So much of our fiction involves time travel. The Time Machine. The Time Traveler’s Wife. Doctor Who. We’re drawn to the possibilities that traveling through time present: an opportunity to relive the past—or to change it.

It’s much easier to consider a linear narrative for a story. Point A reaches the climax of Point B through [...]

Here’s another offering from Pam Painter’s Short Shorts class (and, incidentally, her What If? book of exercises).
Write a story in the form of a list.  This can be a grocery list, a To Do list, or, as in Amanda Holzer’s awesome “Love and Other Catastrophes:  A Mix Tape,” a list of songs.  The idea being, [...]

Sometimes it’s good to write with a buddy. Like swimming, you want to have somebody within screaming distance if you start to go under. At the very least, it’d be nice to have somebody around to report your drowning to the authorities.

Writing, of course, is a solitary enterprise, full of long hours of talking to [...]

Holidays are a time of celebration, right? A time of family gatherings, food and fireworks, good feelings all around. Not where I’m from.

Those special days throughout the year are positively ripe for conflict, which makes them great fodder for stories. So, in honor of Father’s Day this Sunday, here’s a holiday writing [...]

Another Friday, another writing prompt. Be careful: this one’s hard to master. Challenging, yes, but when you complete it, you will marvel at your own ingenuity. Don’t let it go to your head. Executed skillfully, an ABC story can mystify and amaze. For those less successful endeavors, well… [...]