40 Writing Prompts to Inspire Your Short Fiction

Every once in a while when navigating the waters of writing inspiration, I'll find myself lost in a murky patch, unable to come up with anything worthy of the page. Practicing one's craft is essential, but too often we find ourselves void of ideas or inspiration, leaving us with nothing of substance to write about....

Science Fiction: A Genre Study

Greetings! Today I’ll be discussing the great genre of science fiction, providing examples of the genre at work, and examining its various applications. The goal here is to give you a better understanding of the genre, and perhaps some inspiration for your own stories set within it.  Primary subgenres A difference should be mentioned here:...

The Winds of the Storm

Introduction: This short story was written late in 2021 to be submitted to an online contest of short stories. I've decided to post it here, so that it may be viewed by the visitors of this site. It varies distinctly from the other short stories I have presented here; I categorize this tale as science...

The Handmaid’s Tale: A Study in Dystopian Worldbuilding

Recently I finished Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, and it got me thinking about the role of dystopias in fiction and worldbuilding in general. Atwood's futuristic dystopia features a totalitarian regime that has taken control of a failing United States. The new state enforces rigid social roles, enslaving its inhabitants and providing only bare essentials...