Banned Books Week Challenges Us to View a New Perspective

banned book burning book fire-1075162_640 (002)Banned Books Week is Sept. 23-29 this year. Sponsored by the American Library Association, the week is designed to highlight the importance of access to information. While the week is called “banned books,” very few books are actually banned nowadays. They’re more often asked to be removed from libraries, with many libraries refusing the requests.

Banned Books week got its origins in the school settings, when librarians noticed a surge in calls to remove books from libraries. The ALA now compiles a list of books that are most often challenged to being included in libraries. When you look at the most recent list (2017), challenged books included Continue reading “Banned Books Week Challenges Us to View a New Perspective”

Stop Writing. Right Now!

what happens when you dont write person-731165_960_720Between 2011 and 2017 I wrote and published seven books. I’m not a fast writer, in fact compared to many authors I write quite slowly. I ponder and I stare out of windows. Then, I write and I rewrite. In fact, my methodology is to start over at the beginning of my work-in-progress each time I sit down to write. I know, it’s masochistic, but it’s what I do.

During those years, writing became an almost daily part of my life. I even quit my day job for a short period of time to write full-time. When that didn’t go as planned and I went back to the daily grind, I still managed to put some words together and create some books. I’d put in my eight-hour days at the office and I’d write on days off and evenings. It worked out fine. Then, last year I stopped writing. No more fiction. No more made-up stories spilling from my head onto the paper. I just stopped. Continue reading “Stop Writing. Right Now!”

Pat Mills Wins Flash Fiction Challenge

Pat Mills is the Readers’ Choice in this week’s Indies Unlimited Flash Fiction Challenge. The winning entry is decided by the popular vote and rewarded with a special feature here today. (In the case of a tie, the writer who submitted an entry first is the winner per our rules.) Without further ado, here’s the winning story:

Continue reading “Pat Mills Wins Flash Fiction Challenge”

Flash Fiction Writing Prompt: Blood Moon

Photo copyright K. S. Brooks. Do not use without attribution.

Use the photograph above as the inspiration for your flash fiction story. Write whatever comes to mind (no sexual, political, or religious stories, jokes, or commentary, please) and after you PROOFREAD it, submit it as your entry in the comments section below. There will be no written prompt.


Welcome to the Indies Unlimited Flash Fiction Challenge. In 250 words or less, write a story incorporating the elements in the picture at left. The 250 word limit will be strictly enforced.

Please keep language and subject matter to a PG-13 level. Continue reading “Flash Fiction Writing Prompt: Blood Moon”