Best of 2009 - Short Fiction Edition

This was meant to be an early New Year's Eve post to wish you all a very prosperous 2010. Instead, it may very well be an early 2010 post. These things happen. It was not procrastination that did me in, not this time. This time it was wind and weather teasing my Internet connection. Life on a rock in the cold North Atlantic has its downfalls.

2009 was a year full of exciting things, writing wise. I had several stories published (quite a few considering how little I wrote), completed 50,000 words for Nanowrimo, learned many useful things, and played in the literary wading pool with a ton of cool kids.

These are a few of the short fiction pieces that I felt were standouts this year. Each of these writers has become a favourite of mine. You need only read on to discover why.

Rhiannion's Glade by Barry J. Northern. Dark, mysterious, and thick with atmosphere. This story is all good things. Barry is also the author of Friday Fables, which you can read here. Better yet, listen to one of his podcasts.

Surrogate Fruit by Angel Zapata. To be honest, I have a love/hate relationship with this story. It tears me apart, but that's a good thing, right? And damn, I can't shop in the produce department without thinking about it. Angel's poetry is also brilliant. He mixes dark and beautiful with a master's touch.

Thanksgiving Day Pies by Laurel Wilczek. The deserving grand prize winner of the Feast of Flash contest at The Not. Beautifully written with stunning use of language.

I Wear His Jacket by Anthony Venutolo. This is one of those pieces of writing that stays with you long after you have finished reading. Anthony Venutolo has a unique talent for transporting the reader to another time, and for bringing is characters to life, warts and all. I still think about that jacket and the man who wore it. This piece of prose is also posted in podcast form. Give it a listen.

Weeping Stones by Jodi MacArthur. If you want dark and sometimes bizarre, look no further than this writer right here. Weeping Stones is a perfect example of what Jodi can do - excellent voice, unique style and such a dark imagination you'll wonder where she gets this stuff.

Bookends of a Life (part 1) by Linda Wastila. This is such a beautiful little piece, honest and touching. Of course bookends need to pieces, and they are both poignant, but I'm partial to the beginning. Linda has such a delicate touch with the pieces of life that leave most of us struggling for words. Incidentally, her blog was also listed as one of the best blogs for writers by Editor Unleashed.

Scavenging Grace by Erin Cole. A runner up in the Feast of Flash contest at The Not, this story is real and raw. Erin Cole writes with honesty and a dark, poetic touch. Her blog, Listen to the Voices, is full of dark, smart and scary stuff.


Where would writers be without a way to share their work? These are some top notch sites for anyone inclined to spend hours pounding on a keyboard. I spent a lot of time hanging out at these places in 2009 and resolve to do the same in the new year.

Not from here, are you? is a sometimes dark, sometimes humorous, always fun blog. Michael Solender showcases guest writers and shares his own fiction here. Never a dull moment at The Not.

Editor Unleashed - Tips, advice, interviews, contests and a cool forum for just hanging out with other writers. What more could you want?

Flashes in the Dark and Thrillers, Killers 'n' Chillers - two great sites for horror and crime fiction. Do not read before bed.

Six Sentences - The first place I ever had anything published. Robert McEvily has been very good in humouring me ever since. I'm always amazed at the amount one can say in only six sentences and this continues to be one of my favourite stops.

#fridayflash is a fun twitter phenomenon for readers and writers of flash fiction. Post a story to your bog, link to it n twitter with the #fridayflash hashtag and voila! Instant audience and some great reading. Creator, Jon Strother, posts a weekly list of all stories on his site Mad Utopia. There is no shortage of great flash fiction there, including some of his own.

Thanks to all those who have made this past year a fun and creative one. Thanks too, to all those following along with Brain Droppings. Keep a look out for the Harbinger*33 project, coming in 2010 with some amazing stories and writers (can I say that even if I am included?)

Best wishes to all for a very happy 2010. Keep writing!

Today at the Bijou

Another double feature at Absolutely Kate's Bijou today. I'm lucky enough to have my name up in those lights. My short story The Fetch is showing where many works of wonder have previously appeared.

