Before we get to the samples, I’d like to take a moment to offer some special thanks.

First to my sister, who has been a loyal editor and fan for most of my life.

To Jason, a good friend who has been instrumental both in helping me with the quality of my work, and in convincing me to go places with my writing that I never would have gone on my own.

To Donna, who somehow manages to find time to read and edit my stories despite having an underappreciated job, three kids, and a number of websites to watch over, including this one.

To Penpointers, a peer review group without peer.

Writing samples:

-Online Story

This section is going to be something of an experiment. I'm going to attempt to use this area to write a story, showing the phases it goes through. Now, I'm not sure whether this will work, both technically, and storywise, so we'll just have to wait and see.
Let's see, what shall we call this story. How about 'The Experiment'.

- Short Stories

A Terrible Itch Word Count: 4350
Very much a twilight zone style of story. The problem is that the payoff isn't until the end and I'm not sure that the first half to three quarters is good enough to get people to read to the end. I need to rewrite this at some point, but for now it's on the back burner.
The Interview Word Count: 3320
This is actually a story I'm a tad bit disappointed with. It was intended to be a horror, a dark story with a twist at the end, but the horror just doesn't seem to make an appearance, and the 'twist' at the end is far too obvious. I'm not sure exactly what I need to do with this to fix it, and I'm not sure I'm attached enough to the story to try. But, hey, read it anyway. You might like it.
Causality Word Count: 6100
Another twilight zone style story. Same problem as 'a terrible itch' in that I'm not sure that the twist at the end is worth the journey, but also I got a response from a magazine that sends reviews of their submissions, and they thought the ending was unclear. That perturbed me. I thought it was quite clear. Was I wrong?
A Gambling Man Word Count: 4800
This was one of the stories I submitted throughout 2010. It got four rejections, and I can understand why, but I wish I had found a place for it. I like the idea of a story where souls are at stake, but I wanted to try something a little different than what I'd read before, at least, I think it's a little different.
Vespine Word Count: 2800
This particular story is meant to be a horror, but a fun horror. If you have the right sense of humor. I submitted it to a few places, but never found the right fit.
If Only in my Dreams Word Count:950
This was the first horror short I ever wrote. I intended for this to be a piece in a larger work, but when I was talking to a friend, they suggested that I make it a piece unto itself. Of all the horrors I've tried to write, this is, I think, one of my best.
Professional Courtesy Word Count:4,450
A little long? Perhaps. A little predictable? Certainly. I wrote this particular horror in an attempt to see what it would feel like to be terrified of yourself. The lack of control, the uncertainty . . . all in all, I'm actually rather pleased with the result, but I will admit that I understand why none of the places I submitted this to accepted.
FTM Word Count:1,390
I consider this story to be something of a failure. I think that the problem was that I was too focused on the meaning behind the story and not focused enough on just writing a good story.
Inheritance Word Count 4,700
I have mixed feelings about this one. As a whole, I think it turned out well, but it seems a bit . . . obvious. I don't know. Anyhow: PARENTAL WARNING: this story is pretty solidly R rated, by my standards. Read at your own risk.
Guest Lecture Word Count 8,500
One of the oldest stories that I'm still willing to let people read. I don't think it's perfect by any stretch, but I like many different aspects of the story and think that several of the tricks I was trying with it fit together well and comfortably. Yes, I'm actually proud of this one.
Sacrifice Word Count 955
I've long had the theory that the most horrific thing that a person can experience is to watch themselves change into something that they find monstrous, and I wanted to write a story that reflected that. I don't think that I succeeded here, but that's what I was going for.
Kassal Word Count 4399
So one thing that really interests me is writing a story from the perspective of someone who doesn't rely primarily on their vision. In this particular instance I decided to write it from the perspective of someone who had been blinded. The story itself is a bit weak, lacking much in the way of plot or conflict, but what it is meant to be is a piece of a much larger story. I haven't started on the much larger story yet, but I think there is some promise to this particular beginning.
Art Is Word Count 3300
I was fairly pleased with the way this story came out. Not to say that it's perfect or anything, I never even gave it a thorough editing, so there are probably some big errors in it, but I liked the tone of it. Sadly a friend told me that it was similar to something he'd read, and I decided not to send it out. Still, it's a sample of my writing, so please, take a peak, and I'd love to know what you think.
Last Day on Earth Word Count 2304
This story came out of a larger piece that I've been working on for a while, what I like to call my 'world walker chronicles.' The short story is a bit like that old t.v. show, Sliders, in so much as the main characters move between different Earths. The premise got me wondering about our Earth, specifically, our America, and how it would be perceived by someone looking at it through another lense. Someone more foreign than foreign. Anyway, here it is.
Unlife Word Count: 2459
I had a good beginning to a story with no idea what to follow it up with, and what I thought was an entertaining story with a weak beginning, so I mushed them together. It isn't perfect, and I'll probably break them apart and cannibalize the pieces later, but for now . . . it is what it is. If you've got any ideas what would make this better, by all means. Let me know.
BarbariansWord Count: 2245
Another story I have mixed feelings about. I'd actually like to do a series of stories in the same vein as this one, just because I like the idea of sentient plants, and the confusion they'd undoubtedly face when dealing with our world. Anyway, that's the general thought.

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- Sample Chapters

The Lost Tribes
A space odyseey story I worked on a few years back. It could use a little . . . maybe a little more than a little editing. But I have a soft spot in my heart for this little tale, mostly because I like the universe it's set in.
Waking Up
A fun piece I started working on a few years ago. The premise is simple enough (though not directly addressed in the opening chapter): Corporations have taken over most of the responsibilities of governments. If you're injured, the company you work for has hospitals. if you're attacked or robbed, the company you work for has a security firm. If you're lucky enough to work for one of the big ones, that means you get taken care of. if you work for one of the little ones: don't get hurt.