#PennedPossibilities 1002
Tell us a random fact (of any kind) about your WIP

Marked was born from a conversation held while spending a few 'delightful' hours under the gun at the tattoo shop. It turned into a novella with an unsatisfying ending that's been sitting in my digital bottom drawer so long that my ink now needs a touch-up. As a novel, I'm pantsing it a lot, but it's a much deeper and more satisfying story.

#ScribesAndMakers 1
Are you starting any new projects this month?

I've been away from the primary WIP for too long, and it feels a bit like a new project as I work to get back into a groove once more. I'm aiming for at least two new chapters.

I also have four flash pieces to write by month's end. I have at least two, probably more, rituals to be developed and facilitated. A live Sinister Minutes show to plan.

Plus lots of gardening prep. Busy month ahead!

#WritersCoffeeClub 30
How was this month for you, in terms of writing?

Rough. I'm working to get back into a groove after a month of too much time away from home. I'm happy to help people out when I can, but I know I overdid that in April.

Nonetheless, I managed to create a new flash piece each week, so my writing chops haven't completely rusted.

#WordWeavers 29
Can you describe your current WIP in three words?

Viral Faustian bargain.

#ScribesAndMakers 28
Are you interested in etymology? Is there a word with an origin you find especially interesting?

Word origins often contain deeper meanings; in some cases provide clues to ideas that might otherwise be lost. One that comes to mind this morning is "weird" - meaning "strange" at least since the time of the Scottish play, but holding much older roots in "wyrd" (personal destiny), which in turn derived from an older word meaning to twist, or turn.

A strange twist of fate...

#ScribesAndMakers 23
Have fairy tales influenced any of your creative work?

Absolutely. Whether conscious or not, I've developed a fair number of plots and subplots that could be categorized in the Aarne–Thompson–Uther (ATU) index. I suspect some stories are just that deeply impressed on us.

On a conscious level, I've always loved picking up fairy tales and looking at them from different angles. Good and evil are often all about perspective...

#WordWeavers 23
What would your MC be willing to die for?

Zane's not at that point yet, but I'm certainly driving him toward it. I'm not sure yet what the break point will be...or if he'll cross it.

#ScribesAndMakers 21
You turn the corner on a dimly lit street and see…

Nothing. The darkness ahead is palpable, oozing out of the opening between crumbling concrete buildings. Memory says turning down this alley will bring you closer to home, but an older part of your soul screams to turn back, to run.

Your legs ignore you, locked in place as cold sweat trickles down your back. From the darkness arises a wet sound, like meat hitting a cutting board, and a fetid odor fills your nostrils.