Abundant thanks to Kate, the proprietor of the Bijou, and grand Captain of the good ship Harbinger*33, arriving soon at a port near you.

While you are visiting the Bijou, be sure to check out the other stories. Some great names and equally great tales to go with them.

Our Divas Do Christmas on Broadway

Holy Heart Auditorium was jam packed on on Friday night for the second evening of Divas. This was my first experience with the show, although they have been doing it for six years now. Something always prevented me from seeing the show in any of it's incarnations - Christmas parties, travel, the general craziness of December. This year was a special treat. Instead of the usual Our Divas do Christmas or Our Divas do Broadway, it was a little of column A and a little of column B.

The show was phenomenal. Three and a half hours of non-stop, first class entertainment. To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect. By the end of the first act (music from The Lion King complete with costumes, drums, and African Choir), I knew I was in for a very special treat.

It would take far too long to describe each set and the quality of the performances. I will take the time to mention a few of my favourites.

The first act included songs from Chicago, Hairspray, Chess, and The Sound of Music punctuated with several Christmas themed performances. Carol of the Bells in Narnia was especially good; a costume and dance display that was breathtaking to watch.

The performance of Seasons of Love from Rent was brilliant, as was the performance of Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy from the Christmas in Wartime set. Also from this set was the most beautiful rendition of Silent Night I have ever heard. One singer (Ron Hutton) began in German and was joined by English in five part harmony.

Act 2 included songs from A Chorus Line, Les Miserables, Wizard of Oz, Wicked, Dirty Dancing, and We Will Rock You. Kelly Ann Evans did a show stopping version of Defying Gravity, while Janet Cull's performance of I Dreamed a Dream was beautifully heart wrenching. The main highlight of the evening was seven year old Jenna Maloney singing Castle on a Cloud.

The Dirty Dancing set was pure fun, with some very impressive foot (and hip) work. I knew several of the younger cast members in this set, so it was fun to see them strut their stuff.

The evening ended with one last Christmas set. The only disappointment of the evening was that Shelley Neville did not sing O Holy Night alone. She was joined by the choir (who were also amazing) and Julia Halfyard. Although all talented singers, you just haven't hear O Holy Night sung until you've heard Shelley Neville sing it.

The quality and quantity of talent in this province is astounding. Just on this one small stage, in three and a half hours, I witnessed some of the best entertainment I have seen anywhere.

Congrats to all the Divas, Divos and Divas in training. I am well aware of the amount of hard work and hours of practice that go into these productions and this show was nothing short of spectacular.

Just a Job

This is the fifth and final installment of my Downtown series.
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He parks his cab at the curb and looks up at darkened windows.

One hour into his shift and already it has been a long night. Twenty minutes for the first fare, not a word and no tip. Then a young couple arguing and a guy pissed off with his wife. Financial troubles, marital woes, medical ailments – he hears it all.

At a buck twenty per kilometer he is the cheapest shrink in town.

He waits.

The street is empty, still. The sound of his horn cuts through the silence then evaporates. He wonders if it made a sound at all. Nothing moves, nothing changes.

In the ten minutes it took him to get here they had already changed their plans.

Another minute and then he pulls away from the curb. The windows are still dark, the street still empty. He tries to shake off the feeling of rejection.

After all, it’s only a job.

The End

I managed to finish Nanowrimo, just under the wire. By my count I had a little over 50,000 words, but once I posted on the Nano site my count was 52,327. I'm not quite sure how that happened.

It was an experience. I found that the days I felt least productive were the days I did my best writing. I realized that 1000 words really isn't that much when you get it all down on paper, or on screen. I learned that writing in a genre that is unfamiliar is quite a challenge.

I still have a long way to go. I love my characters and want to see how their situation plays out. There is a lot of tweaking to be done, a lot of chopping and building, but I'm hoping to create something solid with this.

This month has left me in awe of those who could complete Nano, keep up with the demands of the every day, and still find time to dash off a few short stories along the way. My hat is off to you.

I don't know if I will do this again next year, but I am glad I gave it a shot. I'll be glad to get back to short fiction for a while.

Good luck to all my writing friends in your endeavors AN (after nano). Enjoy all your extra free time.