Retrenchment

Hello. It's been a while. In case you missed it I'm trying to write a novel. A dystopia to be precise. It's a challenge, fellow writers, I don't have to remind you. The days keep going by and I still have a long way to go. Most of the time I feel overwhelmed by the …

A Place of Healing – My Sunstone Experience

I have thrown myself back into the world of Post Mormonism, and the whole thing has caught me off guard. A few months ago, I found myself coming to grips with being angry with the church all over again. I mean, it happens from time to time, but this time I got stuck in the …

My Interview with Infants on Thrones

I've been waiting for the Infants on Thrones podcast to release my interview to announce that....I took second place in their essay contest! Soon after I got my blog set up, I heard that IOT was taking submissions for a listener essay contest. I thought it would be a good opportunity to flex my tiny …

Tension – A Poem

Ignition rampant fire monster Galloping information highway inferno All consuming processor Of things once restricted Burning it down Burn it all the fuck down Ballooning heads rise to the stars Look longingly down on lovers left Come with me I’m rising Above the smoky blackened earth Scorched by rage Did my hell-fire hurt you? Orange …

A break from nuance.

Warning: the following post has lots of swears because I am. In. A. Mood. We all have a few demons. But, damn, some are more pernicious than others. I left the Mormon Church well over four years now. That transition sucked. I was depressed for a while. My new-found atheism and disdain for the church …

Of Witches, Neanderthals and Bending the Truth: The Challenges of Writing Fiction and Why a Dystopia?

I'm not a very abstract thinker. Or writer. At least, not spontaneously. There are steps to things. There are rules. One cannot learn a dance without learning each move, step-by-step. Or compute an algebra problem without scratching out each progressive calculation on paper. There is a beginning, an end, and the logical process in between. …

My First Vision* – Thoughts about being a writer and what I see ahead (with and/or without my spiritual eyes).

Writing is hard. Duh. I need more time. And caffeine. And vitamin D or honestly I might just sleep myself into oblivion. Or my heart might explode. Clinical depression and anxiety's such a bitch, y'all. But ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. What's this dystopia I keep eluding to? I'm WORKING ON IT, GOSH! Patience, dear readers. Keep following and you'll …

The Atheist and the Humanist

The atheist and the humanist were fighting for the crown. The atheist beat the humanist, but then was feeling down. Arrogance is widespread so try to pipe down; And focus on understanding what's in another's crown. I'd like to speak candidly. Swears will be used. I've been struggling to come up with a topic to …

ABC’s of Losing My Religion

DJ, give me a BEAT.... Uh-huh. Here we go. A is for Allegiance. To God and to his word. B is for Benevolent. Prayer to reassure. C is for Content. To stay and to obey. D is for Direction. Taught to be the only way. E is for Every. Every fiber of my soul. F is …

Fire in Every Footstep – A Flash Fiction Challenge

Last week I opened my email to a Flash Fiction Challenge from Chuck Wendig’s blog terribleminds. The prompt says to take a song that really moves you, and write a flash fiction piece based on a few lyrics from that song. How did Mr. Wendig know that I think in song? Challenge accepted. Now, this …