stories in this collection illustrate the latter. Don’t expect a happily ever after from the stories collected in Stardust and Ash.

These stories and poems were written between 2009 and 2015 and are collected for the first time in this single digital edition.

Stardust-and-Ash-coverThe Android – An eccentric millionaire has his body cryonically frozen when he dies, in hopes that he can be revived at some point in the future. He wakes up in the future with his consciousness transferred into the body of an android.

The Escapee – In the midst of an alien attack, one crew member manages to escape in an emergency escape pod, leaving behind the rest of the crew. No one comes for help, and she is stuck alone drifting through space in the escape pod for months.

The Garbage Collector – In the future, Earth begins disposing of its waste via a black hole. The unthinkable happens to one garbage man while on duty.

The Satellite – The Satellite is the first manned spacecraft to be sent to Mars. Commander Martin Stone describes what he is seeing above the Cydonia region of Mars.

The Colonist – A man named Blake is selected to become one of the first people to colonize Mars. Though his ex-girlfriend begs him to stay, he can’t wait to leave behind a planet that has nothing to offer him.

Abduction – After losing control of their craft, one of the members of a surveillance mission wakes up on an alien operating table, surrounded by strange beings. She is helpless to escape.

Dust and Ash – Two lovers spend their final moments on Earth together as they await a nuclear explosion.

Visit Amazon to purchase Stardust and Ash or to read a sample.

Camp NaNoWriMo!

I haven’t done NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month for the uninitiated) in several years, but I’ve been thinking about trying to edit and publish my 2005, 2006, and 2008 NaNoWriMo novels, as well as getting back into writing on a regular basis. As though the universe heard my thoughts, I got an email yesterday about Camp NaNoWriMo.

NaNoWriMo is a month-long writing challenge in which participants attempt to write the first draft of a 50,000 word novel in one month. The event is held every year in November. Camp NaNoWriMo is the same thing, but in June and August this year.

I “won” in 2005, 2006, and 2008. I attempted it in 2007 and 2009, but didn’t actually finished. After 2009, I just kinda forgot about it. The three years I won, I wrote sci fi, whereas the 2 years I didn’t, I attempted fantasy. Needless to say, though I don’t have any ideas for a plot yet, I’m probably going to go with science fiction. I’m going to be super crazy and try the June and August Camp NaNoWriMo challenge. That’s two full novels by the end of summer!

Who else wants to join me for Camp NaNoWriMo? Post in the comments.

Even if you are too intimidated by the idea of writing a novel in only a month, give it a try anyway!

Also, if you have an idea for a plot you’d like me to write, post it here! I may mention you in the acknowledgments if I end up using it!