Lengths Of The Journey To A Good Story The lengths to which a writer will go to complete a story is truly a mystery. Just like real people, no two writers are the same, and for that reason, the journey to the story’s end will always be different. Even if two people follow the same “template”, there will be slight variations in how they follow it. Some might follow the template, starting their writing in the morning while others might…
Escape Is Not A Bad Thing To Be Scorned “I have claimed that Escape is one of the main functions of fairy-stories, and since I do not disapprove of them, it is plain that I do not accept the tone of scorn or pity with which ‘Escape’ is now so often used. Why should a man be scorned if, finding himself in prison, he tries to get out and go home? Or if he cannot do so, he thinks and…
Monster Needs A Face Shadows dance on the ancient stone walls of the castle with each flash of lightning. Torrents of rain soak the scientist’s ancestral home, seeking to wash it away before the evil within its womb tastes life. Struggling against the storm, yet drawing upon its power, equipment created from the mind of a madman hums. Blue electricity climbs and descends Jacob’s Ladder, building power then regulating its release into insulated copper wire. Charged chemicals flow hesitantly into…
Washing Machine Repairman I hate wasting money to replace something I could possibly repair myself. Thanks to being cheap—and YouTube—I can repair a Kia, a Nissan, an air conditioning unit, and a clothes dryer. In recent days, I have had to answer the call and become a washing machine repairman. Let me just say, taking a washing machine apart is easy; fixing it, not so much. Certain noises shouldn’t come from washing machines. When my wife went to investigate, she discovered the…
On this Thanksgiving Day, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the past year. Things started out strong with the old Downjotter, but, eventually, life intervened . My intentions were noble, but my writing schedule suffered from a bad case of reality. I am thankful for the few of you who continually check in looking for new content. I apologize for letting you down. Despite my failings, I truly do appreciate all of you who take time to…
“A Halloween Warning” By E. Lee Ball Forgive me, dear reader, for this intrusion into your time of solitude, but I fear the consequences would be dire if I did not do so. Although you are reading this in a place where you feel safe, the fact of the matter is much the opposite. In truth, your life is in peril, and to survive what is about to occur, you must place your trust in me and heed every word…
The Coming Of The Daikaiju Changes Everything “ The coming of the daikaiju changed everything, and it changed nothing. Problems were still problems, only now they came in a super-size. The fact that all you owned could be crushed beneath the heel of a radiated prehistoric behemoth didn’t change the fact that chores had to be done. Jube hated chores, so he put them off as long as possible. This morning, his mother had warned him of dire consequences if she…
Hip Replacement Several months ago, the hip replacement fairy paid a visit to a friend of mine; let’s call him “Dan” for reference sake. Dan is a fellow writer and sometime collaborator on some of fan fiction’s greatest tales. During his younger years, Dan was rather active in sports and as he matured—as many athletes discover—body parts began to wear out. He finally reached the point where he had to start replacing them. Now, I am not sure how…