Welcome to The Word, my update series covering the state of my writing projects and other miscellaneous information. A mix of updates, thoughts, and ramblings.
New Serial: Dark Waves
Before my days here on Substack I wrote a couple chapters of Dark Waves, a horror/romance about a woman of the 1800’s joining her husband aboard a whaling vessel hoping it could help repair their marriage. Aboard the ship she discovers dark things lurking in the bowels of the ship, in the men around her, and within her own heart. The first two chapters are now available - you can read both right now using the links below.
The original outline for Dark Waves is incomplete - and needs work on what exists - so it might be a little bit before I get more chapters out, but I’m hoping readers enjoy the ride (or voyage). Watch for more Dark Waves coming soon.
Chapter 2 available here:
New Flash Fiction: Hollow Gods and Found Out About You
There are a couple of new flash fictions here on Targeted Nightmares this month. First up, Hollow Gods, based on a writing prompt, is cosmic horror meets slasher in which a man has a dark need for a trapped animal. Read it here:
Also released this month was Found Out About You, a modern thriller following a traumatized teen enacting a plan of revenge. Found Out About You was inspired by Molly Parden’s cover of the Gin Blossoms song of the same name.
I’m proud with how this story can recontextualize the song’s lyrics for those who have read it - so I highly recommend giving the song another listen after you’ve read the story and see how the lyrics line up with the events, themes, and locations contained within the story. My favorite live version of Molly Parden’s cover is linked at the end of the story for easy access. Read it here, then listen to her cover:
New Slice-of-Life Fiction: Invisible Microphone
I reposted a slice-of-life flash fiction that I wrote in late 2020, when my wife and I were expecting our daughter, entitled Invisible Microphone. It’s about the connection between a father and a child even before the child is born.
Invisible Microphone was originally published online and is, at the time of this writing, the only thing I’ve had officially accepted and published. It’s a short piece that means a lot to me, especially because it captures such a moment in time of my life that makes it practically non-fiction.
Being a father is something that has had a profound impact on my stories and characters, and this was the first occurrence of that. Read it here:
Mystery Link
What could it be?! Click on the treasure chest below to go on a little hunt…
(Safe for work, never malicious - the way mom used to make your links.)
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See you in the pages of the next one,
Matt